| Chasm: The Rift | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Action Forms |
| Publisher(s) | Megamedia |
| Platform(s) | MS-DOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
| Release | MS-DOS September 30, 1997 Steam (Windows) October 10, 2022 Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S May 18, 2023 |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Chasm: The Rift (also known as Chasm: The Shadow Zone) is a first-person shooter video game developed by Ukrainian studio Action Forms and published by Megamedia Corporation in 1997 for the MS-DOS operating system. The game is set across various locations, including military bases, ancient Egyptian tombs, medieval settings, and an alien world. Players assume the role of an elite soldier tasked with single-handedly combating evil forces that infiltrate from the past and future through temporal portals.
Development of the game, initially titled Tron: The Hammer of War, began in the mid-1990s by a group of students from Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, inspired by Doom from id Software. The development process extended over several years, during which the game's title, script, and graphics underwent changes. The publisher was found through the internet: United States-based Megamedia Corporation took on publishing the game.
Chasm: The Rift received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its detailed monsters, weapon design, and certain technical features. However, the game's simple level design and somewhat unoriginal gameplay prevented it from competing with more prominent first-person shooters of the era. In 2022, 25 years after its initial release, Chasm: The Rift was re-released on Steam with improved graphics and controls. In May 2023, it was ported to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.