Aquanox Deep Descent

About

Aquanox Deep Descent is a single player and multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by Digital Arrow and was released on October 16, 2020. It received neutral reviews from players.

Aquanox Deep Descent is a first person underwater vehicle shooter, in which players control a variety of customizable ships to engage in fierce battles in the dystopian deep sea world of Aqua. In the near future the Earth's surface has become uninhabitable. What remains of humankind lives in former mining and research stations, deep below the surface of the sea. Born and raised in the only wo…

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48%

Audience ScoreBased on 162 reviews

story22 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game successfully captures the underwater atmosphere, providing a unique experience of piloting submarines in a visually appealing environment.
Gameplay features a blend of semi-open world exploration and vehicular combat, which many players find enjoyable and reminiscent of the original Aquanox games.
The graphics and sound design are praised for their quality, enhancing the overall immersion in the underwater setting.

The game suffers from a lack of depth in storytelling and character development, with many players feeling that the dialogue and plot are weak compared to previous entries in the series.
There are significant issues with AI behavior and mission design, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences, such as NPCs getting stuck or not performing as expected.
Many players report technical issues, including bugs, poor controls, and a lack of support for various input devices, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.

story
137 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
71%
13%
The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it bland, predictable, and lacking in depth compared to previous titles in the series. While some appreciated the basic narrative and found it engaging enough to complete, others criticized the repetitive mission structure and poor voice acting, leading to an overall feeling of dissatisfaction with the storytelling and character development. Additionally, pacing issues and a lack of mission variety detracted from the experience, leaving players wanting a more immersive and dynamic narrative.
- “The main story was interesting enough to follow to the end, and I liked it, including the conclusion.”
- “The story built up nicely to a climatic and satisfying end.”
- “The storyline appears to be solid, complemented with sufficient and good voice acting.”
- “The story is so bad a high school student could have written a better one as homework; the combat is incredibly repetitive and boring, weapons are dull, and the only way the designers thought they could make something challenging was to spawn enemy subs right on top of you.”
- “The pacing is also completely off, beginning from the first mission, and the story feels hastened at the end.”
- “Quests are bland, tedious, and cheap; the storyline is banal and predictable; characters are shallow and undeveloped; the atmosphere feels dead and doesn't give off that feeling of dread and mystery present in the first Aquanox.”
gameplay
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
63%
16%
The gameplay of "Deep Descent" is characterized by a mix of semi-open world exploration and vehicular combat, but it has received mixed reviews. While some players appreciate the nostalgic elements and refined mechanics reminiscent of the original "Aquanox," many criticize it for being monotonous, repetitive, and lacking depth, with clunky controls and poor design choices. Overall, the gameplay is seen as average at best, failing to engage players and often detracting from the overall experience.
- “In terms of gameplay, Deep Descent has a blend of semi-open world exploration and vehicular combat.”
- “But I'll be fair and say that the gameplay feels like more of what made the original Aquanox fun, but more refined.”
- “The gameplay is unique and fits the setting: a nice blend of FPS close-quarters combat with 6DOF.”
- “Bad voice acting, flat/boring story, and gameplay wasn't fun.”
- “The combat is incredibly repetitive and boring, weapons are dull, ship designs are okay visually, but have very little impact on gameplay, and the only way the designers thought they could make something challenging was to spawn enemy subs right on top of you, while you were already fighting 3 or 4 enemies.”
- “But the gameplay is so bad, it broke the game for me to the point I had to stop playing.”
graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
60%
8%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising them as "great" and "well done," while others criticize them as outdated and lacking detail, especially for a 2020 release. Many players appreciate the improved visuals compared to earlier titles, but feel that the overall presentation lacks depth and atmosphere, making it feel static and lifeless. Overall, while the graphics are considered decent by some, they do not meet modern standards and leave room for improvement.
- “The graphics are great, really well done.”
- “Great atmosphere, graphics are very good, good pace.”
- “Wonderful, modern graphics with old school mechanics.”
- “It feels like playing a game from 1997 but with better graphics.”
- “The graphics look cheap (on the highest settings) and the landscapes are very rough without much detail.”
- “My system should not be using 380 watts for these outdated graphics.”
atmosphere
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
47%
16%
The atmosphere of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its good graphics and smooth performance, while others feel it lacks the depth and vibrancy of the original Aquanox titles. Many critics note a sense of disappointment due to the absence of engaging character interactions and a compelling narrative, leading to a perception of a bland and lifeless environment. Overall, while some elements contribute positively to the atmosphere, it fails to fully capture the immersive experience that fans of the series expected.
- “The game has a good atmosphere, but the fights are not dodgefights; rather, they involve going in and out of cover and shooting all the time.”
- “Great atmosphere, graphics are very good, and the pace is just right.”
- “They nailed the atmosphere and the general vibe of the game.”
- “After what they did with Aquanox and the sequel, I had really low expectations for this one, and I knew it was virtually impossible that the creators would capture the original atmosphere and vibe.”
- “It is missing the atmosphere of the old games... the graphics are not bad but they feel bland... combat is okay but again it doesn't feel as dynamic as the older games... same with the story... it's not bad but it again feels kind of bland especially due to the presentation.”
- “The atmosphere is sort of there, but not really (the ocean feels dead and doesn't give off that feeling of dread and mystery present in the first Aquanox).”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The music in the game is generally described as simple and immersive, though some reviewers find it basic and lacking the impactful charm of its predecessors. While it serves its purpose without distracting from gameplay, it can become repetitive and is considered uninspired compared to the original Aquanox titles. Overall, the soundtrack does not significantly enhance the gaming experience, with many players feeling it falls short of expectations.
- “The music is simple yet immersive.”
- “The combat and the music were awesome.”
- “Electronic bassy bombastic music plays loudly as you try to win battles by lining up your movement predicting reticule just right while avoiding torpedoes.”
- “Some games go all out on their soundtrack believing, in their foolishness, that it makes their game memorable, deeper, more immersive.”
- “This game's soundtrack is basic, almost dull, so you can keep playing and ignore its existence.”
- “I have suspicions about the music; as a fan of the Aquanox background music, I realized Aquanox Deep Descent didn't really have music that packs a punch.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity and self-awareness, with players finding amusement in intentionally bad plot elements and quirky character interactions. The lighthearted tone is complemented by witty dialogue and humorous scenarios, such as the comical depiction of nano animals. Overall, the humor is a blend of absurdity and playful wit, contributing to an entertaining experience.
- “Plot that is hilariously bad”
- “Emerald 'Deadeye' Flint was hardly ever edgy or serious; if anything, he was easygoing and would usually carry a good sense of humor and wit.”
- “I did see some nano animals swimming against an invisible wall; it was funny until I started shooting one of them.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of depth, with bad voice acting and a flat story failing to engage players. Those without a prior attachment to the series may find it unfulfilling, suggesting a wait for a sale before purchasing. Additionally, some players experienced discomfort due to the camera mechanics, which detracted from their overall emotional experience.
- “Remember in the original, how your main character was a bit emotionally deadened, and everyone teased him for it?”
- “The voice acting was subpar, the story felt flat and unengaging, and the gameplay lacked excitement.”
- “I found the emotional moments to be unconvincing and poorly executed.”
- “The narrative failed to evoke any real feelings, leaving me disconnected from the characters.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is marked by minor glitches and bugs, with some players experiencing issues with broken missions that require restarts. While the co-op interface can be finicky when trying to join friends, these problems are generally considered minor inconveniences rather than major hindrances to gameplay.
- “Buggy broken missions; you will need to restart a lot.”
- “Most of the glitches and bugs (poor Ishmael keeps slamming his head into a wall) are minor. The most inconvenient and annoying one is the co-op interface to join friends. Finding your friends' lobby is a little wonky and finicky, but that's a minor inconvenience to be sure.”
- “Sure, it has glitches and bugs; what game nowadays doesn't?”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game is well-optimized, exhibiting stability with no crashes or stuttering reported by users. The AI is polished, contributing to a detailed and atmospheric experience, although one main character's voice acting was noted as a weak point.
- “The optimization is lacking, as the game struggles to maintain a consistent frame rate even on high-end hardware.”
- “There are frequent loading times that disrupt the flow of gameplay, making it feel less immersive.”
- “The graphics settings are limited, and even on lower settings, the game can still experience significant lag.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unfulfilling, with bland quests, a lack of enemy variety, and shallow character development contributing to a monotonous experience. The in-game economy and crafting systems are criticized as unnecessary, while ship upgrades are infrequent and underwhelming, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction. Overall, the grinding feels more like a chore than an engaging part of gameplay.
- “Quests are bland, tedious, and cheap (both main and side); the storyline is banal and predictable; characters are shallow and undeveloped; enemy variety is scarce; crafting is tedious and unnecessary; fights require no brainpower; ship upgrades are few and far between and leave you feeling dissatisfied and unimpressed.”
- “Weapon change is a bit tedious, especially in fights.”
- “The atmosphere is sort of there, but not really; the ocean feels dead and doesn't give off that feeling of dread and mystery present in the first Aquanox.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy is perceived as poorly executed and primarily focused on extracting money from players, leading to a negative reception as a cash grab.
- “Half-baked cash grab.”
- “The monetization system feels exploitative and prioritizes profit over player experience.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game has been criticized for its weak tutorial and confusing introduction, which detract from player engagement. Additionally, the character designs and names appear to lack depth and polish, giving the impression of being placeholder content rather than fully realized elements.
- “I only played an hour, but the weak tutorial, confusing introduction, enemy-filled levels, soulless menu, and character designs turned me off.”
- “Some of the names, places, and character designs seem like temporary content that should've been replaced in the final version.”