Chaser (video game)

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Chaser
Developer(s)	Cauldron
Publisher(s)	JoWooD Productions
Engine	CloakNT
Platform(s)	Windows ME/XP
Release date	August 30, 2003
Genre(s)	FPS
Mode(s)	Singleplayer/Multiplayer
Media	CD-ROM
System requirements	Pentium III 650 MHz processor or equivalent, 128Mb RAM, 32Mb DirectX 8.1 Video card

Chaser is a first person shooter, built on the CloakNT 3D engine. The player character passes through real environments and uses real weapons. Unlike many other sci-fi FPS games like Halo, Pariah, WarPath, and Unreal Tournament, Chaser's weapons fire modern day projectiles.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Features 3 Characters 3.1 Samuel Longwood 3.2 John Chaser 3.3 Gomez 3.4 Shimako 3.5 Kabir 4 Soldiers 4.1 Arctic Soldier 4.2 Federal Army 4.3 MarsCorps 4.4 Exoskeleton 4.5 MCMU Commando 5 Multiplayer 5.1 DM: Deathmatch 5.2 TDM: Team Deathmatch 5.3 CTF: Capture the Flag 5.4 Shocktroops 6 Reception 7 External links

[edit] Overview

In Mars 2044. The UN establishes MARSCORP (Martian Security and Economics Committee) under the leadership of Samuel Longwood. In the years that follow, the UN gradually loses control of MARSCORP, mainly due to the non-transparent licence policy of its director.

Samuel Longwood uses his autonomous status to create vassal relations between the corporations and MARSCORP. The unshakable power position of MARSCORP is supported by the companies and thus they acquire additional rights and licenses. Samuel Longwood and his consortium become extremely wealthy from this arrangement. However, dissenting voices in MARSCORP begin to challenge Samuel Longwood's authoritarian policy. They demand the dismissal of Samuel Longwood as director and a complete redistribution of the mining rights. But Samuel Longwood keeps an ace up his sleeve for occasions like this…

Chaser awakens on board the spaceship H.M.S. Majestic. He doesn't know who he is, what he's doing here, why he is being sought by men in black uniforms and what they will do to him when they find him

The player's goal is to find out who Chaser really is and why he is being hunted. The story leads the player from the H.M.S. Majestic to Montack City on Earth, then on to Siberia and finally to Mars, where the trail ends and hopefully the truth can be found.

[edit] Features

• Based on Cauldron's CloakNT engine. Boasts state of the art graphical features and is perfectly suited for rendering large environments.
• Authentic weapons: Nearly all the weapons in the game are modelled on real-life equivalents. The developers placed a great deal of emphasis on building detailed replicas.
• Engaging storyline: In the search for his identity, Chaser becomes involved in a plot full of twists and turns.
• Highly developed A.I.
• Multiplayer support via GameSpy as well as dedicated servers.
• Numerous multiplayer modes including teamplay modes in the style of Counter-Strike and Team Fortress as well as deathmatch and capture the flag.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Samuel Longwood

Samuel Longwood uses his autonomous status to create vassal relations between the corporations and MARSCORP. The unshakable power position of MARSCORP is supported by the companies and thus they acquire additional rights and licenses. Samuel Longwood and his consortium become extremely wealthy from this arrangement. However, dissenting voices in MARSCORP begin to challenge Samuel Longwood's authoritarian policy. They demand the dismissal of Samuel Longwood as director and a complete redistribution of the mining rights. But Samuel Longwood keeps an ace up his sleeve for occasions like these…

[edit] John Chaser

The main character in the game. He's a man without any memory of his past or identity. He's caught between a bloody conflict and his unnatural abilities to survive raise more questions then they answer.

[edit] Gomez

One of the most dangerous members of the MCMU (Montac City Military Units). Descendant of Mexican immigrants, he worked his way to high positions. In the self-appointed city police, he is the only person who can help Chaser find his past. But every help has a price.

[edit] Shimako

A prodigy for hacking into computers. There is no system too advanced for her, and there is no information deep enough for her to get. She works for the underground and MCMU and has immunity from both sides. She is one that can truly take care of herself without outside help.

[edit] Kabir

Kabir is the Arabian boss of local smugglers. His working style is businesslike, which encourages many of his clients. Unfortunately this has also created a lot of enemies for him. Most of his enemies were not killed by his own hand, because he is a coward. He has been a coward ever since he got into this business. However, he is has lasted for as long as he did, because he is very cunning.

[edit] Soldiers

There are many different kind of soldiers you encounter in the game. These are the main types

[edit] Arctic Soldier

These are special forces working in the Siberia region. These soldiers fight with tremendous skill whether it's with or without weapons. Their special thermal electric heating suit makes them able to operate in temperatures as low as -50 C.

[edit] Federal Army

Federal Army ranks only the best of the best. They protect one of the most important commerce centers of the northeast USA. These soldiers go through intensive combat training and do not hesitate to obey orders.

[edit] MarsCorps

Any man, who has encountered the MarsCorps and lived to tell the tale, does not hesitate to call these units anything less than perfect. Their high marksmanship and excellent combat maneuvers make them deadly opponents. They are the best of what Earth and Mars can offer. Combat research and military personnel come together in special training camps called "Euklides". They are hidden underground in the polar ice caps of Mars. Here, under the most inhuman conditions, Samuel Longwood's arsenals become the perfect fighting machines.

[edit] Exoskeleton

This is better known as the "living tank". This is the nickname given by soldiers attired to this combat exoskeleton XV28c, with the Tuz-42 heavy machine gun and the rapid-fire rocket launcher S12. The suit's extreme firepower, superhuman abilities, and close to indestructible armor make it a very useful weapon. There is a rumor that jetpack-equipped exoskeletons are under test and development.

[edit] MCMU Commando

The members of the MCMU commandos have agreed to replace their organic body parts with cybernetic implants. A widely used cyberplant is the cybernetic eye, which grants thermal and night vision. The main benefit of these corps is that they immunity from the law. This is the main reason why many join the MCMU.

[edit] Multiplayer

Chaser's multiplay does not vary very much from any other FPS. In Chaser you can play also multiplayer games either via LAN or Internet. You can find playing multiplayer games either with in-game browser or using GameSpy. But like most FPS, Chaser has a game type that's unique.

[edit] DM: Deathmatch

In this game everyone plays for themselves. You need to kill anyone you see. Each kill is called a frag and winner is the one who frags the most opponents in a specified time or reaches the frag limit first. In the lower left corner of the screen you can see your score and score of the leading player or, if you are in the lead, then the score of the second placed player. Your score is highlighted. Below both scores there is a smaller number which shows current score of the next placed player.

[edit] TDM: Team Deathmatch

Similar to a deathmatch but players are divided into two teams that fight each other. The winner is the team which has the highest number of frags after a specified time or reaches the frag limit first.

[edit] CTF: Capture the Flag

Players are divided into two teams and the goal of each team is to reach the opponent team’s base and steal his flag. The opponents flag then needs to be taken to your own base, where your own flag is located. You can only win if your own flag is still in your base, otherwise you will need to take on your opponents and hunt for your own flag. When you kill a player with a flag, the flag will be dropped. You can take the flag by moving through it.

[edit] Shocktroops

Shocktroops is a game for two teams in which each team has to achieve specified goals. You can list the goals by pressing the score key. Each game has a time limit (round time) and the winner is the team which achieves their goals first. When a player is killed then he needs to wait until the next round to resume. A killed player can switch between views of players in his own team or his opponents (depending on game settings).

Each player has a rank which is derived from his experience. He can gain experience by killing opponents or fulfilling a goal. Experience can be also lost e.g. by killing a teammate. The higher rank a player has, the more money he gets for each round. Money which is not spent in a round is transferred into the next round. However, each player has a limit to the amount of money he can have according to his rank. A player can spend his money on weaponry or equipment. He can buy them at buy points which are markets indicated by a small dollar sign. Players can buy items a maximum of three times in any one round. The buy screen can be toggled at the buy points with the buy screen key defined in Options\Keyboard screen.

[edit] Reception

Although it was highly anticipated and promoted by the developers and several other media companies, Chaser received very poor actual reviews after testing with the greatest complaint being the repetition of set pieces and enemies. This is clearly visible after a brief analysis of the game as it recycles the same model for every enemy, rather than offering any variation.

[edit] External links

• Official Website
• PlanetPhillip - Commentary and Analysis of Sci-Fi Single Player First Person Shooters - Includes an extensive list of single player Chaser maps and mods.