I’ve been writing for oprainfall for a long while. I think, over time, readers and staff alike have come to associate me with certain franchises. If it’s Fire Emblem, Golden Sun or Cave Story, odds are good that I’ll have a lot to say (because I have a lot of history with these franchises). There’s one game out there that I often fondly remember, but rarely get the chance to talk about. I’ve mentioned it on The Downpour Podcast at least once, and maybe in passing, but—General Chaos, to me, is one of those underrated classics that a lot more people should know about, or get the chance to experience.
I’m not alone in this, either. Many of the staff share my sentiments. I’m glad General Chaos is one of those titles a handful of us can bond over, despite it being relatively unheard of (depending on who you ask). That’s why this news has blown me away, made me absolutely ecstatic:
General Chaos II: Sons of Chaos is most definitely a thing. After a countless number of years, my first ever encounter with the real-time strategy genre, a game filled with humor and charm that did nothing short of captivate me (and many others), is finally gracing the world again. But… it needs our help to reach its goal of $125,000 to succeed.
This project is headed by Brian Colin, the seasoned veteran who created General Chaos, among many other classic titles like Rampage. His goal is effectively to reinvent the original game to meet the standards of today’s technology. Before explaining what his new endeavor is all about, he goes out of his way to mention that General Chaos is far and away the game he hears about the most from fans.
So, why choose Kickstarter? In a nutshell, he says, “creative freedom.” He has his fair share of things to say about the current gaming climate. But, to sum his thoughts up: he chose Kickstarter because the players are his clients, and he can engage them directly. Like many crowdfunded projects, the community can be directly involved through Kickstarter. And I imagine many of the fans who requested another take on General Chaos will no doubt be the first among the game’s (hopefully) many supporters.
They’ve already put some degree of work into creating assets and designs for this General Chaos remake, but it’s not yet an “official” project. They’re planning to add a ton of features to modernize the classic title including dynamic camera controls, much more large-scale maps, and more. The original game is, as I mentioned, very special to me—but its controls always held it back. General Chaos is a multiplayer RTS action-game where war was simulated more like an action game—you controlled each soldier in real time, navigated them across the battlefield, and watched them tear apart their enemies (or be completely devastated). This was all done via the directional-pad, though! Controls were often sluggish. One of the primary concepts Colin and his team at Game Refuge Inc. approached this remake with is touch/mouse controls, so that each unit could be selected easily and effortlessly, and then…chaos could ensue.
 |
 |
The original game featured General Chaos and General Havoc (donned in blue and red, respectively) questing for world domination by kicking the tar out of each other in a hilarious and cartoon-esqe way. With this remake, all these stellar characters, and the soldiers/grunts/units who support them, are back, and apparently more re-invented, hilarious, and haughty than ever before.
General Chaos II: Sons of Chaos will be initially built for PC. But the game’s stretch goals (in addition to offering new types of units, new weapons and supplies, and new victory conditions adding even more versatility to the game) include iPad and Mac support ($250,000), an XBox Console port ($600,000), and a PlayStation Console port ($700,000).
Colin has dubbed this a nine month project, from start to finish. Without going into too much detail about risks and rewards (you can definitely check out the Kickstarter for more)—this is a company whose primary roots involve (literal) arcade classics. They love toys, gadgets and collectibles. And the kind of life they breathe into their games is the type to make you laugh out loud, not necessarily crave for some sort of deeper philosophical experience. Game Refuge Inc. seems concerned with good ol’ fashioned, get-people-together kind of fun.
I recently put together a Crowdfunding Spotlight for Mighty No. 9, a game from a developer I know many staff and readers hold dear. Rather than remain somewhat impartial this time, I’m going to be up front and honest with all of you. This is definitely my Mighty No. 9. General Chaos is a franchise that brought me so much crazy fun in my youth; the fact that Game Refuge Inc. is bringing it back makes me jump up and down like a child. If any of you have an eye for the classics of the Sega Genesis era, I implore you all to learn more and show your support. May we all be met with…complete and utter chaos/havoc in return!
