The Chaos Engine is a top-down run-and-gun shooter developed by The Bitmap Brothers and released for the SNES in 1993. Set in a grim, steampunk Victorian Britain, players select two mercenaries from a roster of sixโranging from the heavy-hitting Navvie to the agile Brigandโto battle through mutated landscapes. The game is notable for its cooperative gameplay, where either a second player or an AI companion fights alongside you, requiring careful coordination and resource sharing to survive.
How to play
You must navigate maze-like levels, defeating enemies and activating nodes to unlock the exit. The SNES controls are mapped to your keyboard as follows:
| Gamepad control: | |
direction buttons | โโโโ |
| action button A | Z |
| action button B | X |
| action buttons X, Y | A, S |
| shoulder buttons L, R | Q, E |
| SELECT | Shift |
| START | Enter |
Tips
- Your AI companion will not pick up money or health on their own. You must steer them into items or pick them up yourself to ensure they stay upgraded and alive.
- Thorough exploration is essential. Finding silver and gold hidden in breakable objects allows you to buy vital weapon and health upgrades between levels.
- Each character has a unique special ability, such as the Navvie’s dynamite or the Preacher’s first aid. Save these limited items for overwhelming enemy swarms.
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