Posted April 28, 2010
Aquanox 2 dives (no pun intended) into a game genre we almost never see. An Underwater-sim. Except there's a catch. It plays almost exactly like a regular space sim. Though this seems like a draw back at first, the game makes you feel like you actually are in a combat submarine and gives you the feeling that you're actually underwater. Though I can't recommend this game for a number of reasons, it's well worth the purchase price for the effort and time that went into making this type of game and for trying a genre that almost never comes up.
One complaint that I do have with the atmosphere of the underwater scenery (and by just judging with how far I've got in the game) is that there is no fish and little sealife. Granted it's a steampunk-ish sort of game with factions and pirates roaming around, but I would have loved to swim up to a small whale or fish. Maybe even fish them and sell them for credits.
Which is another complaint I have about the game, it's linear. An underwater scene like this would be GREAT if it played like Freelancer or the old Privateer games. But instead its gameplay is presented with linear missions/using credits to get ship parts/etc. Think of the Descent games mixed with Freespace 2 and you'll know what I mean.
One of the really cool aspects of the game is the interface. Though the main menu really doesn't count, everything else is kind of exhilerating (though sometimes confusing/too busy) For example, in your ship you have a 3D heightmap that moves with you of your surroundings, that only counts as a radar for enemies vessels. It's just a little detail, but it's something you can't pull off in a space sim game cause there well.. no terrain anywhere.
I'll give this game credit for trying in the almost unknown genre of underwater sim (and I've heard the Aquanox games before this one were better) but I really can't recommend this game you either really like space sims, or just want to try something different. While it's no Freespace 2, it's definitely worth playing for the odd underwater setting.
One complaint that I do have with the atmosphere of the underwater scenery (and by just judging with how far I've got in the game) is that there is no fish and little sealife. Granted it's a steampunk-ish sort of game with factions and pirates roaming around, but I would have loved to swim up to a small whale or fish. Maybe even fish them and sell them for credits.
Which is another complaint I have about the game, it's linear. An underwater scene like this would be GREAT if it played like Freelancer or the old Privateer games. But instead its gameplay is presented with linear missions/using credits to get ship parts/etc. Think of the Descent games mixed with Freespace 2 and you'll know what I mean.
One of the really cool aspects of the game is the interface. Though the main menu really doesn't count, everything else is kind of exhilerating (though sometimes confusing/too busy) For example, in your ship you have a 3D heightmap that moves with you of your surroundings, that only counts as a radar for enemies vessels. It's just a little detail, but it's something you can't pull off in a space sim game cause there well.. no terrain anywhere.
I'll give this game credit for trying in the almost unknown genre of underwater sim (and I've heard the Aquanox games before this one were better) but I really can't recommend this game you either really like space sims, or just want to try something different. While it's no Freespace 2, it's definitely worth playing for the odd underwater setting.