Chasm: The Rift

Chasm: The Rift (also known as Chasm: The Shadow Zone) is a first-person shooter video game developed by Action Forms and published in 1997 by GT Interactive Software, WizardWorks, and Megamedia Corp. Action Forms would later develop the Carnivores series. The game was meant to compete with Quake a year earlier, since GT Interactive lost publishing rights to Activision when id Software signed with the latter.

Chasm: The Rift
Cover art
Developer(s)Action Forms
Publisher(s)GT Interactive Software, WizardWorks, Megamedia Corp.
Platform(s)DOS
ReleaseSeptember 30, 1997
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay

The player takes on the role of an unnamed Marine whose mission is to stop the so-called "Timestrikers", mutant beings invading different time epochs, from taking over Earth. On this mission, he visits various locations ranging from military bases in the present to Pharaonic tombs in ancient Egypt. All of the levels involve dark corridors, often like that of catacombs and crypts.

One of the most notable features of the game was the ability to remove limbs from enemies.

Plot

The Timestrikers are an alien faction attempting to overtake Earth. Using military technology and energy leaks, they can invade different time epochs.

The military had already known about the existence of the Timestrikers it seems, and had been monitoring them. However, they then believed that it was the Timestrikers causing massive energy leaks throughout the military bases causing rifts, allowing the Timestrikers to flood into our dimension. First attempting to take out a military installation, they mutated guards and soldiers, and added in their own forces as well. However they were pushed back by a Marine, who then followed them back to Ancient Egypt, where it seemed that they would take over the world from the past. Failing again, they escaped to Medieval times, and after that, left again to come back to the present. There, the last of the Timestrikers were defeated, and the world was safe.

Additional content

An official add-on for the game adds three new levels along with new monsters. The add-on is available as a free download from the developer's website. While the retail CD contains a level editor, no user-created levels are known to have been published online.

Reception

Chasm received mixed reviews from critics. While they noted that Chasm had better animation and greater amounts of enemy detail when compared to Quake, the lack of a true 3D environment left much to be desired.

References
  1. Luton, Michael (January 1998). "Chasm". PC Gamer US. Archived from the original on December 5, 1999.
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