Draft:Total Chaos (video game)
2025 video game
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Total Chaos is a 2025 first-person survival horror game developed by Trigger Happy Interactive and published by Apogee Entertainment. It was released for Windows, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 on November 20, 2025, and has nine chapters.[4] It takes inspiration from other survival horror games, such as Silent Hill and Cry of Fear. A demo was released on February 24, 2025.[2] It received positive reviews for its atmosphere, design, and soundtrack.
- Jason Dagenet
- William Braddell
- Tim Stoney
- Chipper Hammond
- Mathieu Hallouin
- Akira Yamaoka[1]
| Total Chaos | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Trigger Happy Interactive |
| Publisher | Apogee Entertainment |
| Composers |
|
| Engine | Unity[2] |
| Platforms | |
| Release | November 20, 2025 |
| Genres | Survival horror, psychological horror, first-person shooter[3] |
| Mode | Single-player |
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The game is a remake of its initial version as a Doom II mod, which also received very positive reviews.[5][6] A paid DLC named Epilogue is planned.[7] The game's setting, Fort Oasis, is based on Hashima Island.[2]
Gameplay
Health, stamina, bleeding, hunger, and "madness" are the five stats that must be maintained to survive.[3] Inventory management is a significant element of the game: ammunition for ranged weapons is scarce, objects in the inventory take up space, and items can be crafted and combined to create weapons, tools, and other items. Only one weapon may be equipped. The individual weight of each item is also counted: carrying more and/or heavier items will hinder the player's speed. If the madness stat is high enough, the player will hallucinate and be able to see passageways and tunnels that are not visible normally.
Weapons have durability and will break when used too many times. Some weapons have a secondary attack, allowing higher damage at the cost of increased charge time. Some items can be used to craft items via obtained blueprints.
There is also an optional "retro mode", which uses low-resolution textures and less-detailed models. A New Game Plus mode is planned.[8]
Plot
The game is set on Fort Oasis, an abandoned mining colony on an island where the miners suddenly disappeared. The player is aboard a coast guard ship and receives odd radio transmissions. After an intense storm, they wake up shipwrecked on the island, and are forced to fight their way through grotesque and creepy monsters.[9] Throughout the game, they continue to hear transmissions over the radio and learn about the island and its story.
At least two endings are possible, depending on if the player decides to leave the island or not.[8]
Development
As a Doom mod
| Total Chaos (mod) | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Sam Prebble ("Wadaholic") |
| Programmer | TheMisterCat |
| Artist | RavenCode |
| Composer | Jason Dagenet[10] |
| Engine | GZDoom, Zandronum |
| Release |
|
| Genres | Survival horror, psychological horror, first-person shooter |
| Mode | Single-player |
The first concepts of the game began in 2008 as a total conversion for Doom II. Development started in 2012, and many different genres were experimented with before settling on survival horror. A demo was released in 2018, and the completed mod was released for free in 2018 by Prebble, who went under the name Wadaholic.[11] A Director's Cut was released in August 2020, able to be run standalone without the original Doom data.[12][13][14] It contains six chapters.[15]
It was praised for its atmosphere, graphics, and innovation despite its engine limitations.
Prebble would later go on to make Turbo Overkill, now developing under Trigger Happy Interactive.[3]
Remake
You'll enter a level—if you played the mod before—and be like: 'Okay, I remember this space.' But the more you play through the level, the more you start to realize: 'Okay, this is different.' And then eventually you're just thrown into this completely new area that you don't know.
In December 2024, the first trailer for the remake was shown at PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted.[2] Prebble said that it would be similar to the Doom mod, but not "shot-for-shot". He said that initially, the remake would be interconnected and allow seamless level transport, but he later rejected this idea. Prebble also explained the challenge of "balancing" the remake so that it would appeal to new audiences while not straying too far from the original mod's design.[11]
After an initial release date of July 24, 2025, it was delayed to instead release in Q4 2025.[16] It released on November 20, 2025. The game's composers are Jason Dagenet, William Braddell, plus Apogee's Chipper Hammond, Tim Stoney, and Mathieu Hallouin. Additionally, Akira Yamaoka composed the theme and end credits.[1]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | ?/100[17] |
| OpenCritic | ?% Critics Recommend |
Total Chaos received "tbd" according to review aggregator website Metacritic, scoring a tbd/100 on the site, indicating ???[17]
It was praised particularly for its sound design and soundtrack. In a review for ScreenRant, Leo Faierman said that "[its] audio is the undisputed star of the show." Faierman also lightly criticized the story, considering it too cliche at times.
The game's weapons, atmosphere, and enemy design were also received positively. Engadget likened its 'sanity mechanic' to Eternal Darkness, and the art style to the Alan Wake games.[18]