Chasm: The Rift

About

"Chasm: The Rift" is a classic first-person shooter game that transports you to a parallel universe filled with otherworldly creatures and advanced technology. As a member of an elite force, you must navigate through various environments, battle against challenging enemies, and uncover the secrets behind this mysterious realm. With its unique blend of sci-fi and fantasy elements, this game offers a thrilling and immersive experience for FPS enthusiasts.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 374 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features impressive sound design and an atmospheric soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
Chasm: The Rift offers unique gameplay mechanics, such as dismemberment, which adds depth to combat and enemy interactions.
The remaster runs smoothly on modern systems, providing a nostalgic experience for fans of retro FPS games.

The level design is often criticized for being confusing and labyrinthine, making navigation frustrating.
Many enemies are considered bullet sponges, leading to tedious combat encounters that can feel unfair.
The game is relatively short, with some players feeling that the price does not reflect the amount of content available.

gameplay
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
62%
17%
The gameplay of "Chasm: The Rift" is characterized by a mix of nostalgic old-school FPS mechanics and some frustrating level design that can lead to players getting lost or cornered by enemies. While the dismemberment feature adds a unique element to combat, its impact is often minimal, and the overall gameplay loop can feel repetitive and reliant on trial and error. Despite these drawbacks, many players appreciate the smooth mechanics and engaging atmosphere reminiscent of classic titles like Quake.
- “Gameplay of Chasm: The Rift obviously takes from the classic retro FPS formula of fast movement, somewhat non-linear level design, and lots of enemies to shoot with solid weaponry.”
- “After having played through the entire thing on 'hard', I can summarize the following: the game runs flawlessly, gameplay is crisp, and environments are diverse enough.”
- “If you have no problems with lots of trial and error, and seem to be captivated by this game's incredible vibe, I highly recommend that you buy it (maybe on sale, like I did) and play through some tough, but entertaining hours of gameplay.”
- “The gameplay loop is pretty much f6, die, f9, make progress, f6 ... repeat.”
- “For one, it's very easy to get trapped against a corner by a single enemy, and when the player's firepower can't one-shot very many enemies, if any at all (depending on the difficulty?), these cornerings almost guarantee death, and putting the two together already makes the gameplay really annoying to get around.”
- “The lack of verticality tightens the already simplistic gameplay like a weighted blanket.”
atmosphere
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
52%
7%
The atmosphere in "Chasm" is widely praised for its immersive sound design and atmospheric soundtrack, which enhance the game's varied levels and contribute to a captivating experience. Reviewers note the game's ability to evoke a mood reminiscent of classic titles like Quake, with distinct environments and well-crafted visuals that invite exploration. Overall, the combination of eerie music, detailed level design, and engaging enemy interactions creates a standout atmospheric experience.
- “The atmosphere, both from the visuals and the music, makes them fun to explore and the lighting is particularly gorgeous.”
- “Chasm has an outstanding atmospheric soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere of all the varied levels a lot.”
- “It has a lot going for it - an immersive, well-detailed atmosphere complemented by an ambient soundtrack, and plenty of great ideas like the ability to dismember enemies to cripple their firepower.”
- “Some levels are more creepy with an atmosphere like those of Quake, while others are more standard action levels with music that would fit into Unreal (one of the greatest FPS games ever).”
- “I wouldn't expect this new port to change that, as it would then destroy the atmosphere that Chasm has going on.”
- “Quite a feat to achieve a moodier atmosphere than Quake.”
graphics
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
39%
7%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their impressive quality, especially considering the era it hails from, with many reviewers noting that they hold up well artistically. The art style is described as neat and atmospheric, effectively capturing the essence of classic titles like Quake and Doom, while also benefiting from modern enhancements such as higher resolutions and improved rendering. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's immersive experience, despite some criticism regarding level design.
- “The atmosphere, both from the visuals and the music, makes them fun to explore and the lighting is particularly gorgeous.”
- “The graphics are excellent for the time and still hold up artistically, and it's just a solid game all around really.”
- “Interestingly, the artwork scales beautifully, though that may just be the new port updating things to modern standards.”
- “Much like Duke Nukem 3D, Chasm tries to present a world that actually resembles something out of the real world, but since the game uses polygonal graphics rather than Duke's sprites, compromises have to be made.”
- “Aesthetically they're definitely going for Quake; some assets almost look plagiarized, and while the Egyptian and medieval levels do their own thing, Quake also had an Egyptian-based expansion with scorpion enemies, so even that can't escape the shadow of id Software.”
- “The game is just fine; they did not really rework anything, they kept the visuals the same and just added support for higher resolutions, widescreen formats, and 3D rendering and shadowing here and there.”
music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
45%
8%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the immersive experience across various levels. Reviewers highlight the diverse soundtrack, which ranges from 90s drum and bass techno to eerie ambient sounds, creating a fitting backdrop for both creepy and action-oriented environments. While some voice acting is noted as rough, the overall sound design, including the soundtrack, is considered a strong point of the game.
- “The soundtrack by Alex Kot goes from 90s drum and bass techno to reverberated lone metal pipe echoes, perfectly accentuating the fear that this game brings.”
- “Chasm has an outstanding atmospheric soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere of all the varied levels a lot.”
- “The last positive thing I'll mention is the soundtrack, which is very appropriate and atmospheric without being too bombastic.”
- “The soundtrack isn't heart pumping or even fear inducing, but very slow and tension building.”
- “De soundtrack is sfeervol maar blijft op een verre achtergrond, de sfeer geluiden zijn ok.”
- “So, what we have here is a really solid remaster, with solid mechanics, guns, enemies, locations, graphics, music, and sound effects, but absolutely terrible levels that really miss the point on why Quake was so revolutionary.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The game's story is described as modest and somewhat serviceable, with a clear narrative presented through in-engine cutscenes, which was a refreshing change for old-school shooters of the 90s. While some reviewers appreciated the attempt at storytelling, likening it to the narrative depth of Half-Life, others found it lacking in interest and depth. Overall, the story is seen as a notable but not particularly compelling aspect of the game.
- “The original classics in the best old school games just have it all... great graphics, cool sounds, super scary bosses, and a great storyline.”
- “For one, the game has a surprisingly clear story told through in-engine cutscenes.”
- “Even the story is basically non-existent.”
- “The game presents its tone rather well and the music or ambience suits it just as neatly, but I found the story, the two characters, the simplistic level design, and voice acting to be fairly serviceable.”
- “Yes, I found it funny that Steven Spielberg was basically your commanding officer throughout the majority of the game, but it was fresh to see an old school shooter in the 90s have a proper story with a clear goal in mind for the player to complete, unlike the Dooms and Wolfensteins of the day.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by clever and amusing lines, including the amusing twist of having Steven Spielberg as a commanding officer. Players appreciate the blend of humor with a well-defined story, setting it apart from other shooters of the 90s, along with some entertainingly quirky English translations.
- “Yes, I found it funny that Steven Spielberg was basically your commanding officer throughout the majority of the game, but it was fresh to see an old school shooter in the 90's have a proper story with a clear goal in mind for the player to complete, unlike the Dooms and Wolfensteins of the day.”
- “And some of them have super funny lines... :)”
- “+ funny English translations”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers limited replayability, primarily revolving around achievements and a level editor exclusive to the DOS version. With a short completion time of around three hours, many players feel that the replay value does not justify the game's price.
- “The game is extremely short, taking me only 3 hours to beat every level on medium difficulty. The only replay value comes from the achievements, if you really want to bother getting all of those.”
- “The game barely has much replay value, aside from a few challenge achievements and a level editor, though that editor is only available for the DOS version.”
- “Even if it is relatively replayable, I think that's still a pretty steep asking price.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent stability, particularly noted for its smooth performance on the Steam Deck, making it a reliable port overall.
- “As far as this particular port, it runs great.”
- “And best of all, it runs great on the Steam Deck!”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is perceived as tedious and potentially boring, particularly for players expecting a fast-paced experience similar to Quake. The difficulty level contributes to a repetitive cycle of save scumming, further detracting from the overall enjoyment.
- “It's a very niche DOS FPS that many will likely find too tedious or even boring for not being enough like Quake.”
- “Due to this, it's a tedious save scumming fest.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The optimization of the 2022 re-release is highly praised, with users noting that it runs flawlessly without stuttering, features improved sound, and maintains a high framerate. The game includes both a modern enhanced port for current PCs and an exceptionally optimized version for DOSBox, making it a comprehensive and well-executed re-release.
- “Works flawlessly, no stuttering, improved sounds, and high framerate.”
- “2022's version collects anything you want out of a proper re-release: the main game with its 16 levels, the expansion with 3 more, and both a modern, enhanced port for today's PCs as well as an incredibly optimized version running under DOSBox.”