2019-04-01_Retro_Gamer

LORDS OF CHAOS

QReleased for 8-bit systems in 1990 and 16-bit systems in

19 91, Lords Of Chaos was a sequel to Chaos: The Battle Of

Wizards, released in 1985. You play as a wizard who could

cast spells and summon creatures to fight alongside them.

The game saw Mythos continue to infuse its strategy with

role-playing elements.

LASER SQUAD

QA turn-based tactics game that first released on the

ZX Spectrum, Laser Squad was Mythos’ first release and

featured many of the elements that would eventually make

it into the X-COM series, including action points, a squad-

based combat system and a morale system that could see

soldiers panicking and the player losing control.

a significant one, leading to what would be the most

important period in the company’s history.

A

fter running out of money, Julian started

doing some database programming on the

side, while Nick finished the demo for Laser

Squad 2 on Atari ST so that Mythos could

start looking for a new publisher. Their number one

choice was Microprose. “We thought it was unlikely

that they would take us on, because we thought

Microprose was the best computer games company

in the world,” remembers Julian. “But they did, partly

because Steven Hand, who was one of the designers

there, was a really big fan of Laser Squad and he lobbied

pretty hard for Microprose to take the game.

“Microprose wanted some changes,” Julian

continues. “The main thing they were obsessed about

was how can we make a game like Civilization, that has

as big an impact as Civilization, because Microprose UK

FIVE DEFINING GAMES

» [Amiga] Summoning creatures like demons, beasts and vampires to do your bidding

rather than doing the work yourself is the way to go in Lords Of Chaos.

» [Amiga] The 16-bit versions of Lords Of Chaos were a big graphical update over the Spectrum original.

Q Mythos Games is founded by Julian

Gollop, his brother Nick and their father.

Q Mythos Games’ first title Laser Squad is

released for the ZX Spectrum. It would later

be ported to Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC,

MSX, Amiga, Atati ST and PC.

Q The sequel to one of Julian’s earlier

games, Chaos: The Battle Of Wizards, Lords

of Chaos was released for ZX Spectrum,

Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC.

Q 16-bit versions of Lords Of Chaos

were released for the Atari ST and

Commodore Amiga.

Q A demo for the game that would become

UFO: Enemy Unknown, Laser Squad 2, was

completed.

Q Spectrum Holobyte aquires Microprose

shares from Bill Stealey and orders UFO to

be cancelled. The order is ignored.

Q Mythos’ most famous and influential

game, UFO: Enemy Unknown, is released.

Q A sequel to UFO, X-COM: Terror From The

Deep, is released. Mythos is not involved,

licensing the code to Microprose for it to

develop the game internally.

Q Early work begins on Magic & Mayhem,

but the company’s focus is on developing

an X-COM sequel.

Q A third X-COM game, this time developed

by Mythos, is released in the form of

X-COM: Apocalypse.

Q Mythos returns to a fantasy setting

with RTS title Magic & Mayhem, published

by Virgin.

Q Titus Interactive, who had bought

Virgin from Interplay, cancelled Mythos

next project, The Dreamland Chronicles:

Freedom’s Ridge, forcing the company to

close down.

1988

1991

1997

1998

2001

TIMELINE

1993

1994

1990

1995