Water destroys people. A retro review of Aquanox 2 in a stuffy spacesuit.
For those who didn’t know what Aquanox is, or who knew but forgot, or who didn’t know and forgot, we’ll begin the review with a brief explanation. But remember, these are the people who ruined a beautiful lyrical introduction! So, Aquanox is a mix that consists of ninety percent action and the remaining five percent of a combat submersible simulator. Agree, it's a rare mix, and that's already interesting. And, by the way, I want to reassure those who, after adding up the percentages and noticing the missing five, are rushing to accuse me of ignorance. These five percent went to various pleasant additions, such as quest elements and upgrades, which will be discussed below.
The Landscapes of Beauty Aqua
The action of Aquanox takes place in a world ruled solely by the water element. The history of the world of Dark Waters is, for the most part, trivial – another world war using nuclear weapons made human existence on land uncomfortable. The firewood for the stove was also added by natural resources, which, to everyone’s surprise, have run out. When there was nothing to eat on land, the gaze of humanity turned to the watery depths, where, albeit badly, the remnants of some life lingered. At first, people built underground factories and resource extraction plants, research centers, then underwater cities that welcomed everyone who could afford it. The fat point of life on land was the melting of polar ice - the permafrost turned out not to be as eternal as it was supposed to be. Gigatons of frozen ash melted down, submerging the continents under cubes of cold sludge.
However, even after moving underwater, people did not change at all. The ocean depths are still divided into states that constantly wage war against each other. Moreover, there were those who, in search of easy money, turned to piracy, and even those who, having cast aside all humanity, banded together into tribes of cannibals and sadists. This new world, cruel and dark, intolerant of weakness and unwilling to compromise, people called Aqua.
The main character of the first two parts of the aqua saga was retired, and his place was taken by the young sailor William Drake. Unlike the previous protagonist, hardened by dozens of battles, the current hero is green and naive. At first, he resembles a fledgling chick - yellow-beaked, frightened, and naive. However, shortly thereafter, after facing a series of serious challenges, our Drake-sparrow will mature and even receive an up-and-coming mercenary nickname, of which he will be immensely proud.
But for now, Drake is just a young man, left an orphan and owning only a single transport ship – the pitiful remnants of once his father's vast empire. With nothing to do, the boy set off to sail the seas and oceans in search of adventure. Literally within the first minutes of the game, fate has poor Drake collide with a gang of mercenaries united by a common grand goal – to obtain a legendary treasure known as the "Tears of the Angel." Surprisingly, even though this treasure is legendary, no one really knows what it actually represents. In other words, the treasure could very well be a diamond the size of a fist or a miraculous potion for anal itching. Either way, one thing is certain about the "Tears" – they will bring their owner millions, even billions of credits! Thus, Drake and his company will be engaged in searching for treasure throughout the game. And on his journey, the newly minted mercenary will witness much – love and betrayal, the bitterness of loss and the joy of discovery.
The company with which Drake will have to go through water, water, and even more water is diverse and interesting. Each of the seven companions is unique, each a personality. Stoney, for instance, is chatty, boastful, and completely uncontrollable, Captain Amitab is as loud as a nagging old woman and as distrustful as a tram conductor, Angelina is angelic and sweet, almost cloying, and so on. Furthermore, each of our companions will undergo some transformations during the journey, and some of them will surprise you more than once.
Although it will be very difficult, I’d advise against getting too attached to your companions, because our allies are mortal. Yes, the road to the treasure is long, winding, and bumpy, and not all members of Captain Amitab's daring team are destined to make it to the end. Be prepared that the companions you get used to and come to love will die. They will die dramatically, for the sake of the narrative, by the will of the merciless script-wielding executioner.
The dialog box, as it is. To the left is Drake - the main hero of Aquanox 2. To the right is Mei Lin - the game's main caretaker.
Regarding the narrative itself – the story part of the game is presented in a rather interesting way. We are given a location, in the form of a picture, as in quests. It is divided into the most important key points, running through which we will encounter our friends or unknown personalities ready for communication. Communication occurs through a dialog window, where we invariably see the portrait of our protagonist, as well as the appearance of the interlocutor. To my great regret, the player is not allowed to interfere in the dialogue – there are simply no choices of phrases. So, all that's left is to lean back in your chair and enjoy the dialogue.
Right ahead, the Harvester in all its glory.
By the way, the localization company "New Disk" graciously translated the game in its entirety. Some characters are voiced simply magnificently, although I haven’t had the opportunity to compare their voices with the original.
From the dialogues, we learn not only the basics of the storyline but also the life stories of each of our companions, the history of the world, and we also receive quests.
Having received orders, we rush to the docks where we must prepare for the upcoming battle. First, we choose a ship more suited for the task at hand and equip it with the necessary weapons and armor. In total, we will have four submarines at our disposal – the egg-headed little one