Hydrophobia isn't like any games I've played before, but that doesn't exactly make it special either. I found it to be quite fun most times, but spent a larger percentage of the play-through trying to alleviate a headache and prevent myself from flipping over a desk. Despite what the synopsis and information reads, Hydrophobia isn't a survival-action game; it's actually just an action styled game with platforming elements as well as light, ill-mannered combat. In addition to this false advertising, the title of the game also has nothing to do with the fear of water, which is the basis on which the game is built. Aquaphobia is the correct term for the fear, while Hydrophobia does reference a fear of water, but formed as a symptom of rabies. So unless the protagonist has rabies, the game isn't looking too good in terms of categorizing and marketing...but I digress.
Announced over five years ago, the game was finally released in 2010 after a long time of development, indecisiveness, and thumb-twiddling; unfortunately, it was released as an arcade game on the Xbox Live Marketplace and later released in a similar respect for the PC and on the Playstation Network. Hydrophobia follows a young woman named Kate Wilson, a systems engineer aboard the Queen of the World, a city-sized luxury ocean vessel, built by a group of corporate giants known as the Five Founding Fathers, which proves to be the general and only location in the game. At the beginning of the game, the craft is bombed by a group of fanatical terrorists known as the Malthusians—named after political economist Thomas Malthus who predicted that population growth would one day outpace agricultural production, returning society to a subsistent level of existence. Hydrophobia starts off by throwing players right into the action without much character introduction or story explanation, leaving most of it to be generalised guesswork. Kate is accompanied through an earpiece by her good friend and boss, Scoot, a kind fellow with an overdeveloped and often times fake-sounding Scottish accent.
Hydrophobia's main selling point is the rather impressive fully dynamic and free-flowing water, which serves as more of an antagonist than the terrorists that Kate will face soon after starting the game. I found it to be most exhilarating when water levels are building in adjacent rooms and cracks in glass cause the water to realistically spurt out, while breaking glass and opening the door to a flooded room will cause the water to come gushing out, spilling into the hallway and into any nooks and crannies. I've never seen such realistically dynamic water in any video game before, so being able to witness it in a game even as low-key as Hydrophobia really gives one hope for future utilization in gaming. Without the brilliant water physics, Hydrophobia would be a pretty standard action game, and definitely wouldn't be as fun or exciting. Late in the game a giant cargo bay is turned into a wave pool by a relentlessly rising tide. When water is smashing onto the screen obstructing your view, you do start to get a claustrophobic, panicked feeling.
This leads to another problem about the game: our reluctant heroine, Kate, supposedly suffers from aquaphobia. However, one never really gets that impression from the way she swims great distances underwater and wades through crushing waterfalls. You never really get the sense she's in her own personal hell; anyone who's truly aquaphobic would experience deep emotional trauma under these circumstances, but Kate doesn't seem any more afraid than I would be. Kate does, however, sometimes make comments highlighting her fear and reluctance, but more often gives herself positive motivation. Scoot will also give frequent commentary, but most of his dialogue is just annoying.
Players will spend a lot of the time traversing dangerous environments and eliminating any Malthusian terrorists they encounter. It consists mainly of swimming and platforming in the same style as Tomb Raider: linear and obvious ledges, pipes, or beams to climb on or around in order to get around fire or locked doors. Typical tasks include finding a key card or scanning walls with your Mavi (Mobile Automated Visual Interface) for clues left behind by enemies. Kate has just a single pistol for a weapon but can find a variety of ammunition that allows for creative use; her standard stun rounds can be used to explode barrels or leaking gas lines, and can be used to stun the terrorists, and if near water, will drown them. Gel rounds act as remote mines and modified versions of the gel rounds will electrocute the terrorists.
Visually speaking, Hydrophobia is on the same playing field as the best of what the original Xbox offers; the water behaviour is brilliant and realistic, but character models are stuff and robotic, something we wouldn't expect in this generation of gaming.
It has been confirmed that Hydrophobia is actually the first chapter in a trilogy, but ends on a rather abrupt cliffhanger. The game isn't exactly lengthy and would probably take around an afternoon or two to complete, but completion of the game unlocks a rather enjoyable 'Challenge Room' that sends waves of enemies after you in a large, water-ridden warehouse. One could assume this challenge room actually foreshadows what's to come in the next instalment, as Kate has supernatural powers and is able to control water and use it as a weapon itself.
Edgar writes: "Equip your rebreather because in this article we'll take a look at Hydrophobia and water. Lots of water."
What a surprise, I was just searching for this game. I'm honestly quite surprised by the water physics and definitely looking forward to trying it soon.
loved this game/ still play it. The water and atmosphere where stellar and really fun to interact with.
Neil writes: "You may well be keeping the wallet shut until the various big Black Friday deals start to populate around the globe, but no matter what is on the horizon, the Xbox Live Deals With Gold sale carries on regardless. After a rather decent amount of discounts on Xbox One and Xbox 360 titles last time out, the Deals With Gold sale is back once more to deliver a number of games at bargain-basement prices. Is there anything found in the Xbox Live Deals With Gold sale for 13th-19th November 2018 that takes your fancy?"
Escapist: Hey, I knew what I was doing. I can't claim ignorance, and I'll never claim innocence. Someone offered me a preview copy of Ninja Gaiden 3, so I took it, fully aware that it sucked. I played the demo at E3. I spoke to people whose opinions I trusted. I listened to my razor-sharp instincts and my not-so-sharp gut. Lo and behold, every single warning sign turned out to be dead on. Ninja Gaiden 3 is a travesty.
But I don't regret playing it for a moment, because I occasionally play bad videogames. On purpose. And so should you.
I can almost always find a reason to play any game. Too many people today just want to say negative things about games, but there is almost always something worthwhile in any game to me.
i look at gameplay videos on youtube and decide from there, no more reviews for me. if i see a game i like, i usually end up enjoying it and don't notice ANY of the the horrible Flaws that a review would point out simply because they are not brought to my attention. so i can't say "oh that guy was right it does seem kinda ______... and it is a little _______..." nope. 100% fun in almost all games for me.
Warhammer 40k would be labelled as a crappy type game, i labelled it that ages ago when i saw afew screenshots for it and a trailer "looks like rubbish"
And it is, but i cant stop playing it, the voice acting is awesome http://www.youtube.com/watc... thats enough to warrant a playthrough on normal
Its pretty straight forward, run and shoot, hack/slash, its got a cool story/characters, big online community (never have any problems getting into some co-op)
If it wasnt released on PS+ i doubt i would of played it, im REALLY grateful i didnt miss it, because i would of done otherwise
I recommend it, if your looking for a pretty basic game with nothing to think about, just fun
http://www.youtube.com/watc...
I just started playing it yesterday and its much better than I thought. It looks good and its really fun. That's all I need.
I just got a voucher to download this for £1.20; might do that now for a bit of throwaway fun, based on your review. Thanks!
I wish I could agree with you, but I absolutely hate the game and I got it as a free download on PS+.
Guess that's why opinions exist though.
I found the climbing mechanics to be extremely clunky, as well as the shooting. Basically all the controls, really. The scanner stuff is kind of cool, but I didn't bother to pay attention to the back story.
Sorry... but this is easily the worst game I played last year. And I got it for free on PS+