The medium of video games differs greatly from contemporaries like cinema or music, primarily in the sense that it is not of a passive nature but an active one. Video games don’t just take you to places or turn the pages themselves, but they require your active input to complete the narrative and reach the end. This makes video games a great avenue for creating horror experiences, and the genre is bursting with all sorts of different experiences – and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.
The future is bustling with so many great horror games, some of which are faithful tributes to the glorious past while others are more innovative affairs. The game that we will be talking about today falls somewhere in the middle of the two extremes, but it is one that more fans should start looking out for because it might just turn out to be one of the biggest surprise hits of this year.
We are, of course, talking about Total Chaos – the upcoming title from Trigger Happy Interactive and Apogee Entertainment. Trigger Happy Interactive is the studio that brought us Turbo Overkill, which stands tall as one of the best though underrated games of the last couple of years. With its horror nature, Total Chaos is out of the developer’s comfort zone, but it’s an interesting game and one that deserves to be looked at in depth.
Let’s start off with the story. Set against the backdrop of a mysterious Fort Oasis, Total Chaos starts off with the protagonist receiving a strange radio transmission that beckons him to this abandoned place in the middle of nowhere. Things start to take a turn for the worse once the protagonist actually reaches there, as strange creatures and unsettling landscapes begin to come into view. The narrative revolves around the protagonist uncovering the many mysteries that lie within its dated walls.
While the story isn’t something that we haven’t seen before, it makes for an interesting horror prospect. From what we know, the story does seem a little personal for the protagonist and there’s a high likelihood that the voices are somehow related to him or his past. Of course, these are tropes that we have seen used in horror stories before – but that familiarity isn’t necessarily bad as it can make for a more heartful narrative than just the typical affair of the protagonist evolving from a survivor to a warrior while defeating the big baddie.
Having a more personal narrative makes a lot of sense in the case of Total Chaos, especially given its first-person perspective. Since the player is fully immersed in the character’s experience, the developers can effectively channel horror through the protagonist and directly onto the player, resulting in some truly memorable jump scares. While Trigger Happy isn’t typically known for creating narrative-heavy games, we are hoping that they can pull it off this time.
Coming over to the gameplay, Total Chaos’ gameplay is yet again a mix of something new and familiar. The moment-to-moment gameplay revolves around exploring these dilapidated ruins of the island, finding your path forward, and solving puzzles to open up doors or contraptions. It’s played from a first-person perspective, so Resident Evil 7 and 8 would make for a good point of comparison in that sense.
Environmental storytelling is also one of the most important pillars of any great horror game. Titles like Resident Evil 7 and 8 use this design technique to great effect, crafting a convincing and immersive horror landscape without relying solely on dialogue or cutscenes. Environmental details like bloodstained walls, flickering lights, broken-down doors, and eerie notes left behind by past inhabitants all contribute to a deeper narrative. Even the placement of set props contributes to the scene, allowing players to piece together the story organically as they explore. This method of storytelling not only enriches the world but also builds tension and atmosphere in a way that feels natural and unsettling. It adds depth and character to the game, making the environment feel lived in.
Total Chaos also claims to rely heavily on environmental storytelling to create a rich, immersive atmosphere and from what we’ve seen so far, those claims seem quite convincing. The game does a great job of establishing the ancient aesthetic of Fort Oasis. Right from vines crawling up crumbling walls to rows of forgotten graves scattered across grass fields, there’s a very evident element of decay and abandonment in its environments. Ancient bunkers, rusted machinery, and derelict structures also hint at a long and troubled history. These visual cues not only build a compelling setting but also invite players to piece together the story through exploration and observation, adding depth to the horror experience.
Of course, visuals also contribute to environmental storytelling as much as the set props and Trigger Happy has yet again brought its A game to the field in this regard. It’s not the most technically advanced game on the market, but it pays a lot of attention to art direction and color palette to create a convincing landscape all around. Just look at how blades of grass sway to the tune of winds, and how giant trees arch to the top in daunting jungles. Generous use of thick volumetric fog blocks visibility, adding an element of surprise to the gameplay proceedings. It’s consistently scary in terms of atmosphere, but there are pockets of serenity throughout which makes the visual presentation pretty great. You can also notice how the colour palette is entirely dominated by dark shades, which give it a chilling vibe that’s quite fitting for a game of this ilk.
Coming over to the combat, Total Chaos does a great job of simulating a sense of desperation. As can be seen from the trailer itself, much of the combat entails finding makeshift weapons and flailing them in a last-ditch attempt to make short work of your enemies. While it’s still rooted in the survival genre, Total Chaos is a lot more fast-paced than its contemporaries. It might seem odd at first, but there’s a reason why that is the case. You see, Total Chaos is actually a full-fledged remake of a popular DOOM 2 mod and the fast-paced gameplay loop is a byproduct of that factor.
Total Chaos also showcases a great sense of progression when it comes to gameplay. Early sections of the game seem to involve purely using makeshift weapons and throwables to get rid of the enemy’s presence. As you progress through the game, you get access to better weapons such as a double-barrel shotgun which can make short work of those enemies in just a couple of hits.
But nothing can be taken for granted in a survival horror game like Total Chaos, and having access to such weapons is just as important as having resources like ammunition which is obviously quite scarce. As such, exploration becomes an important aspect of the experience, and utilizing the correct resources at the correct time becomes a skill that players need to master to overcome the toughest challenges of the game.
When it comes to the enemy design, Total Chaos does not fall short of the mark. Enemies look pretty scary with their towering presence and erratic movements, and the fact that they come in a group makes them all the more daunting. There are obviously bigger enemies too, and they have weird outgrowing flesh and tentacles that make them look like something straight out of a nightmare.
You see, Total Chaos doesn’t really do anything that’s quite out of the box, but that is what precisely makes it so notable. It seems to be sticking close to the horror rulebook right from the narrative structure to the gameplay loop, but the quality of each of those elements seems really commendable. It’s evident that Trigger Happy has poured its heart and soul into each of these aspects, and if it is able to take those elements and create something that works – it might just have a big hit on its hands.
As for the release, Total Chaos is currently scheduled to release on July 24 later this year and that might just work in the game’s favour. The month of July is not bustling with any major horror releases, as such, Total Chaos gets the opportunity to shine a bit longer in the spotlight and in turn gain visibility from a much larger audience.
All in all, Total Chaos has a lot going for it. Its familiar narrative framework and gameplay elements are quite palatable for most horror fans, and the favorable release window nets it more visibility than it would in case of a Holiday release. All that remains is for Trigger Happy to deliver upon its promises, and that would just make Total Chaos one of the biggest games of this year.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization
