From the Press Release
Mastertronic and Abstraction Games are proud to announce that The Chaos Engine, the classic Amiga game originally developed by legendary outfit The Bitmap Brothers is now available on PC, Linux and Mac! The early ‘90s top-down shooter has been lovingly restored by Abstraction Games, the team who recently brought Hotline Miami to the PS3 and Vita, in close consultation with Mike Montgomery, one of the founding members of The Bitmap Brothers. Abstraction Games have been entrusted with rebuilding The Bitmap Brothers’ game from the ground up in its original form, as well as throwing in an alternative mode with a few extra enhancements.
The original version of The Chaos Engine was one of the first games to introduce a skill system in action-adventure games, helping players improve their characters and equip individualized weapons.
Prepare for the dark world of The Chaos Engine, a Victorian age of discovery and technology corrupted by a failed experiment with an early computer - the Chaos Engine.
Choose from six hard-nailed mercenaries, each with their own unique weapons and skills to combat the bizarre monstrosities created by the machine. Those who have the strength and the courage to overturn the Chaos Engine will be remembered.
Battle through four unique worlds in single-player or online and local co-op modes. Play in ‘Enhanced mode’ or ‘Classic mode’ with its original graphics and controls for the true Amiga experience. Steam Achievements will test the mettle of both new players and old fans. This restoration of the classic Amiga shooter includes all the intense gameplay of the original with enhanced graphics, controls and Steam features.
“This really feels like the right time to bring back The Chaos Engine” says Mike Montgomery, one of the founding members of The Bitmap Brothers. “There are many fond memories of The Chaos Engine and I wanted to make sure that the game was true to the original without losing its charm during the restoration process. The option to play in the original ‘Classic’ mode with the added option to play in ‘Enhanced mode’ with its refined pixel-perfect finish is a clever way to satisfy all enthusiasts! It feels a completely natural transition to the PC.”
“When Abstraction Games was first approached by Mastertronic to work on The Chaos Engine we were super excited,” said Ralph Egas, CEO of Abstraction Games. “Revitalising a game that was so much ahead of its time and has been on gamers all-time favorite lists for almost two decades has been such a treat and a real honour. We’ve gone all-out in making sure that we captured its original brilliance. At the same time we wanted to make sure that players who never got the chance to play the original had an opportunity to do so, so we added 360 degree controls, online co-op and enhanced visuals that make the game shine on higher resolutions too. We hope that this revitalized version will appear on more gamer’s all-time favorite lists for at least another two decades.”
Stuart Morton, Executive Producer, Mastertronic, says, ‘‘We are thrilled that The Chaos Engine will be launching today on PC, Linux and Mac. We’ve been working very hard with Abstraction Games and Mike Montgomery of The Bitmap Brothers to restore The Chaos Engine to its original splendour and we are very proud to present it to old and new fans today! In addition to its former state, we have added in an ‘enhanced’ mode as an option to experience the game in a new light and we hope that you’ll enjoy playing it today as much as gamers loved to in the past.”
For more information go to www.chaosenginegame.com.