System Requirements

OS: Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000 CPU: 500 MHz Athlon(tm) or Pentium(r) 3 Processor RAM: 128 MB RAM HDD: 800 MB free hard disk space VIDEO: Direct3D 8 - compatible Graphics card with 16 MB Memory SOUND: 16 bit DirectX 8 compatible sound card

Story

You know how most people see the future taking place in space? Well this game sees it taking place in the water, deep down into the ocean. You just got over some massive wars. The year is 2666. Even five years after the fierce fight against a robotic species called Bionts the world of 'Aqua' still can't be at peace. On the contrary. Without suspecting anything it is being put to its hardest test. And you are right in the middle of it. To make matters worse, the game starts with your ship being stolen. Fortunately El Topo is nice enough to give you a beater called \'Toiler\'. This will help you in your first few missions consisting of blasting Biont scraps that are mysteriously resurrecting. Other missions include escorting ships and saving different stations from being attacked. There is corruption and smuggling that you will have to put a stop to. Between that and battling Bionts you are also searching for your beloved ship. This is a mission based game, you are given mission objectives that you must complete. Your efforts will not go unrewarded. For each completed mission you are given credits to your account. These can be used for ship and weapon upgrades. There are a couple exceptions, but most levels automatically take you back to the dock and don't let you explore the gigantic ocean scenery. While docked you can talk with the locals and pick up jobs and gather information for the storyline.

Game Modes

When you start the game you can play the single player/story, Instant Fight or Multiplayer. Multiplayer offers three modes of game play. There is Capture The Flag, Deathmatch, and TeamDeathmatch. The maps offer many power ups and weapons to grab. You will get to use Q Blasters, Laser Gatlings, and Stanley Torpedoes. Best of all, you get your Succubus ship that can whiz around doing 300. The game comes with a few maps, if you want more, you can get the map pack from http://www.Aquanox.de but it\'s 35MB.

Appropriate?

From a Christian standpoint, this is a battle game. You will be targeting and shooting many objects and ships. There is no blood though. They have nice taunts for the enemy, they were all clean. There is however some swearing, and drug/alcohol references. Finally you play Emerald Dead-Eye Flint who is good looking and flirtatious. He comes off as a bit of a womanizer.

Overall experienceEase of use

The game was easy to install and has a nice interface. The graphics are great especially the water effects. You can even see plankton floating around! The characters are cartoon stills but the environment, reflections and explosions make up for lack of player detail. The cut-scenes were nice too, often telling what obstacles lie ahead. The techno music was a great touch, it added to the futuristic feel to the game. The voice acting is kind of rough around the edges. There are some nicely done voices and accents, but some of the voices and accents are just outright annoying. The game ran pretty stable for me, but there are some patches available. For controls, you can use keyboard, mouse and joystick. If you like space fighter games chances are you\'ll like this one. The underwater perspective is unique. Although some of the missions are repetitive, it\'s still fun. I got it for $5 and it\'s money well spent.

Final Ratings

Graphics A Game play B+ Sound B Interface A Stability A- Offensive Content D+

Overall 80% B-