Flashes of a past life often blip into existence, a grim reminder of events that you must uncover to learn more about what happened to Fort Oasis’s residents, and why they’re all out to bring a grisly end to your tale. But it’s in how the developer has cleverly woven a sense of anticipation into the experience that doesn’t fully go away that Total Chaos truly shines and lets you ignore a few of its flaws along the way.

"The visuals do a serviceable job of conveying desolation and entropy in Fort Oasis’s many levels."

But they’re there, and deserve a bit of discussion. While they are not game-breaking, they do prove to be an annoyance thanks to their effect on moment-to-moment gameplay. The inventory management system, for starters, feels like it wasn’t really made for a controller.

I found myself often turning tail in the middle of a fight to find a safe spot to heal, not because of animations but because getting to the correct items in my bag was going to take a while. It’s especially annoying when you consider how easily you can access your bag with the tap of a button. Why not make the effort to make navigating between its contents seamless along the way?

The visuals do a serviceable job of conveying desolation and entropy in Fort Oasis’s many levels. while the lighting does a great job of creating dark corners for enemies to lurk in. The level design deserves a lot of praise thanks to how labyrinthine each location feels, the lack of a map forcing you to learn the lay of the land, and that knowledge sometimes being the difference between life and death.

But I couldn’t help but feel that the game could use a bit more polish, although I must say that the gameplay more than makes up for any shortcomings. The lack of any bugs and performance that did have its drops, but remained largely stable on the base PS5, does count towards making this one feel as immersive as it can be.

"The lighting does a great job of creating dark corners for enemies to lurk in"

With all of the above complaints, you might be wondering what it is about Total Chaos that had me throwing myself at its enemies for hours. The simple answer is that its gameplay loop is addictive, and rarely lets up on the tension you feel as you walk along cramped hallways, weapons at the ready as you look for the danger you know is lying in wait for you.

The visuals, level design, and excellent audio design work together to create an environment that’s immediately claustrophobic and a home to threats that lurk in the shadows, waiting to come at you from an angle you don’t expect. They hunt you in packs, trying to overwhelm you with superior numbers. Their strikes and slashes can leave you bleeding out, desperately scrambling along a level to find bandages to staunch the bleeding, or at the very least, a few rags to make some for yourself. Fort Oasis is quite stingy with its supplies, though, releasing them to you in small doses along with crafting materials, recipes, and consumables.

There are several weapons for you to find as well, giving you some options to fight back when you’re under attack. Their limited durability means you can’t have any favorites, but the combat system is quite nimble, allowing you to nip in and out of range for a few strikes and wait the subsequent recovery window for your stamina in relative safety.

But things aren’t as easy as they sound. You’re going to want to get used to the game’s rhythm quite quickly, learning to evade and shove an enemy to keep it off balance while you parry another attack to gain a sizable buff to your own attacks. Combat quickly becomes an engaging loop of attacking and retreating, a struggle to retain the upper hand in a battlefield where you’re every bit as vulnerable as your foes.

" Things could go terribly wrong if you don’t commit to a careful, calculated approach"

When taken in along with some very effective pacing in the game’s story and progression systems, Total Chaos’s beauty begins to shine through. You feel exactly how oppressive its environments can be, the desolate building you explore in the first chapter being a great example.

There are moments where the utter silence of an empty, dark hallway contrasts so well with the waves crashing on the cliffs outside. It’s a truly solid horror experience that lets you feel like the silence manages to be louder. You never know what’s lying in wait for you as you make your way to your next objective, guided along by the voice on your radio.

That voice formed a very intriguing part of the game’s narrative, a presence that was guiding us along without intruding on the solitude that works so well to build tension in Total Chaos. Just like the game’s enemies, you never know when he pops up to life on the radio, his melancholy recollections often made us wonder about his motivations as we kept going along the path he set for us.

The voice is joined by journals and other discoverable elements that paint a picture of Fort Oasis, and the murky past that has led to its ruin. This style of storytelling always works well, and it’s especially delicious in this one as you’re going to be trying to piece together a tale from tiny snippets of information, all while keeping a very sharp eye out for dangers that could stop you from finding out more.

"You’re going to want your wits about you, as this is a game that doesn’t really hold your hand"

It’s a pity, then, that an adventure this immersive didn’t pull out all the stops to make it a complete one. On the base PS5, my DualSense sat dormant in my hand, its haptics and triggers left unused in a game where they could have been a very useful part of giving players the chills. It’s such a noticeable omission, as is the lack of performance options that might have allowed for a better framerate in places where the game struggles to keep up.

Although all of its flaws are minor, they could add up for you if those are things that matter to you when you’re thinking about trying this game. But if they don’t, or if you can ignore a significant bunch of them, Total Chaos is a good horror experience in which things could go terribly wrong if you don’t commit to a careful, calculated approach, made worth it by a story and levels that made the explorer in me jump for joy. Just remember that you’re going to want your wits about you, as this is a game that doesn’t really hold your hand, instead trusting your diligence and rewarding it accordingly.

Total Chaos is a solid survival horror title that’s easy to recommend, although its issues do hold it back from being among this year’s greatest ones in the genre. It’s a great game for a weekend, and might even have enough for you to try a survivalist run the second time around.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Total Chaos is a survival horror title developed by Sam Prebble, the developer behind the insane first-person shooter Turbo Overkill from a couple of years ago. It revolves around the player waking up on an island that serves as a home to a deserted, decayed and “too dark for comfort” fort named Fort Oasis. The player must venture inwards to escape from an oncoming storm, after which things start to get out of hand.

There is quite a bit of surreal horror at play in Total Chaos, with players having to deal with the twisting hallways of Fort Oasis while at the same time also scavenging for materials to craft makeshift weapons to fight off the horrifying denizens of the island.

For more details, check out our thoughts on why Total Chaos might be a sleeper horror hit of the year.

The future is bustling with so many great horror games, some of which are faithful tributes to the glorious past while others are more innovative affairs. The game that we will be talking about today falls somewhere in the middle of the two extremes, but it is one that more fans should start looking out for because it might just turn out to be one of the biggest surprise hits of this year.

We are, of course, talking about Total Chaos – the upcoming title from Trigger Happy Interactive and Apogee Entertainment. Trigger Happy Interactive is the studio that brought us Turbo Overkill, which stands tall as one of the best though underrated games of the last couple of years. With its horror nature, Total Chaos is out of the developer’s comfort zone, but it’s an interesting game and one that deserves to be looked at in depth.

Let’s start off with the story. Set against the backdrop of a mysterious Fort Oasis, Total Chaos starts off with the protagonist receiving a strange radio transmission that beckons him to this abandoned place in the middle of nowhere. Things start to take a turn for the worse once the protagonist actually reaches there, as strange creatures and unsettling landscapes begin to come into view. The narrative revolves around the protagonist uncovering the many mysteries that lie within its dated walls.

While the story isn’t something that we haven’t seen before, it makes for an interesting horror prospect. From what we know, the story does seem a little personal for the protagonist and there’s a high likelihood that the voices are somehow related to him or his past. Of course, these are tropes that we have seen used in horror stories before – but that familiarity isn’t necessarily bad as it can make for a more heartful narrative than just the typical affair of the protagonist evolving from a survivor to a warrior while defeating the big baddie.

Having a more personal narrative makes a lot of sense in the case of Total Chaos, especially given its first-person perspective. Since the player is fully immersed in the character’s experience, the developers can effectively channel horror through the protagonist and directly onto the player, resulting in some truly memorable jump scares. While Trigger Happy isn’t typically known for creating narrative-heavy games, we are hoping that they can pull it off this time.

Coming over to the gameplay, Total Chaos’ gameplay is yet again a mix of something new and familiar. The moment-to-moment gameplay revolves around exploring these dilapidated ruins of the island, finding your path forward, and solving puzzles to open up doors or contraptions. It’s played from a first-person perspective, so Resident Evil 7 and 8 would make for a good point of comparison in that sense.

Environmental storytelling is also one of the most important pillars of any great horror game. Titles like Resident Evil 7 and 8 use this design technique to great effect, crafting a convincing and immersive horror landscape without relying solely on dialogue or cutscenes. Environmental details like bloodstained walls, flickering lights, broken-down doors, and eerie notes left behind by past inhabitants all contribute to a deeper narrative. Even the placement of set props contributes to the scene, allowing players to piece together the story organically as they explore. This method of storytelling not only enriches the world but also builds tension and atmosphere in a way that feels natural and unsettling. It adds depth and character to the game, making the environment feel lived in.

Total Chaos also claims to rely heavily on environmental storytelling to create a rich, immersive atmosphere and from what we’ve seen so far, those claims seem quite convincing. The game does a great job of establishing the ancient aesthetic of Fort Oasis. Right from vines crawling up crumbling walls to rows of forgotten graves scattered across grass fields, there’s a very evident element of decay and abandonment in its environments. Ancient bunkers, rusted machinery, and derelict structures also hint at a long and troubled history. These visual cues not only build a compelling setting but also invite players to piece together the story through exploration and observation, adding depth to the horror experience.

Of course, visuals also contribute to environmental storytelling as much as the set props and Trigger Happy has yet again brought its A game to the field in this regard. It’s not the most technically advanced game on the market, but it pays a lot of attention to art direction and color palette to create a convincing landscape all around. Just look at how blades of grass sway to the tune of winds, and how giant trees arch to the top in daunting jungles. Generous use of thick volumetric fog blocks visibility, adding an element of surprise to the gameplay proceedings. It’s consistently scary in terms of atmosphere, but there are pockets of serenity throughout which makes the visual presentation pretty great. You can also notice how the colour palette is entirely dominated by dark shades, which give it a chilling vibe that’s quite fitting for a game of this ilk.

Coming over to the combat, Total Chaos does a great job of simulating a sense of desperation. As can be seen from the trailer itself, much of the combat entails finding makeshift weapons and flailing them in a last-ditch attempt to make short work of your enemies. While it’s still rooted in the survival genre, Total Chaos is a lot more fast-paced than its contemporaries. It might seem odd at first, but there’s a reason why that is the case. You see, Total Chaos is actually a full-fledged remake of a popular DOOM 2 mod and the fast-paced gameplay loop is a byproduct of that factor.

Total Chaos also showcases a great sense of progression when it comes to gameplay. Early sections of the game seem to involve purely using makeshift weapons and throwables to get rid of the enemy’s presence. As you progress through the game, you get access to better weapons such as a double-barrel shotgun which can make short work of those enemies in just a couple of hits.

But nothing can be taken for granted in a survival horror game like Total Chaos, and having access to such weapons is just as important as having resources like ammunition which is obviously quite scarce. As such, exploration becomes an important aspect of the experience, and utilizing the correct resources at the correct time becomes a skill that players need to master to overcome the toughest challenges of the game.

When it comes to the enemy design, Total Chaos does not fall short of the mark. Enemies look pretty scary with their towering presence and erratic movements, and the fact that they come in a group makes them all the more daunting. There are obviously bigger enemies too, and they have weird outgrowing flesh and tentacles that make them look like something straight out of a nightmare.

You see, Total Chaos doesn’t really do anything that’s quite out of the box, but that is what precisely makes it so notable. It seems to be sticking close to the horror rulebook right from the narrative structure to the gameplay loop, but the quality of each of those elements seems really commendable. It’s evident that Trigger Happy has poured its heart and soul into each of these aspects, and if it is able to take those elements and create something that works – it might just have a big hit on its hands.

As for the release, Total Chaos is currently scheduled to release on July 24 later this year and that might just work in the game’s favour. The month of July is not bustling with any major horror releases, as such, Total Chaos gets the opportunity to shine a bit longer in the spotlight and in turn gain visibility from a much larger audience.

All in all, Total Chaos has a lot going for it. Its familiar narrative framework and gameplay elements are quite palatable for most horror fans, and the favorable release window nets it more visibility than it would in case of a Holiday release. All that remains is for Trigger Happy to deliver upon its promises, and that would just make Total Chaos one of the biggest games of this year.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

"The combat in Turbo Overkill is extremely frantic, sometimes even turning into a bullet-hell as you dodge incoming projectiles."

Turbo Overkill cites classic shooters like DOOM and Quake as its inspirations, but can you elaborate a little bit more on that? What’s the biggest way the game takes cues from the classics?

It’s mostly the simplicity. All that mattered back then was making the guns fun to shoot and enemies enjoyable to splatter. I wanted to take that formula from the games I grew up on and infuse it with mechanics from modern games I love. My background is mostly in making maps for Doom 2, ever since I was 6 years old. I always enjoyed the open-ended level design of Doom and Duke Nukem, along with the abstract level design of Quake. All that really mattered was having a killer gameplay loop combined with amazing level design. That is what I am hoping to replicate with Turbo Overkill.

The Hero Time mechanic sounds like an interesting concept, especially for a shooter that’s putting so much emphasis on fast-paced action. Can you talk about how it will impact combat, or perhaps even traversal?

The combat in Turbo Overkill is extremely frantic, sometimes even turning into a bullet-hell as you dodge incoming projectiles. Hero Time grants the players more room to think about what their next move is, like a brief relief from the chaos unfolding before them. It’s also satisfying as hell watching the gore and debris fly all over the place at half-speed.

Given that Turbo Overkill will also allow players to dash and wall-run, does that mean the game will also put some emphasis on parkour and traversal? Or are those moves primarily used for combat purposes?

A lot of the level design is extremely vertical, challenging the players to use a string of mechanics to traverse. Some platform sections have jump-pads linked to wall-runs, followed by dashing into another wall-run, all before leap-dashing straight into an elevated combat arena full of thugs. The moves are pretty seamless between traversal and combat. Dashing can obviously be used as a way of dodging projectiles, while wall-running can be used to reach the other side of a combat arena. Some weapons also provide traversal options outside of combat. For example, the Waster Shotgun’s alternate fire unleashes a burst of explosive plasma. Players can use the splash damage from this to not only gib nearby foes, but also as a rocket-propelled jump to get to a higher vantage point (or even a secret area in-between combat arenas).

"A lot of the level design is extremely vertical, challenging the players to use a string of mechanics to traverse. Some platform sections have jump-pads linked to wall-runs, followed by dashing into another wall-run, all before leap-dashing straight into an elevated combat arena full of thugs."

Turbo Overkill’s cyberpunk setting definitely catches the eye, partly because there haven’t really been many DOOM-style fast-paced shooters in this setting. How does Turbo Overkill leverage its cyberpunk world for gameplay purposes?

One of the big gameplay features in Turbo are augmentations the player unlocks during the campaign. These include Grapple Hooks, arm-mounted Micro-Missile launchers, and the chainsaw leg, to name a few. I felt the cyberpunk setting was a perfect fit for these and many other mechanics. We’re throwing some pretty crazy stuff into this game.

What should players expect from weapons in the game where variety and design are concerned?

Each weapon has an alternate firing mode. The pistols can target multiple enemies for an instant headshot, the Boomer Shotgun can fire grenades, and the Twincendiary Minigun converts into a flamethrower. Each weapon has a use, along with pros and cons against certain enemy types. Some can even be used to extend the player’s traversal, like the Telefragger Sniper Rifle, which can target a faraway foe and teleport the player inside of them, causing them to explode in a shower of gibs.

The chainsaw leg is quite a unique concept that we don’t really see all that often. How did that idea come about, and how is it implemented in gameplay?

At the time I started prototyping Turbo Overkill, I was playing a lot of Apex Legends. I got a lot of enjoyment out of the sliding and momentum mechanics from that game and knew I had to implement it somehow in my prototype. Then I said, “hey, this should hurt goons as I slide into them,” and the rest was history. Naturally, the idea to go down the cyberpunk path stemmed from this.

Mechanically, the chainsaw leg (dubbed Chegg’s) works as a glorified slide mechanic. Speeding down slopes will increase the player’s speed drastically, and the faster the player moves, the more damage the chainsaw leg does to enemies. Players can also activate the leg mid-jump, providing an air kick boost.

Do you have any plans for co-op or multiplayer modes?

Turbo Overkill will come with co-op and deathmatch modes. Sliding into other players with the chainsaw leg was too fun to leave out.

"We’re aiming for a 7-9 hour length, but there are a ton of secrets to be found which will bring players back for repeat playthroughs."

Roughly how long will an average playthrough of Turbo Overkill be?

We’re aiming for a 7-9 hour length, but there are a ton of secrets to be found which will bring players back for repeat playthroughs. One of the secrets players can find are Cassette Tapes. If the player finds all 3 of these in a single level, they will unlock a secret vignette level. These small sections range from platform puzzles to horde arenas and even remixed areas of main campaign levels.

The PS5 features an incredibly fast SSD with 5.5GB/s raw bandwidth. How can developers take advantage of this, and how does this compare to the Xbox Series X’s 2.4GB/s raw bandwidth?

It is going to be interesting to see what developers do with Unreal Engine 5 and Nanite. I imagine devs are going to push that thing to its limit with this generation of consoles, and with the file size of some of the meshes I’ve seen put into that thing… We definitely need the faster drives of this generation. But I haven’t had time to familiarize myself with the finer differences in new-gen SSD read speeds.

The Xbox Series S features lesser hardware compared to Xbox Series and Microsoft is pushing it as a 1440p/60fps console. Do you think it will be able to hold up for the graphically intensive next-gen games?

I’ve always favored smoother framerates over resolution. My home setup is a 240hz monitor at 1440p and it’s a blast to play on! You can still have visually impressive next-gen games at 1440p.

What frame rate and resolution will the game target on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S?

We are currently targeting 4k and 60FPS for PS5 and Xbox.