Unlike
Total Overdose,
Chili Con Carnage dumps any and all serious moments and instead focuses primarily on over-the-top, funnier moments. The game begins with Ram, the game’s protagonist, delivering a box of kittens to his father for a birthday gift. No sooner does Ram’s father unwrap his gift when a combine comes crashing through his father’s office, killing both Ram’s father and the litter of kittens. And to think, that’s only the beginning. As Ram sets off for a bit of revenge down under, he’ll encounter a number of completely madcap crime lords. Not every moment is comedy gold, but there are enough funny parts that you’ll find yourself laughing at the absurdity of it all.
Chili Con Carnage also brings in a healthy dose of gameplay. The open-ended gameplay found in the original has been removed, making way for more linear, action-focused levels. At its core, Chili Con Carnage is a pure shooter, with a taste of Max Payne-styled slow motion thrown in. You basically run through levels, shooting bad guys and collecting power-ups. Ultimately, your goal is to tear through levels while keeping a combo meter running as long as you can. It is not impossible to keep the meter running for the entire length of a level, but it does take skill. In a way, it is sort of like a big Rube-Goldberg device involving bullets, bodies, things that explode and chickens.
The metered scoring system is what helps to make Chili Con Carnage a more entertaining game. The basic combat moves are simple, though they can be matched up into Tony Hawk style combos, which help to extend the scoring meter. In all, it makes the game something of a puzzle, since you’re always trying to figure out what to shoot next. Again, it sounds easier than it is. You can also try to grab style points for pulling off really tricky moves.
Multiplayer options are also around, though they only support Ad Hoc connection. The goal in multiplayer is the same as in the single-player game; get the highest score possible before time runs out. While you don’t directly fight other players, you can still mess with them by collecting power-ups.
