Chaser

Chaser is a game that doesn't really disappoint, but doesn't fill me with glee, either. I definitely don't hate it - heck, I had fun learning about John Chaser and seeing what would happen next with my speakers turned up high. But I was also frustrated with the level design and clunky AI, and the lack of new ideas and gameplay features isn't so hot. But if you absolutely need something to hold you off until Half-Life 2 hits the shelves, Chaser isn't a terrible investment - just don't have your hopes up too high, and you might have a bit of fun with it. It's a solid game.

69%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

stability, grinding

69% User Score Based on 894 reviews

Critic Score 35%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

Chaser is a single player and multiplayer shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Cauldron and was released on July 16, 2010. It received negative reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

"Chaser" is a Sci-Fi shooter game with both single-player and multi-player modes, set on Mars in 2044. You play as Chaser, awakened on a spaceship with amnesia, pursued by men in black uniforms. With good music and funny elements, the game offers a compelling story of MARSCORP, its corrupt leader Samuel Longwood, and the resistance against his authority. Despite some bugs, it provides an exciting experience for players.

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69%

Audience ScoreBased on 894 reviews

story98 positive mentions

stability50 negative mentions

Chaser offers a nostalgic experience for fans of old-school FPS games with its fast-paced gunplay and a variety of weapons.
The game features a lengthy campaign with diverse environments and interesting level designs, providing a sense of exploration.
Despite its flaws, the game has a certain charm and can be enjoyable for those who appreciate retro gaming.

The AI is often frustratingly inconsistent, with enemies either being overly accurate or completely oblivious, leading to cheap deaths.
Level design can be confusing and tedious, with many dead ends and unclear objectives that require excessive backtracking.
The voice acting and story are poorly executed, with long cutscenes that detract from the overall experience.

story
462 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
62%
17%
The story of "Chaser" is widely criticized for being disjointed, clichéd, and often nonsensical, with many reviewers noting its heavy borrowing from "Total Recall." While some players found the narrative engaging and appreciated its ambition, others described it as a convoluted mess filled with poorly executed plot twists and lackluster character development. Overall, the game's storytelling struggles to maintain coherence, leaving many players feeling unsatisfied with the experience.
- “There is an emphasis on storytelling and the singleplayer campaign is lengthy and satisfying on most occasions.”
- “Chaser is a very well done futuristic, sci-fi FPS with a bullet time mechanic that tells a very interesting story through well-written cutscenes, has a good musical score, and will take the player from a space station to various points on the globe, and finally to Mars.”
- “The story of this game is really interesting and its gameplay isn't bad.”
- “The game's plot is a rehash of Total Recall's plot, with unnecessary padding and fluff put in to extend the game's runtime.”
- “The story is nonsense.”
- “Chaser's story is all over the place and actually not really worth talking about at all.”
gameplay
208 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
63%
15%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its old-school run-and-gun mechanics and bullet time feature, while others criticize it for being repetitive, clunky, and frustratingly difficult due to poor enemy placement and unrefined mechanics. Although there are interesting ideas and level designs, many reviews highlight issues such as long cutscenes, inconsistent difficulty, and a lack of variety that detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while some find enjoyment in its nostalgic gameplay, others deem it mediocre and in need of significant improvements.
- “The game has some interesting ideas and mechanics, and honestly the gameplay doesn't feel too bad for the most part.”
- “It is classic run-and-gun gameplay in its purest form: if you stand still, you are dead, but the game stays fair for the most part.”
- “Chaser is a very well done futuristic, sci-fi FPS with a bullet time mechanic that tells a very interesting story through well-written cut scenes, has a good musical score, and will take the player from a space station to various points on the globe, and finally to Mars.”
- “The gameplay is very repetitive, the graphics dated and lacking a decent aesthetic, the voice-acting woeful (especially from the main character), and the story, while it has a kind-of-but-not-really interesting twist at the end, isn't told very well (and only through cut-scenes).”
- “Chaser is a terribly dull mess of a story, with dreadfully repetitive gameplay and the worst map layouts imaginable.”
- “Huge chunks of gameplay waste the player's time and only bring boredom and frustration.”
graphics
164 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
57%
17%
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, reflecting its 2003 release, with many reviewers noting a mix of charm and frustration due to graphical glitches and a bland color palette. While some appreciate the visuals as decent for their time, others criticize them as subpar, particularly in comparison to modern standards. Overall, the game's graphics evoke nostalgia but may deter players who prioritize visual fidelity.
- “The graphics and animations look fantastic, levels are huge and interesting, and the voice acting was pretty good.”
- “In 2003 it had beautiful graphics and cool water effects, long and interesting levels, amazing OST, and an interesting story.”
- “The graphics still are enjoyable to this day, in my opinion, because of the nice quality of the textures and models, the amount of special effects, and the sci-fi setup.”
- “The graphics are bad.”
- “[h1][b]note:[/b] it is impossible to complete the game due to a game breaking bug in one of the missions where the graphics will completely glitch out making it impossible to navigate the map and finish what is already a confusing level.”
- “On multiple occasions I've encountered horrible graphical glitches that made the game completely unplayable.”
music
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
18%
4%
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many reviewers praising its superb quality and ability to enhance the sci-fi atmosphere. The soundtrack is described as memorable and reminiscent of classic electronic scores, making it a standout feature despite some criticisms of other game elements like voice acting and level design. Overall, the music is considered one of the game's strongest aspects, often elevating the player's experience.
- “The soundtrack is perfect, it's the best part of the game.”
- “I urge you to seek out the soundtrack, as it really is a masterpiece in its own right.”
- “Incredible soundtrack and story!”
- “This is due to the reasons mentioned above, but also due to the mixture of three aspects; it's atrocious level design, constant glitches and bugs, and a very obnoxious (though kinda funny) soundtrack.”
- “Even when there's music (which is really the most notable audio in the game) it feels lifeless in terms of sound.”
- “I know it sounds strange, but there's something about the music that gives this game a dream-like quality.”
humor
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Chaser" is described as a mix of intentional and unintentional comedy, with players finding the atrocious voice acting, disjointed story, and numerous glitches to be laughably entertaining. Many reviews highlight the absurdity of the cutscenes and character interactions, often leading to moments that are so bad they become funny. Overall, the game is seen as a source of amusement, particularly for those who appreciate its campy and nostalgic qualities.
- “The story is laughably bad, cliché and disjointed, combined with hilarious voice acting; it's so bad it's almost good.”
- “The cutscenes are a real joy, as they have some truly funny dialogue, and often awkward yet funny situations.”
- “This game is so bad that it's hilarious and fun.”
stability
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay, with many players reporting crashes and unplayable graphical issues. While some find humor in the glitches, the overall consensus is that the game's stability is severely lacking, making it frustrating and often unmanageable. Despite its potential, the combination of poor level design and persistent technical problems renders it a disappointing experience.
- “Be warned: it's buggy as hell.”
- “This game has a plethora of glitches and bugs that ruin the experience of this game.”
- “Chaser is a horribly buggy semi-competent budget shooter.”
atmosphere
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
45%
15%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, effectively capturing the essence of 80s sci-fi films with high-quality electronic and ambient soundscapes. Reviewers note the deliberate murkiness and oppressive tone that enhance the experience, particularly in locations like the space port and prison, while also acknowledging the game's impressive visual appeal despite its 2003 release. Overall, the atmosphere is described as engaging and varied, contributing significantly to the enjoyment of the journey.
- “High quality electronic/ambient with a deliberately oppressive atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere sucks you in, and they nailed it because with every new location, you feel the change.”
- “This game has great atmosphere and visually still looks good even though it came out in 2003; yes, 2003, seriously it came out in 2003, so no need to give it crap because of graphics.”
- “I get that it's during a time where humanity isn't at its most vibrant stage, but did the entire game have to contrive such a murky atmosphere from start to finish?”
- “High quality electronic/ambient with deliberately oppressive atmosphere.”
- “Specifically, there were some very eerie sounds from the space port that I genuinely took my headphones off to make sure they were actually in-game, and then some in the prison that went extremely well with the foggy atmosphere.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly in the final hours where poor level design exacerbates the experience. While some missions are described as particularly unenjoyable, the overall gameplay offers enough satisfaction to redeem the game to some extent. However, the repetitive nature of grinding detracts significantly from the overall enjoyment.
- “It becomes a cheap, tedious, and frustrating ordeal, and it's a real shame that the last few hours on Mars suffer so much from the bad level design, which brings the overall score of the game down significantly.”
- “Everything about this game is boring, tedious, irritating, and frustrating.”
- “This is bearable though, and it's not until the last few hours that it just gets tedious.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while it performs well in rendering large areas with minimal performance cost, certain levels suffer from significant optimization issues, leading to common performance problems.
- “Some levels have very poor optimization.”
- “Performance issues are common in this game.”
- “The engine is capable of rendering very large areas with long viewsheds with minimal performance cost.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional investment in the single-player experience, despite initial reluctance to engage with it. However, some reviews indicate disappointment with the quality of the narrative, suggesting that while the emotional connection is present, the execution may not meet expectations.
- “Made me feel invested in what was going on.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been consistently noted for its very low replayability, indicating that players do not find sufficient incentive to revisit the experience after completing it.
- “Replay value: very low”
- “Replay value: very low”