AquaNox

58%
Game Brain Score Based on 267 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
AquaNox Game Cover
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AquaNox is a science fiction shooter game set in a violent underwater world in the 27th century. As mercenary Emerald Dead Eye Flint, players command a team of fighters in mission-based combat against enemies ranging from crazed mercenaries to sea monsters. With stunning 3D graphics, intense action, and a compelling soundtrack, AquaNox offers a unique and exhilarating gaming experience.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

58%
Audience ScoreBased on 267 reviews
story78 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • A fantastic shooter in a unique underwater cyberpunk setting with engaging story and visuals.
  • The game features enjoyable combat mechanics and a variety of weapons, making for a fun gameplay experience.
  • Despite its age, the graphics and atmosphere still hold up well, providing a nostalgic experience for players.
  • The controls are clunky and unresponsive, especially with modern mice, making gameplay frustrating.
  • The game suffers from repetitive mission design and long, tedious dialogues that can detract from the overall experience.
  • There are significant technical issues, including crashes and a lack of autosave, which can lead to lost progress and player frustration.
  • story315 mentions

    The story of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its engaging cyberpunk themes and world-building, while others find it convoluted and poorly presented through lengthy dialogues and linear mission structures. Many reviews highlight the lack of character development and the repetitive nature of missions, which often detracts from the overall narrative experience. Despite its flaws, some players still enjoy the nostalgic elements and the unique underwater setting, making it a memorable, if imperfect, story-driven experience.

    • “The story is, subsequently, fantastic.”
    • “Pun intended, I can tell you that this one far and above blows the other two sequels out of the water, with its visually appealing graphics, rich characters, and a smart storyline.”
    • “Finally, in terms of story, Aquanox is really smartly written and well-paced.”
    • “The story has its ups and downs; sometimes things get interesting, and other times there is just a ton of useless information and boring dialogues.”
    • “The storyline is a bit confused, with three different 'races' and four or five different factions (I lost count).”
    • “The worst feature is probably what was the selling point at the time; the 'story' consists of terrible-to-the-point-of-obnoxious blocks of voice acted text.”
  • graphics95 mentions

    The graphics of the game, while dated by modern standards, are often praised for their vibrant colors and atmospheric design, reflecting the impressive visuals of its time in 2001. Many players appreciate the aesthetic charm and detail, noting that the game still looks decent, especially in higher resolutions. However, some acknowledge the presence of glitches and the overall obsolescence of the graphics, suggesting that nostalgia plays a significant role in their enjoyment.

    • “The graphics are amazing for the time it was released!”
    • “Being set 3 to 5 km under the water, there is still light, somehow, which is where the game derives much of its aesthetic charm, the rippling patterns of light on everything.”
    • “The colorful graphics, although from 2001, are still nice to look at with all those light and plankton effects.”
    • “At present, the graphics really are obsolete.”
    • “This game's 'highest end graphics' look old and stale.”
    • “If you're not wearing nostalgia goggles, you'll quickly see how graphics, sound, and voice acting are terrible by today's standards.”
  • gameplay74 mentions

    The gameplay is generally described as solid yet simplistic, with a mix of fun mechanics and linear missions that can feel repetitive. While the visuals and world-building are praised, many players find the combat unresponsive and lacking depth, leading to a sense of weakness during gameplay. Overall, the game offers an engaging atmosphere and story, but the gameplay itself has notable flaws that detract from the experience.

    • “Gameplay pacing is really smart here, with elements being directly tied to the story and your own progression.”
    • “In short, Aquanox excels in visual and audio clarity, worldbuilding, story and character design, and overall gameplay appeal.”
    • “Amazing unique atmosphere, evocative narrative, wild frantic action gameplay.”
    • “The majority of the shooter games out there have the same principles, but I find this one not engaging enough in terms of the story and gameplay.”
    • “In addition to that, the player is constantly overwhelmed by a sensation of weakness – brought on by their weapons, which are not only odd (in an attempt to spice up the gameplay, there are more than one type of damage and more than one type of health), but also feel floaty and unresponsive, which is due to the speed at which the projectiles move and the amount of damage they do (with the latter being not a lot).”
    • “The gameplay is pretty basic; there is only limited targeting and no way to give orders to your wingmen.”
  • music53 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its unique and engaging electronic/industrial soundtrack that enhances the underwater combat experience and fits the game's dystopian atmosphere. However, some players find the soundtrack repetitive or obnoxious, particularly during combat, and note issues with audio balancing in cutscenes. Overall, while the music is a highlight for many, it may not appeal to everyone due to its specific genre and style.

    • “I can't mention this game without mentioning the music; it's so good. I didn't expect a game like this to have the soundtrack it does. It's a small amount of songs, but they never get old for me.”
    • “It's a very nice, story-driven experience with an excellent dystopian-cyberpunk atmosphere shaped by the visually pleasing art style, awesome music, and a fair bit of dialogue.”
    • “With music inspired by The Prodigy, amazing graphics for its time, and an unusual story and setting, Aquanox is a classic in my book.”
    • “Most of the voice acting ranges from awful to plain ridiculous (and not even enjoyable in an ironic way, for which it seemed intended) and the soundtrack is, in my humble opinion, one of the most obnoxious I have heard.”
    • “Soundwise the game is average with ok-ish sounds for weapons, good sounds for torpedoes and a repetitious soundtrack.”
    • “The audio balancing on the cutscenes is so bad I could barely make out the voices past the music.”
  • atmosphere25 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is a standout feature, blending a dark, dystopian-cyberpunk aesthetic with immersive underwater environments. Players appreciate the visually pleasing art style, atmospheric music, and engaging lore, despite some criticisms of choppy gameplay and voice acting. Overall, the combination of unique landscapes, evocative narratives, and a rich sound design creates a captivating experience that resonates with many.

    • “I enjoyed the dark underwater atmosphere with the large dogfights and the little hope.”
    • “It's a very nice, story-driven experience with an excellent dystopian-cyberpunk atmosphere shaped by the visually pleasing art style, awesome music, and a fair bit of dialogue.”
    • “The dark atmosphere and the upgrade mechanic of the game kept me playing; even if it just plays underwater, the devs put effort into designing interesting landscapes, ships, and enemies.”
    • “The aquatic atmosphere of the game makes everything murky and kinda gross due to the perception of the ocean by the developer to go with more browns and barely any sort of sea life aside from dead looking plants.”
    • “Lots of buzzwords, dystopian atmosphere, edgy characters, and horrible voice acting.”
    • “The dark atmosphere and the upgrade mechanic of the game kept me playing, even if it just plays underwater; the devs put effort into designing interesting landscapes, ships, and enemies.”
  • replayability10 mentions

    The game suffers from significant replayability issues due to its linear mission progression and limited customization options, which restrict experimentation and player choice. Despite some enjoyment from the shooting mechanics and narrative, many reviewers rate its replayability as extremely low, often citing it as a major drawback. Overall, the consensus is that the game lacks the depth needed to encourage multiple playthroughs.

    • “Absolute linearity in mission progression and upgrades kills replayability and experimentation.”
    • “This game is not replayable at all, and the fact it has a form of skirmish does not help at all, as you can't decide what ship and weapons to take.”
    • “- Absolute linearity in mission progression and upgrades kill replayability and experimentation.”
    • “Replayability: 0/10”
  • stability7 mentions

    The game exhibits a mix of appealing graphics and significant stability issues, including frequent glitches, audio problems, and crashes that detract from the overall experience. While some players find the adventure engaging, the presence of these technical flaws has been a common point of frustration.

    • “Constant errors, crashes, and glitches that were never present in the original game.”
    • “I don't know if I just have audio glitches, but then I have found no way to fix them.”
    • “May have some glitches when finishing the missions, but it's a great adventure into the depths of the ocean when mankind is at the verge of extinction.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its intentional absurdity, with many users finding that its poor execution paradoxically enhances its comedic value. This "so bad it's good" quality leads to moments of genuine laughter, making the overall experience entertaining despite its flaws.

    • “It's so bad it comes out the other side and becomes funny.”
    • “Despite how terrible they are, it’s actually quite funny at times.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the contrast between the protagonist, who is emotionally numb from past experiences, and their diverse group of companions, each bringing unique perspectives and emotional dynamics to the story. This interplay creates a rich emotional landscape, as the characters navigate their relationships and challenges together.

    • “Your own character is the anchor of the group, having seen just about everything, and is frankly a bit emotionally deadened, so your wingmen consist of two wide-eyed teenagers, a non-nonsense mother-like figure, and a hothead drug-lover to balance things out.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Aquanox is praised for its strong character development, with reviewers highlighting the depth of character design and the engaging storytelling that enhances the overall gameplay experience.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

60% average critic score

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