[SHODANFreeman]

I just recently got this game working on my PC again with the help of Dosbox, but I was wondering if anyone knows any way to increase the resolution the game runs at? It's stuck at 640x480 by default.

[X-Vector]

According to this website, 640x480 is the maximum resolution available.
Is there a config file in the installation folder where you can change this manually?

[NightFright]

I tried to play this recently, but I didnt get it working with resolutions beyond 640x480, either. After all, this game is a pain to play through, regardless whether it's highres or not...

It's weird though, the Quake engine was quite capable of running at various resolutions.

[Frederik Schreiber]

Chasm ran on their own "2.5D engine". Compareable to Build, with 3D models, and skeletal animation.
Absolutely amazing game

[leilei]

NightFright, on 23 September 2013 - 05:46 AM, said:

It's weird though, the Quake engine was quite capable of running at various resolutions.

Not every company can afford Michael Abrash or have VESA 2/3 forward compatibility. Though with the 640x480 limitation it's probably for the sake of stability, they probably don't want to list modes beyond the common 640x480-max SVGA monitors that were still very prevalent and they also probably didn't have the time or adequate hardware - supporting 640x480 was a very late addition to the game.

Be grateful you get 640x480 at all! Considering their systems stated in an earlier readme file... they obviously didn't have the best PCs to work with:

 * The CHASM demo completely tested and found workable on the
     following models:
    - Packard Bell Pentium 100Mhz, 8Mb RAM, VESA 1Mb.
    - Packard Bell i486DX2 66hz,   8Mb RAM, VESA 1Mb.

[Lunick]

Hmm, I decided to check out the game but I'm not exactly getting acceptable frame rates. Is there a nice way to set it up in DOSBox, I feel like I have been trying to configure this game for like an hour.

[X-Vector]

leilei, on 23 September 2013 - 06:27 AM, said:

they probably don't want to list modes beyond the common 640x480-max SVGA monitors that were still very prevalent

According to Mobygames, Chasm was released in late 1997, considerably closer to Jedi Knight and Quake 2 than Duke Nukem 3D and Quake.

Frederik Schreiber, on 23 September 2013 - 06:17 AM, said:

Absolutely amazing game

[supergoofy]

I never heard of this game. I will watch the video walkthrough by TheSeriousCacodemon

[Carl Winslow]

X-Vector, on 23 September 2013 - 07:34 AM, said:

bad youtube videos

Please post more inane drivel in response to people's opinions.

I'd also like to say though, while this isn't the best game, it's indeed very good as far as what t tries to do, and actually makes you think on how to beat the bosses and various enemies.

[ReaperMan]

Frederik Schreiber, on 23 September 2013 - 06:17 AM, said:

Chasm ran on their own "2.5D engine". Compareable to Build...

Eh... not really. The maps are mostly just flat mazes with 3d models.

[supergoofy]

From the videos I can see that it is based on Quake 1 engine.


In dosbox use DirectDraw (ddraw) as output, the the full screen resolution to 1280x960 ( 1280=2x640 x 960=2x480 ) and the directdraw filter to hardware2x or normal2x (or any other you like).

[necroslut]

supergoofy, on 23 September 2013 - 10:15 PM, said:

From the videos I can see that it is based on Quake 1 engine.


In dosbox use DirectDraw (ddraw) as output, the the full screen resolution to 1280x960 ( 1280=2x640 x 960=2x480 ) and the directdraw filter to hardware2x or normal2x (or any other you like).

I'm quite sure it's not.

[----]

ReaperMan, on 23 September 2013 - 07:37 PM, said:

Eh... not really. The maps are mostly just flat mazes with 3d models.

And this is what 2.5 generally is referred to as. The Chasm wikia also confirms that it uses an own 2.5D Engine.

[Micky C]

Except most of the Build games make much, much better use of height variation both in terms of detail and layout.

[----]

Deeper Micky, on 24 September 2013 - 12:16 AM, said:

Except most of the Build games make much, much better use of height variation both in terms of detail and layout.

That is true.

[X-Vector]

Yup, it states that the game was based on Quake as far as looks, sound and gameplay is concerned, but did use a proprietary engine.

It's not terribly important to me what tech it used though, the only thing that matters is that playing the demo was one of the worst experiences I've had in almost 18 years of gaming on the PC and watching a handful of walkthrough and review videos of the full version hasn't changed my perspective; it doesn't get much more ugly, dull and lifeless than Chasm: The Rift IMO.
Quake isn't exactly perfect, but it's still vastly superior to Action Forms' effort.

[NightFright]

Believe me, I really tried to play it. I mean, REALLY. But it's just too much - gameplay is freaking unfair, these (fast!) scorpion things for example deal insanely huge amounts of damage (even in easy mode), the cutscenes are a joke (static scenes with the two briefing guys reading their text in monotonous voice) and level design is very maze-like. You'll get lost lots of times. It can still be interesting to play it "for the lulz", but after a while you will just give up and turn to more appealing titles - if you have SOME taste at least. xD

The idea behind the whole thing is good (time travel blah), but engine limitations and general realization combined with its difficulty level make it forgettable for me. And even if I were able to play it in 1920x1200, it wouldn't be any better IMHO.

[X-Vector]

As I mentioned earlier, it's hard to believe that this was released a mere 9 days before this, not to mention that Quake 2 was around the corner and Unreal less than 8 months away.
Apart from its inferior design, Chasm was just so primitive on multiple levels.

[necroslut]

I still liked Chasm more than Quake, it felt like an actual game and not just a tech demo. The levels had a more interesting feel, but as others have said there was a lot of getting lost. The cutscenes are still better than most of the trash passed of as cutscenes in games.
I don't think it's primitive tech is surprising as it was a eastern european low budget game.

[leilei]

There's also that dismemberment thing.... and the typing of REANIMATE so you could do it again >=)

[ReaperMan]

NightFright, on 24 September 2013 - 01:12 AM, said:

the cutscenes are a joke (static scenes with the two briefing guys reading their text in monotonous voice)

I found those to be the best part of the game.

[MrFlibble]

Actually, I have played the whole thing (sans the add-on episode) through quite some time ago. The game is okay, and the puzzle bosses offer a bit of variety.

It may seem hard at first because monsters aren't shy of dealing a lot of damage to the player, and can take quite a few hits, but the AI isn't exactly brilliant and it doesn't take much to outsmart the opponents. Yes, the level designers seem to be very fond of the annoying Teleporting Keycard Squad trick and put it wherever they can, while elsewhere vast portions of a level may be nearly completely devoid of enemies at all, but honestly I don't remember any design flaws that would completely spoil the fun and break the game.

The designers attempted to create more or less realistic environments with what technology they had, and IMO they succeeded in creating a relatively remarkable variety of scenery. There's nothing particularly stunning or breathtaking in any of the levels but what there is creates a solid impression of the desired time period, be it Ancient Egypt, Medieval Europe or a futuristic alien fortress.

I admit that playing through all the levels can become a chore with all those predictable "hidden monster compartments", teleporting guards and such, and the environment is pretty much static save for traps and triggered events. But hey, this is a low budget title after all, and as such it's pretty decent and quite in line with what other non-A-rated games came out back then.

[OpenMaw]

I rather enjoy this review. I remember trying to play this game at one point and giving up. I just found it lackluster and undercooked. It's a shame because there is quite a deal of potential here.

[MrFlibble]

BTW, some time ago I dug up a few pages preserved by the Wayback Machine with pre-release screenshots, weapon, item and monster images from the game:
Screenshots page from Megamedia's website
Screen Shots - Page 0 (www.ChasmAction.com)
Screen Shots - Page 1 (www.ChasmAction.com)
Screen Shots - Page 2 (www.ChasmAction.com)
Screen Shots - Page 3 (www.ChasmAction.com)
Screen Shots - Page 4 (www.ChasmAction.com)
Screen Shots - Page 5 (www.ChasmAction.com)
Screen Shots - Page 6 (www.ChasmAction.com)
Screen Shots - Page 7 (www.ChasmAction.com)
Screen Shots - Game Editor (www.ChasmAction.com)
Screen Shots - New (www.ChasmAction.com)
Items/Weapons (www.ChasmAction.com)
Monsters (www.ChasmAction.com)
Chasm Screen Shots (www.Chasm3D.com)
Level Pack Screen Shots (www.Chasm3D.com)
Chasm Monsters (www.Chasm3D.com)
Chasm Weaons (www.Chasm3D.com)
Chasm Items (www.Chasm3D.com)

There's even an official walktrhough

[Lunick]

There's a reverse engineering project that is currently active https://github.com/P...k/Chasm-Reverse

[gemeaux333]

I loved the concept of the game, too bad I didn't go further than the first boss...

I think it's a game that deserve a remake !
Perhaps INTERCEPTOR could work on it...

[CryptKiller]

Nah, just give it a proper re-release, I wish more people played it back then. It was oldschool and kinda derogative back in 1997, it felt like a mish-mash of Doom and Quake, but I like this game to bits. The engine's possibilites are very limited, yet the devs were trying to spice things up a little.

[cybdmn]

Frederik Schreiber, on 23 September 2013 - 06:17 AM, said:

Chasm ran on their own "2.5D engine". Compareable to Build, with 3D models, and skeletal animation.
Absolutely amazing game

It is more like Wolfenstein 3-D with 3D models for some structures and the enemies.

[MusicallyInspired]

Very Quake brown aesthetic. Ew. Engine sounds neat, though.

[Cage]

While it doesn't change how good or bad the game is, I think it's worth noting that Chasm was made in Ukraine just few years after it stopped being a part of Soviet Union, that's a pretty good feat if you ask me.

I love Chasm' style - the visuals, the guns(despite being a little generic) and and creatures and the audio, however it lacks in substance - mediocre combat and flat and mazey levels bring it down. I think it would be some amazing modding material if Chasm assets were brought into Quake engine and given some proper 3d level designs.