History VideoGame / TheChaosEngine

''The Chaos Engine'' (''[[MarketBasedTitle Soldiers of Fortune]]'' in the US) is a top-down shooter with RPG elements set in a steampunk setting, originally developed for the UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} by the Creator/BitmapBrothers and published by Renegade Software in 1993. [[AllThereInTheManual According to the manual]], a time traveller on a reconnaissance mission from the distant future became stranded in England during the late 1800s, and his technology came into the hands of [[MadScientist Baron Fortesque]], who wound up creating the titular Chaos Engine. Unfortunately, the experiment predictably [[GoneHorriblyWrong went out of control]], [[AIIsACrapshoot became self-aware]], [[TheAssimilator assimilated its creator]] and loosed an army of temporally-displaced creatures, robots and mutants.

* RatedMForManly: At least five out of six mercenaries, and the Navvie's mustache counts double.

* {{Badass}}: All 6 mercenaries. Each one being a OneManArmy is basically why they were hired in the first place.

* TheHeavy: Navvie and Thug both qualify.

''The Chaos Engine'' (''[[MarketBasedTitle Soldiers of Fortune]]'' in the US) is a top-down shooter with RPG elements set in a steampunk setting, originally developed for the UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} by the Creator/BitmapBrothers and published by Renegade Software in 1993. [[AllThereInTheManual According to the manual]] A time traveller on a reconnaissance mission from the distant future became stranded in England of the late 1800s, and his technology came into the hands of [[MadScientist Baron Fortesque]], who wound up creating the titular Chaos Engine. Unfortunately, the experiment predictably [[GoneHorriblyWrong went out of control]], [[AIIsACrapshoot became self-aware]], [[TheAssimilator assimilated its creator]] and loosed an army of temporally-displaced creatures, robots and mutants.

Players choose two out of six mercenaries to fight their way through the [[TheLostWoods monster-infested wilderness]], [[IndustrialGhetto the steam-powered city]], Baron Fortesque's [[BigLabyrinthineBuilding spacially distorted mansion]], and finally the [[EternalEngine automaton-filled]] [[DownTheDrain cellars]] [[AbandonedLaboratory containing the Chaos Engine itself]]. Along the way gameplay revolves as much around fighting monsters as it does solving puzzles and finding secrets, due to the pressing need to accumulate money to purchase weapon and skill upgrades.

* FourIsDeath: Four worlds with four levels each. The Chaos Engine itself also has four connections the four corners of the level that must be cut before you can confront it directly.

* LeftHanging: The Chaos Engine 2 ends with the reveal that Baron Fortesque has somehow merged with the Chaos Engine into some kind of evil cyborg thing, and the all the players' efforts in the game have only resulted in him being set free to wreak havoc.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: The ending of the Chaos Engine 2 reveals the entire game was this.

* RoboticReveal: At the end of Chaos Engine 2 Baron Fortesque reveals that underneath the human face you freed at the end of the first game is another layer of machinery. Also he's on fire for some reason.

[[caption-width-right:300:Sometime in the last century an experimenter with time space and early computers created a bizarre machine...]]

[[caption-width-right:320:Sometime in the last century an experimenter with time space and early computers created a bizarre machine...]]

* OpeningNarration: The first installment starts with a few screens of text describing the titular machine's rise to power and short presentation of six mercenaries who were sent to destroy it.

----->Beware, his perverted nature is not be trusted.

''The Chaos Engine'' (''[[MarketBasedTitle Soldiers of Fortune]]'' in the US) is a top-down shooter with RPG elements set in a steampunk setting, originally developed for the {{Amiga}} by the Creator/BitmapBrothers and published by Renegade Software in 1993. [[AllThereInTheManual According to the manual]] A time traveller on a reconnaissance mission from the distant future became stranded in England of the late 1800s, and his technology came into the hands of [[MadScientist Baron Fortesque]], who wound up creating the titular Chaos Engine. Unfortunately, the experiment predictably [[GoneHorriblyWrong went out of control]], [[AIIsACrapshoot became self-aware]], [[TheAssimilator assimilated its creator]] and loosed an army of temporally-displaced creatures, robots and mutants.

* ATasteOfPower: A variation. In 1-4 there's a Party Power power-up lying in plain sight. When it's active you'll get to see how powerful your character can become by the end of the game with max speed and max weapon level.

* TheMaze: World 3 Fortesque Mansion is filled with invisible teleporters and passages that cut off when you approach. The levels are linear enough that it's easy to find the exit, but really difficult to find the hidden areas full of money and power-ups.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: The ending of the Chaos Engine 2 reveals the entire game was this.
* TheMedic: Preacher has the lowest health of all the mercenaries, but starts with the First Aid special ability, making him an excellent choice for your NPC companion.

* LargeHamAnnouncer: '''Players activated! Food! Special Power! Fo-Fo-Fo-Food! Extra Life! Exit open!'''

* MagikarpPower: Preacher. See GameBreaker above. Gentleman is supposed to be this by going from the useless Map special to the super-mode inducing Party Power, but by the time you get Party Power you're likely already near max stats anyway.

* GodDamnedBats: Jumping enemies, particularly the giant toads in 1-2 and 1-3.

* {{Bowdlerize}}: Some versions of the game change the name of the Preacher and edit out his white collar.

* DumpStat: Speed. Unless you're really impatient or already know where the enemies will spawn in advance, raising your movement speed basically just ups the odds that you'll accidentally run into an enemy and get killed.