Ratings and Reviews by Audiart

Atmospheric, entertaining game with a high re-play value. I recommend playing both versions just to experience the different endings (I prefer the original release.) The puzzles are simple, but not too easy. Despite some repetitve commands and a linear plot there is still some legroom in Snowquest's simple yet picturesque landscape. (Other games fall short in this regard, such as also-ran Condemned and the notorious Photopia.)

The first release is less artful in its use of language, less subtle in its metaphor (which is saying a lot!). However, the revised ending (Spoiler - click to show)involving time travel is less realistic in the context of the game world. The beginning of the game has the almost magical mood of a fantasy; the original ending balances this out with a down-to-earth scenario that is equally believable.

Critics are howling about the (Spoiler - click to show)three "realities" in this game. I did not find this confusing, but rather I thought it was implemented nicely! My straightforward interpretation is (Spoiler - click to show)the first and last realities are parallel. The middle scenario (apprentice finds the pilot) is an alternate reality for either the first or the last reality. The author made this clear and the subtlety adds to the game.

Aptly summarised in the quote above, CHAOS is a weak attempt at surrealism which succeeds only in being abstract. The distinct and immediately noticeable lack of any plot, objective, or character depth make this game little more than an exercise in futility. While CHAOS is busy trying to channel Kafka, Fellini, or Dali, the player is left to wander aimlessly with no inventory, no personality, and no clue.

(Spoiler - click to show)The 'object' of the game is simply to escape one room and continue on to the next in your meaningless quest through a featureless landscape. Ironically the 'vulcher' is "flapping his wings ... with a plot in his mind." Don't get your hopes up. I was expecting the 'puzzle' to be, figuring out what was going on. Then I realised nothing is going on at all.

No technical problems, though copious grammatical errors (and the glaring misspelling of "vulture" in the first room) make the otherwise capable prose a chore to read. Each room is a disconnected vignette, sparsely-furnished with a cluttered description. Much of the writing in CHAOS is so absurd as to be paradoxical and ultimately, "full of nothing."

"In each direction you can see hazy beginnings"... perhaps this is more of a warning to the player than a description of the desert. Unwrapping the mystery of CHAOS' environment would add much-needed dimension to the handful of memorable rooms in the game. Given a plot, some of these hazy beginnings could become remarkable with a little flesh on the bones.