First presented as a mod of the legendary DOOM II game from 1994, Total Chaos is a game that has matured into a full-blooded survival horror that has the potential to stand side by side with the main achievements of that genre (Silent Hill, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Resident Evil...). The engine on which the game is made is called GZDoom, and it traces its roots back to the first DOOM game. Total Chaos is a game created for years by an independent developer under the pseudonym wadaholic - real name Sam Prebble.
Versions
The final version of the game was released in the 11th month of this year. We played the PlayStation version, which currently costs 24.99 euros on the Store. The game code was given to us by the developer. Both Xbox and Steam versions of the game are available. There is also a physical edition of the game reserved for collectors, published by the famous Atari. Total Chaos has gone through several versions that are available to players: The mod version is a free version that is available to everyone, but it requires a certain amount of computer skills to run it. The final version from 2025 is actually a remake / remaster processed in the Unity engine for the most modern console requirements. Sam Prebble started working on the game back in 2012, so it is the result of his 13-year effort. Prebble pushed the boundaries of what the GZDoom engine could provide. He introduced high-resolution 3D models, dynamic lighting and physics systems into it, which until now that engine was not capable of. In the final version, the game was transferred to the Unity engine, in order to adapt it to consoles.
Action
The action of the game is set in the 1970s, on the fictional island of Fort Oasis. We are in the role of a member of the coast guard who responds to a distress signal sent from the island. So what should have been a routine rescue becomes a fight for bare life. Fort Oasis was once a mining colony, transformed into concrete corridors and halls that we pass through in nine chapters. Throughout the game, a mysterious voice is heard through the radio that takes us deeper and deeper into the island. The main emphasis of the story is on the psychological aspect - the themes of isolation, guilt and loss of reason are explored. Spoiler – the game has a secret ending quite early on, reminiscent of the Far Cry games.
Gameplay
Može se reći da je ova igra FPS (First Person Shooter), iako je ona zapravo horor-survival igra. I to ekstremni horor survival, koji igrača cijelo vrijeme drži ‘na iglama’. Kroz cijeli gameplay prati nas osjećaj nelagode. Glazba vrhunski prati ugođaj, za što je zaslužan Akira Yamaoka, autor glazbe u serijalu Silent Hill. Igra od igrača zahtijeva puno. Mehanike kretanja i borbe su jednostavne, no inventar i korištenje inventara jako je loše posloženo. Zbog toga svaki igrač mora biti spreman na bezbrojne smrti i re-spawnanje na posljednji checkpoint. Opet, to je nešto što će nekome smetati a nekome će biti super. Jako dugo u igri ne dobijemo oružje za pucanje, pa preživljavamo čisto na instinktu i refleksima. Protivnici su humanoidna čudovišta i sablasne pojave, koje nije baš lako uništiti samo s čekićem ili sličnim ručnim alatima. Kroz igru moramo pratiti glad, zračenje, krvarenje a i staminu – što je ipak malo previše toga za survival horor igru. Za takve igre uvijek vrijedi ona dobra stara – ‘Manje je više’. U igri postoji i sustav craftanja alata, koji nije vrijedan spomena.
Conclusion
Opći konsenzus u krugu kritičara videoigara je da je Total Chaos jedna od najatmosferskijih horor igara u posljednje vrijeme. Na Metacriticu igra drži solidnih 80/100. Po nama, ova igra je jedno vrhunsko ostvarenje vizije jednog čovjeka. Igra koja je nastala ‘u garaži’ kao mod stare DOOM igre, postala je jedno zasebno horor ostvarenje vrijedno pohvala. Vrhunska grafika i brutalna atmosfera popraćena prvoklasnom glazbom čine je nezaobilaznom igrom u ovom žanru. Iako ima i mana, za 24.99 eura na Play Station Storeu, ova igra je pun pogodak.
Evaluation
Positive sides: amazing visual style; top music; level design that creates constant discomfort; interesting story
Negative sides: poor inventory and crafting system; poorly located checkpoints; senseless opponents
Konačna ocjena: 3.5/5
A copy of the PlayStation 5 version was provided by publisher Apogee Entertainment for review purposes
