Battle Chess

Game review

Battle Chess revolutionizes the traditional game of chess by infusing it with dynamic animations and an element of combat, making it a unique and entertaining experience. In this game, the classic chess pieces come to life, engaging in animated battles whenever they capture an opponent's piece. The game was very well received thanks to its comical combat sequences, but on the other hand it was criticized for a weak chess algorithm, so it was not really intended for better players.

Battle Chess is combat chess with the same rules as classic chess. If you start the game in the 2D version, you play classic chess, but the 3D version has more sophisticated graphics, where the pieces change into different characters and fight with each other in a predefined animation. Each piece has 6 animations apart from the king, which cannot take itself, so it only has 5 animations. So in total, the game contains a respectable 35 animations for all pieces. Some animations refer to well-known moments from pop culture, where, for example, the fight between two knights refers to the fight with the black knight from the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The quality of the 3D environment is of course not up to today's standards, but it is rather a combination of effects and nice animations that give the game a nice spatial feel. You can also enjoy everything in the multiplayer mode, which offers both a game on a local network and a game over the Internet.

The game was originally intended for the Amiga, but due to its great popularity it has spread to many other platforms including PC, Atari, NES, Apple, 3DO and many others. On some platforms, the game has a database of up to 30,000 starts.

In 1991 (and later, depending on the platform) an improved version of Battle Chess: Enhanced CD-ROM was released. It preserved the gameplay of the original, but offered SVGA resolution, a new visual concept, new effects and animations and symphonic music played from CD. In 2015, Interplay Entertainment released a remake called Battle Chess: Game of Kings.

Even years after its release, Battle Chess remains a go-to game for many, offering a fun and unique twist on traditional chess. It's a testament to how innovative ideas can transform a timeless game into something extraordinary, appealing to both chess enthusiasts and those looking for an entertaining gaming experience.