Chaos Strikes Back

Last updated
Chaos Strikes Back
Chaos Strikes Back Coverart.png
Cover art by David R. Darrow
Developer(s) FTL Games
Publisher(s) FTL Games
Designer(s) Doug Bell
Joe Linhoff
Mike Newton
Artist(s) Andrew Jaros
David L. Simon
Writer(s) Nancy Holder
Platform(s) Atari ST, Amiga, FM Towns, PC-98, X68000
Release1989 (Atari ST)
1990 (ports)
Genre(s) Role-playing
Mode(s) Single-player

Chaos Strikes Back is an expansion and sequel to Dungeon Master , the earlier 3D role-playing video game. Chaos Strikes Back was released in 1989 [1] and is also available on several platforms (including Atari ST, Amiga, X68000, PC-98, FM Towns). It uses the same engine as Dungeon Master, with new graphics and a new, far more challenging, dungeon.

Contents

Gameplay

Demons on the FULYA Pit level. Chaos Strikes Back in-game screenshot.png
Demons on the FULYA Pit level.

Although Chaos Strikes Back describes itself as an expansion pack, the original Dungeon Master is not required. Whereas the first game saw the player following a fairly linear path through the adventure, with the completion of each flat level marked by a staircase leading down onto a new slightly harder level below, Chaos Strikes Back features a choice of paths which twist back and forth over all levels. The puzzles are far more convoluted, often demanding quick mastery of the control system to deal with intense combat, along with brain vexing riddles and room layouts.

The game is therefore pitched at a much higher difficulty level than its predecessor. The player can choose from a selection of moderately high-level characters or can import characters from a Dungeon Master saved game. In an indication of the game's uncompromising toughness, the player's very first task is to get out of a dark, enclosed room filled with ferociously toothed man-eating giant worms. The game is made a little easier by the inclusion of a separate program which dispenses cryptic hints based on the player's current saved game. Another new, useful feature is an ingame real time map of the dungeon, which makes use of the GOR magic glyph (It had no use in the first game though it's said it was used to create FUL bomb attack potions, which wasn't kept as a spell for the released game) The original had countless guides but the much harder sequel did not, perhaps due to the game itself having an inbuilt map as well as the 'oracle' hint feature, even so though a shorter game it is a lot harder.

The player's task is to collect four pieces of corbum, a magical material from which the eponymous Lord Chaos draws his power. This requires the traversing of four separate paths each leading to a piece of corbamite and each themed around one of the disciplines open to characters in the game. These disciplines are fighter, wizard, priest and ninja.

Champion Editor

Custom characters represented in the Champion Editor (Amiga version) DM rashid01.gif
Custom characters represented in the Champion Editor (Amiga version)

Chaos Strikes Back comes with a utility for editing the portraits and names of the four-character party. This utility allows custom character portraits to be created for both Chaos Strikes Back and for Dungeon Master.

For users who do not want to draw new characters, but who would like more powerful looking versions of the existing characters (to better represent the higher levels), the game's utility disk also comes with "enhanced" versions of the game's prepackaged character art. [2]

Reception

“Computer Gaming World stated that "With the release of Chaos Strikes Back, FTL still has one foot in the winner's circle." [3]

The game was reviewed in 1991 in Dragon #171 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4 out of 5 stars. [4]

Niko Nirvi reviewed the game in MikroBitti and gave 98 points (out of 100) calling the difficulty level insane and mentioned a disappointing ending but nevertheless called the game "bewitching" and "classic". [5]

Reviews

Legacy

Notable reception received "CSBWin", an Atari ST version based reverse engineered source code reconstruction by Paul R. Stevens around 2003, which led to many ports for modern platforms like Windows and Linux. [25]

Related Research Articles

<i>Zany Golf</i> Video game

Zany Golf, also known as Will Harvey's Zany Golf, is a fantasy take on miniature golf developed by Sandcastle Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1988. The game was originally written for the Apple IIGS and subsequently ported to the Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS compatible operating systems. In 1990, a port was released for the Sega Genesis. The game was developed by Will Harvey, Ian Gooding, Jim Nitchals, and Douglas Fulton. Harvey was pursuing his advanced degrees at Stanford University at the time.

Artworx was a Naples, Florida software company that produced and supported a line of computer games from 1981 to 2020. It is named after the founder's given name. At first the company published a variety of games, including titles in adventure and arcade-action genres, but were later best known for a strip poker series.

<i>Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World</i> 1988 video game

Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World is a role-playing video game developed and published by New World Computing in 1988. It is the sequel to Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum.

<i>California Games II</i> 1990 video game

California Games II is a sports video game released by Epyx for MS-DOS in 1990. Versions were published for the Amiga, Atari ST, and Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1992, then the Master System in 1993. This game is a sequel to California Games. An Atari Lynx version was announced and previewed in several magazines but was never released.

<i>Badlands</i> (1989 video game) 1989 arcade game

Badlands is a 1989 arcade video game published by Atari Games. It was ported by Domark under the Tengen label to the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. The game is a re-themed version of Atari's previous racing games Super Sprint and Championship Sprint with the addition of vehicular combat. Badlands is set in the aftermath of a nuclear war and races around abandoned wastelands with many hazards. Three gun-equipped cars race around a track to win prizes.

<i>Time Bandit</i> 1983 video game

Time Bandit is a maze shoot 'em up written for the TRS-80 Model I by Bill Dunlevy and Harry Lafnear and published by MichTron in 1983. It was ported to the TRS-80 Color Computer and Dragon 32, but enjoyed its greatest popularity several years later as an early release for the Atari ST. It was also released for the pseudo-PC-compatible Sanyo MBC-55x with 8-color display. Amiga and MS-DOS versions were ported by Timothy Purves.

<i>War in Middle Earth</i> 1988 video game

War in Middle Earth is a real-time strategy game released for the ZX Spectrum, MSX, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, MS-DOS, Amiga, Apple IIGS, and Atari ST in 1988 by Virgin Mastertronic on the Melbourne House label.

<i>Centurion: Defender of Rome</i> 1990 video game

Centurion: Defender of Rome is a turn-based strategy video game with real-time battle sequences, designed by Kellyn Beck and Bits of Magic and published by Electronic Arts. Originally released for MS-DOS in 1990, the game was later ported to the Amiga and the Sega Genesis in 1991. Centurion shares much of the concept and feel with Beck's earlier game Defender of the Crown (1987).

<i>Black Gold</i> (video game) 1989 video game

Black Gold is a business simulation game released in 1989 by reLINE Software.

<i>The Kristal</i> 1989 video game

The Kristal is an action game/adventure game first released in 1989 for the Amiga computer. It was later released for the Atari ST and MS-DOS. It was developed by the UK-based company Fissionchip Software, and published in Europe by Addictive Games and in the US by Cinemaware. Unusually for a video game, the game is based on a play, The Kristal of Konos, written in 1976; the authors of the play worked together with the game developers and the play was never shown in theatres or on film before the game's release. A dialog introducing the setting recorded by Patrick Moore, who introduced both the game and play.

<i>Iron Lord</i> 1989 video game

Iron Lord is an adventure video game developed by Orou Mama and Ivan Jacot for the Atari ST and published by Ubi Soft in 1989. It was ported to the Amiga, Acorn Archimedes, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and DOS.

<i>Escape from Singes Castle</i> 1987 video game

Escape from Singe's Castle, also known as Dragon's Lair Part II - Escape From Singe's Castle, is a computer game for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum home computers, released by Software Projects in 1987.

<i>Elvira II: The Jaws of Cerberus</i> 1992 video game

Elvira II: The Jaws of Cerberus is the second game in the Elvira series of horror adventure/role-playing video games. It was developed by Horror Soft and published by Accolade in 1992. The game is a sequel to 1990's Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. It was followed by Waxworks, which can be considered its spiritual sequel.

<i>Eye of Horus</i> (video game) 1989 video game

Eye of Horus is a computer game published in 1989 by Fanfare for the Amiga.

<i>Rings of Medusa</i> 1989 video game

Rings of Medusa is a fantasy-themed video game developed and published by Starbyte Software for the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS in 1989. The game is a hybrid of role-playing, strategy, and trading genres. It received mixed reviews.

<i>Projectyle</i> 1990 video game

Projectyle s a sports video game originally released in 1990 for the Amiga and Atari ST.

<i>Matrix Marauders</i> 1990 video game

Matrix Marauders is a 1990 racing video game. According to Psyclapse, it is a "superfast 3D abstract computer racing game."

<i>Vroom</i> (video game) 1991 video game

Vroom is a 1991 racing video game developed and published by Lankhor and programmed by Daniel Macré. The game was first released in 1991 for the Atari ST and later for the Amiga and MS-DOS.

<i>TV Sports: Football</i> 1988 video game

TV Sports: Football is a 1988 video game by Cinemaware for Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, and TurboGrafx-16.

<i>Wild Wheels</i> 1991 video game

Wild Wheels is a 1991 video game published by Ocean Software.

References

  1. ↑ Barton, Matt (2007-02-23). "Part 2: The Golden Age (1985-1993)". The History of Computer Role-Playing Games. Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 2009-03-30. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  2. ↑ unknown author, "Chaos Strikes Back" Manual, FTL Games, 1989
  3. ↑ "Chaos Strikes Back: Another Brick in the Wall". Computer Gaming World. Vol. 1, no. 82. May 1991. pp. 38–39.
  4. ↑ Lesser, Hartley; Lesser, Patricia; Lesser, Kirk (July 1991). "The Role of Computers". Dragon (171): 57–64.
  5. ↑ Game review by Niko Nirvi, republished in Pelit Vuosikirja 1990 Syksy, Erikoislehdet Oy Teknopress, pages 56-57 (originally appeared in MikroBitti magazine, issue 4/1990, page 47)
  6. ↑ "Kultboy.com - DIE Kult-Seite über die alten Spiele-Magazine und Retro-Games!". Kultboy.com. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  7. ↑ "Tilt 074". Archive.org. January 1990.
  8. ↑ "Chaos Strikes Back review from ACE: Advanced Computer Entertainment 29 (Feb 1990) - Amiga Magazine Rack". Amr.abime.net.
  9. ↑ "TheOne Magazine Issue 17". Archive.org. February 1990.
  10. ↑ "Zero Magazine Issue 18". Archive.org. April 1991.
  11. ↑ "Zero Magazine Issue 04". Archive.org. February 1990.
  12. ↑ "Kultpower.de - Die Powerplay und ASM Fan Site". Kultpower.de. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  13. ↑ "Enchanted Realms : Issue 5" (PDF). Mocagh.org. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  14. ↑ "Chaos Strikes Back review from Amiga Action 19 (Apr 1991) - Amiga Magazine Rack". Amr.abime.net.
  15. ↑ "CU Amiga Magazine Issue 012". Archive.org. February 1991.
  16. ↑ "Atari ST User (Vol. 5, No. 02) - April - 1990: Atari magazine scans, PDF". Atarimania.com.
  17. ↑ "Chaos Strikes Back review from ACE: Advanced Computer Entertainment 43 (Apr 1991) - Amiga Magazine Rack". Amr.abime.net. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  18. ↑ [ dead link ]
  19. 1 2 "Photographic image of Buyer's Guide 62" (JPG). Atarimania.com. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  20. ↑ "Kultboy.com - DIE Kult-Seite über die alten Spiele-Magazine und Retro-Games!". Kultboy.com. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  21. ↑ "Aktueller Software Markt (ASM) Magazine (February 1990)". Archive.org. February 1990.
  22. ↑ [ dead link ]
  23. ↑ "The Games Machine Issue 29". Archive.org. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  24. ↑ "Jeux & stratégie NF 5". March 1990.
  25. ↑ Walker, John (2012-03-29). "You Could Be Playing Dungeon Master Right Now". Rock, Paper, Shotgun . Retrieved 2015-08-03. There is a version that just works, without an emulator, and it's free. [...] A madman by the name of Paul Stevens spent six months, eight hours a day, writing 120,000 lines of what he calls "pseudo-assembly language" to rebuild it in C++. And then released the game and source code for free. Can he do that? I've decided that yes, he can, which legitimises my promoting it to you.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.