Chrome (computer game)

Chrome is a computer game by the Polish game developer Techland and was published in 2003 by the publisher Deep Silver for Microsoft Windows . There is now a successor Chrome SpecForce , but it doesn't have much in common with the Chrome story. The sequel "Chrome 2" was announced.

Chrome is a first-person shooter that has the main focus on the single-player campaign, although there is also a multiplayer mode. The game takes place in the future and combines advanced technology (for example implants ) with existing (primarily ballistic weapons). The huge levels are characteristic of Chrome , as you can enter almost everything that is visible without loading it.

About the naming: Chrome means chrome in German . Chromium is a metal that is very rare in the future vision of Chrome, even if it obviously doesn't seem to be the familiar element chromium . Therefore, most large corporations are after chrome on the side or even mainly. The protagonist gets into this conflict and later also defends a mining colony in which chromium was found. Otherwise, the name doesn't have much to do with the actual game.

Gameplay

story

The hero of the story is Bolt Logan , a mercenary and former SpecForce agent. The player doesn't start as a mercenary, as the game description on the back of the pack suggests, but as a SpecForce agent on a secret special mission. In this mission - known as the "Prologue" - the player as Logan has to break into a building in order to retrieve plans from the OCTOLAB corporation that had been stolen from it. He is separated from his friend Robert "Pointer" Herz and finally left behind and portrayed as a traitor. On the way out he meets Carrie , with whom he fights his way outside. Logan was released from SpecForce a year later , and he and his partner Carrie roam the Valkyria solar system as a mercenary , always looking for well-paid jobs. But in the course of the game he and Carrie get caught between the fronts of several large corporations . So he meets his old friend Pointer again, and of course he seeks revenge.

Difficulty levels and missions

The game offers five levels of difficulty in an integrated tutorial.

Before each mission , the player assembles his equipment. Usually you are then dropped off on a planet and first have to familiarize yourself with your surroundings by checking your location, mission objectives and the routes to get there on the satellite map. In contrast to many other single player shooters such as Half-Life 2, Chrome has a tactical component. Foresighted action and skillful movement are more effective than the use of brute force, especially since the alter ego often dies after just a few hits. Missions in buildings do not require any special tactical skills, but often assign the player tasks that need to be fulfilled: For example, computers often have to be " hacked ", which is expressed in a mini-game similar to memory . In order to successfully complete the mission, the player has an entire fleet of vehicles available. The vehicles are often absolutely necessary for the achievement of a goal. At the end of almost every mission there is a boss who represents the climax of a mission, as he often explains and predicts game history events.

inventory

Similar to role-playing games , the player only has a limited inventory. It is based on "boxes", which means that each item occupies a certain place and therefore only a limited number of weapons (e.g. pistol, machine gun, shotgun), ammunition and other equipment (e.g. health packs , binoculars) can be taken. At the beginning of a mission, the game suggests a weapon choice.

weapons

Since first person shooters always focus on weapons, there are enough of these in Chrome too. In contrast to other science fiction shooters such as Unreal II: The Awakening or Star Wars: Jedi Knight , it is not energy, plasma or laser, but ballistic projectiles that are fired. Depending on the objective of the mission, different weapons are useful or necessary.

Implants

The system is very reminiscent of Deus Ex , where the player can also upgrade with implants. Implants are bio-cybernetic devices and are inserted directly into human tissue. For example, they improve running speed, aim or surround the body with a protective membrane. In order not to make the player invincible, the use of the implants is restricted. As small devices, they are foreign to the human body and therefore put a strain on the neural nervous system and should only be used for a short time, as otherwise the player has to reckon with impairment of the field of vision or uncontrolled muscle twitching. However, there is an antidote that will restore the nervous system to normal.

equipment

Equipment is also an important part of a single player shooter. Healthpacks and binoculars are two of the necessary items that the player should always carry with them. Often the equipment is otherwise absolutely necessary for the successful completion of a mission.

vehicles

Due to the size of the level, the player and his opponents have some vehicles at their disposal. Some of them also have on-board cannons that can be used by and against the player. The integrated on-board cannons are often useful as they have more firepower than ordinary handguns.

Multiplayer

Multiplayer is not Chrome's main focus. Nevertheless, it offers some huge maps like in single player mode . In multiplayer mode you can use all vehicles (except aircraft) and choose the equipment from the weapon arsenal before each spawn . The multiplayer mode is very unpopular on the internet. Therefore there are only a few Chrome servers .

technology

Engine and AI

Techland decided not to use existing graphics engines from other software developers and instead developed its own engine for Chrome. This can completely display large areas and allows the player to enter everything he can see. The predominant design elements in Chrome are dense forests or jungles, desert landscapes or interiors are less common.

The engine relies heavily on realism, which is particularly evident in the special effects . Noticeable are light effects such as B. Light rays that fall through the canopy of the jungle and are reflected in a puddle or on metal. Equally unusual are the explosions of grenades or fuel barrels that stir up dirt or hurl opponents away using the ragdoll system. Landscapes, buildings and people are provided with realistic textures . The grain of leather jackets, rust on iron or scratch marks on armor are clearly visible. Forests are represented not only by trees, but also by a background of ferns, bushes and grasses. Figures and moving objects were animated in detail. In the cutscenes, the characters' faces seem more unrealistic.

If a bot comes under fire and cannot locate the shooter - usually the player - it immediately takes cover, pretends to be dead and throws hand grenades at the attacker.

Sound and music

In the German version of the game, the voice actor Torsten Münchow ("Gorky Zero") lends the protagonist his voice.

The music composed by Pawel Blaszczak can mainly be heard in "stealth" missions, in which sneaking and silenced killing are in the foreground. The music sounds metallic, full orchestral or vocal.

ChromEd

The "ChromEd" is a map editor for Chrome that allows you to create your own maps and missions. The editor is documented in a 332-page tutorial . It builds a map step by step and teaches this to the mapper. Maps can be found on the official Chrome website and on various fan sites on the Internet .

Chrome gold

A gold edition is now available, which includes the game, a mouse pad and an audio CD with the game's soundtrack. The attached patch , which can also be downloaded from the Internet, improves the AI. The offer also includes other single-player missions, which, however, were not integrated into the story of the main campaign and are not very demanding.

reception

Reviews

"More than just chic graphics: surprisingly strong when it comes to play."

- GameStar 10/2003, 82%

"... not just another shooter, but a successful mix of action and tactics."

- PC Games 10/2003, 82%

"Chrome looks great, offers a lot of action and stands out from the competition with its subtle innovation."

- PC Action 10/2003, 83%

Dukes Choice Award

Chrome won the Dukes Choice Award from Sun Microsystems in the summer of 2004 . It goes to the most innovative product that uses the Java programming language. The award was given by the Java Leadership Team . This consists u. a. from Scott McNealy and James Gosling , the inventors of Java.

Web links

Official Chrome Page

Individual evidence

↑ Meta-rating Chrome (Windows). In: Metacritic . CBS Corporation , accessed April 23, 2015 .

[1] Meta-rating Chrome (Windows). In: Metacritic . CBS Corporation , accessed April 23, 2015 .