An isometric shooter with gorgeous steampunk looks and tense coop play. A genuinely atypical SNES success.
Your verdict
Category
Action1 player12+
Description
Bitmap Brothers isometric action game with two cybernetic soldiers in a dystopian future. Published by Virgin Games, released in Europe in 1994. Isometric view, two characters with distinct weapons, dense enemies, two-player co-op. SNES port of the Amiga classic.
The PAL edition of the SNES port of the Bitmap Brothers' Amiga classic, home turf of the British studio where the game keeps its strongest aura. Its isometric steampunk look and tense co-op sustain a solid European cult following, with demand naturally livelier on the PAL market. The bare cartridge stays affordable; the real pursuit is a complete copy with multilingual manual and a clean European cardboard box.
Is Chaos Engine, The still worth playing in 2026?
A run and gun from the Bitmap Brothers, The Chaos Engine plunges two mercenaries into a Victorian steampunk world of gorgeously detailed metallic settings. The game shines in co-op, with its multidirectional aiming, intricate level design and unique industrial atmosphere. The high difficulty and a slightly stiff pad handling call for perseverance. A great name in European action gaming, to recommend for fans of two player run and gun and of the Bitmap Brothers aesthetic.
