Chasm: The Rift

[h1]Pros:[/h1] ✅ [b]Decent game, but has major issues.[/b] ✅ [b]Runs without any issues.[/b] ✅ [b]Good music.[/b] ✅ [b]The decapitation system is nicely done.[/b] ✅ [b]Achievements.[/b] [h1]Cons:[/h1] ❌ [b]Horrible map design. There are way too many switches scattered randomly around the map and some of them are extremely frustratingly hidden.[/b] ❌ [b]Every single boss fight is a gimmick... Instead of testing your skill, most bosses turn into trial and error puzzles where you're forced to run around the area looking for hidden switches, secret doors, or obscure triggers.[/b] ❌ [b]The enemy A.I. is poor. The only enemies that pose any real threat are the human soldiers. All other enemies are either melee only or attack with slow moving projectiles that are easy to dodge.[/b] ❌ [b]You can easily beat this game in ~3 hours, so the 20 euro price tag is ridiculous (buy it only on sale).[/b]

Игра плохо состарилась. Уровни короткие, оружие слабое и почти никакого урона не наносит. Сбалансирована отвратительно. Не понимаю зачем было делать так, что все враги атакуют нас хитсканом, а не проджектайлами, даже камни львов, которые они бросают в игрока, попадают мгновенно - от этого невозможно уклониться. Входящий урон слишком высокий, вообще не ясно, тестировал ли это кто-то. Не стоит своих денег

Fun until you get to egypt. It drops dead off a cliff with horrible level design that never recovers. Forget it. Just play quake.

Level design from hell

There is an achievement for completing the game with just basic pistol that hits like a peashooter on hard (it takes 5-20 shots to kill an enemy) without dying, the game constantly puts you in situations where you have multiple enemies in tight space without possibility of kiting or leaving (closed door etc), the only chance to survive is to luck out on stupid ai and bodycheck your way out, yeaaa, otherwise youre probably better off just playing quake

Chasm: The Rift is a modernized revival of a lesser-known but historically significant first-person shooter originally created by Action Forms, with the updated edition developed in collaboration with General Arcade and published by SNEG. Released decades after its original debut in 1997, this enhanced version introduces technical improvements while preserving the fast-paced gameplay, dark atmosphere, and unconventional ideas that helped the game stand apart from many of its contemporaries. Although it was often overshadowed by genre-defining titles such as Quake and Doom, Chasm: The Rift remains an intriguing piece of FPS history that demonstrates remarkable ambition for its era. The game's narrative follows a military operative tasked with confronting catastrophic temporal distortions that have begun tearing apart reality. These rifts have unleashed horrific creatures and transformed once-familiar locations into dangerous battlegrounds. The story is intentionally straightforward and largely serves as a framework for the action. Like many classic shooters from the 1990s, the focus is not on complex storytelling but on creating a compelling reason to move from one hostile environment to the next while eliminating everything in sight. What immediately stands out is the game's commitment to old-school shooter design. Players navigate sprawling levels filled with enemies, hidden secrets, keycards, switches, and environmental hazards. The experience emphasizes movement, exploration, and combat rather than cinematic presentation. There are no extensive tutorials or modern progression systems. Instead, players are expected to learn through experience, search every corner of the map, and rely on their own instincts to survive. This approach gives the game a distinctive retro identity that remains appealing to fans of classic first-person shooters. Combat is where Chasm: The Rift truly establishes its individuality. The game features a varied arsenal of weapons that range from conventional firearms to more unusual tools of destruction. Each weapon serves a practical purpose, encouraging players to adapt their approach depending on the enemies they encounter. Battles are often intense, forcing constant movement and quick decision-making. The fast pace keeps encounters exciting and reinforces the feeling of being trapped in a hostile world where danger lurks around every corner. Perhaps the game's most famous innovation is its advanced enemy damage system. Long before dismemberment became a common feature in modern shooters, Chasm allowed players to target specific body parts and visibly damage enemies in dramatic ways. Opponents could continue fighting even after losing limbs, creating combat scenarios that felt both brutal and unpredictable. This mechanic was remarkably advanced for its time and remains one of the game's most memorable features today. Even decades later, it helps distinguish Chasm from many of its contemporaries. The enemy roster contributes significantly to the game's atmosphere. Players face grotesque mutants, twisted creatures, and bizarre monsters created by the distortions affecting reality. These enemies are visually memorable and fit the dark science-fiction horror themes that define the game. Combined with the dismemberment system, encounters often feel chaotic and intense, creating a level of tension that remains effective despite the game's age. Level design follows the philosophy of many classic shooters, emphasizing exploration and environmental awareness. Maps frequently feature interconnected pathways, hidden areas, and objectives that require careful observation. Progression is rarely handed directly to the player, and discovering the correct route often becomes part of the challenge. While this approach can occasionally lead to confusion, it also creates a rewarding sense of accomplishment when players uncover secrets or finally solve a navigation puzzle. Fans of old-school FPS design will likely appreciate this emphasis on exploration. The remastered version does an admirable job of modernizing the experience without sacrificing its original character. Improved lighting, enhanced textures, higher resolutions, and widescreen support make the game significantly more accessible on modern hardware. Performance is smooth, controls are responsive, and visual upgrades help make the environments more immersive. Importantly, these improvements never feel intrusive. The game still looks and plays like a product of the late 1990s, preserving its identity while benefiting from modern conveniences. Atmosphere remains one of the game's strongest qualities. The environments are dark, claustrophobic, and often unsettling. Industrial facilities, underground complexes, military installations, and other distorted locations create a constant sense of tension. The world feels damaged and unstable, reflecting the catastrophic events unfolding within the story. This environmental storytelling helps maintain immersion even when the narrative itself takes a back seat to the action. The audio design further strengthens the experience. Weapon effects deliver satisfying impact, while ambient sounds contribute to the oppressive mood of each location. The soundtrack complements the action effectively, enhancing both combat sequences and exploration. Together, the visual and audio elements create a world that feels dangerous and hostile from beginning to end. Of course, the game still shows signs of its age. Some levels can be difficult to navigate, certain enemy encounters feel unfair by modern standards, and the overall structure lacks many of the conveniences found in contemporary shooters. However, these elements are also part of what makes Chasm: The Rift feel authentic. Rather than redesigning the experience to match current trends, the remaster preserves the original challenge and philosophy, allowing players to experience the game largely as it was intended. Chasm: The Rift succeeds not only as a nostalgic return to a forgotten shooter but also as a reminder of how creative the genre could be during its formative years. Its innovative damage system, memorable enemy designs, atmospheric environments, and satisfying combat demonstrate that it was far more than a simple imitation of better-known games. The remastered edition successfully introduces these strengths to a new audience while preserving the qualities that made the original noteworthy. For fans of retro shooters, Chasm: The Rift offers a compelling blend of fast-paced action, exploration, horror-inspired atmosphere, and historical significance. It may not possess the polish or recognition of the genre's biggest classics, but it remains an enjoyable and distinctive experience that deserves far more attention than it originally received. The remaster serves as both an entertaining shooter and an important act of preservation, ensuring that one of the more interesting FPS releases of the 1990s continues to be remembered. Rating: 8/10

Лвл диз крайне дикий, то, что могло бы подразумеваться как секретка, выйдет вашим единственным путем дальше, оружие на харде наносит крайне мало урона, а вот тебя хитсканить в ответ будут уже жоско, при том, что аптечек и брони ты если и найдешь, то этого будет крайне мало, даже на среднем уровне ракетчик тебя на фулхп шотнет, при том, что есть летающие мобы, которые стреляют аж двумя такими приколами и тебя НЕ шотают. Прочему? Не знаю. геймдизайн крайне непонятный, но если делать нечего то, возьми лучше чего другого

хидден гем от шутанов в который я хотел поиграть ,так как видел у друга на компе это,но изза бага с *крутилкой*(камера которая крутилась вокруг себя),так и не смог. теперь же могу (так как завезли нормальный фанатский порт) и прошел игру на автомате и нормале,годно для олдов рекомендуемо

I get why this game is loved the way it is. It's such a tight package. The gameplay works well enough but the general feeling of this game is unreal (no, not that one). It's really eerie. The levels may be vastly different between episodes but the general feel of the game is always alone in a way I think that expands beyond what Quake did. It really is a different beast when your double barrel pump-action shotgun(??) sounds so average. The thing which probably adds to this the most is the technical advancements in the game. This is probably what the game's most famous for and it's no surprise why. Being so advanced with 3d models but still being a glorified Wolf3D engine game is... it's something else. The whole game is dripping with interactivity which I think is what gives the game such a unique taste. It's atmospheric to a wonderful degree. Every little moving part feels like exploring a forgotten pyramid or medieval town or what have you... it's such a great feeling. Gameplay's pretty good. Sounds are pretty nice; the ambient tracks go a long way to adding to the feeling and the like two techno tracks are sick. Okay, I should probably talk about the gameplay. It's great. The weapons are all fun; the death cannon laser thingy rules and the handheld sawblades are very fun to use. The low ammo counts make you cherish every bullet lest you be stuck with the shotgun that, while workable, can definitely get you killed if you use it in poor places. It's neat. The dismemberment also rules. It's beyond satisfying to blow an arm cannon off and just have the enemy flail around like an idiot. The levels are also somewhat maze-y but if you're used to classic boomshoots it's nothing [i]too[/i] crazy. But all in all this is a great game. Short. Really short, like <20 levels short, but it's worth it. Wonderful little game I'd kiss on the forehead. It's depressed and lonely and makes you feel somewhere inbetween strong and fearful. Love it.

Despite running well out of the box, the game is just not that good. It's really short (2-3h to beat), the guns feels mostly useless outside the shotgun and the level design is pretty bad, sometimes requiring you to take damage just to progress, which can softlock you. Enemies aren't great too, with many being slow dumbasses that just walk towards you while throwing a rock, while others are a hitscanning health tax. Just play Quake, man, the dismemberment aint worth it.