The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human

About

"The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human" is an underwater action/adventure game where you explore the ruins of humanity, millions of years after our extinction due to climate change. Discover thriving wildlife and confront monstrous creatures among the sunken cities. As the last human, decide if the fate of our species is a tragedy or an inevitable conclusion in this exploration of a flooded world.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human screenshot

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 312 reviews

music70 positive mentions

grinding18 negative mentions

The game features stunning pixel art and a haunting atmosphere that immerses players in a beautifully crafted underwater world.
Boss battles are unique and challenging, requiring players to learn patterns and strategies to succeed.
The soundtrack complements the gameplay perfectly, enhancing the overall experience and mood of the game.

The game suffers from performance issues, including crashes and frame rate drops, particularly during boss fights.
The slow movement speed of the submarine can make exploration tedious and frustrating, especially when backtracking.
There is a lack of regular enemies, which can make the gameplay feel empty and repetitive between boss encounters.

music
105 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
30%
3%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers highlighting its fittingness to the underwater setting and emotional depth. The soundtrack is described as beautiful, haunting, and engaging, effectively complementing the pixel art visuals and the game's themes of humanity's fragility. While some minor criticisms exist regarding specific tracks, the consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's immersive atmosphere and storytelling.
- “The atmosphere is top notch and enhanced by the excellent soundtrack and beautiful pixel art.”
- “The music is equally important, perfectly conveying the mood of each location.”
- “Musically, the aquatic adventure of the last human envelops you in its atmosphere, pulling you deep into a world where humanity has become extinct and you’re the last survivor.”
- “A few of the music tracks seem out of place.”
- “The sfx also are inconsistent, but are much better than the music.”
- “The soundtrack is sometimes not too fitting for my personal taste but it still does its job of creating a soothing atmosphere.”
story
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
77%
4%
The story in the game is generally viewed as underwhelming, with many players noting that it relies heavily on environmental storytelling and scattered text logs to convey its narrative. While some appreciate the atmospheric presentation and the themes of humanity's downfall, others criticize the lack of a coherent plot and engaging character development, leading to a sense of disconnection from the story. Overall, the narrative serves more as a backdrop for exploration and gameplay rather than a compelling driving force.
- “A great story reveals itself in the form of text logs spread across the 2D Metroidvania landscape.”
- “The aquatic adventure of the last human tells a story about a little submarine, with said last human inside, roaming through the undersea remains of human civilization in order to piece together what happened to us.”
- “The story and setting are flawless, and I can say anything good about this game, it would be that the writing in this game is one of my favorites of all time.”
- “The story isn't anything to write home about.”
- “Moreover, you have zero thrill to continue, no story, no interesting plot twist, no 'main quest'.”
- “There isn't really much of a story to the game itself, not much reason is given as to what you are doing.”
graphics
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
40%
4%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful pixel art style and atmospheric design, effectively creating a haunting underwater world that enhances the overall experience. While many reviewers appreciate the unique visuals and engaging soundtrack, some note issues with animation smoothness and occasional glitches. Overall, the game's aesthetic charm and artistic direction stand out, making it a notable entry in the indie pixel art genre.
- “A very atmospheric game that has a gorgeous art style and atmosphere.”
- “The visuals are really beautiful, and along with the music, the atmosphere of the game really comes together to make you feel you are trapped in this long forgotten underwater earth, that is both haunting and alluring.”
- “The graphics in this game are simply beautiful.”
- “The graphics, although pixelated, have a low amount of frames in the animation.”
- “Neither world & plot elements nor visuals (both of which turned out to be very basic, the latter being borderline amateurish) managed to keep me interested enough to give this game a chance and continue playing.”
- “Terrible pixel scaling, floaty visuals give me vertigo; overall, the game feels clunky, unpolished, and crashy.”
gameplay
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
65%
10%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its atmospheric design and unique boss mechanics, while others find it frustratingly difficult and occasionally clunky. The exploration aspect is generally well-received, but the combat can feel unresponsive and overly punishing, leading to a polarized experience. Overall, while some enjoy the challenge and immersive environment, others criticize the gameplay for being repetitive and lacking polish.
- “A short but beautiful game, with creative bosses and biomes, good gameplay too.”
- “Challenging gameplay is insanely worth it.”
- “The gameplay serves its purpose adequately, but it's not without several caveats.”
- “Many aspects of the gameplay here just suck.”
- “The ambience and feel is done right, but the gameplay is miserable.”
- “The gameplay itself feels slow, and although it can capture the feeling of being a small sub in a big ocean, it just feels like you're a clunky thing.”
atmosphere
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
23%
4%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning pixel art, immersive soundtracks, and the hauntingly beautiful underwater setting, which effectively conveys a sense of isolation and exploration in a post-apocalyptic world. While many players appreciate the atmospheric depth and artistic direction, some note that the gameplay can feel empty or overly challenging, particularly during boss fights. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered one of its standout features, drawing players into its unique and captivating environment.
- “The atmosphere and music are simply fantastic, the gameplay is good.”
- “The beautifully crafted pixel art environments are very impressive, and the atmosphere of a hopeless, long-ruined civilization behind a lively undersea environment is well realized.”
- “Amazing atmosphere, beautiful graphics and epic boss battles.”
- “The atmosphere is there, but it feels pretty empty and almost like a boss rush game.”
- “Great music and atmosphere but really annoying backtracking; I get it is a Metroidvania style game, but this one is just annoying.”
- “Some sounds are a bit odd, but the underwater atmosphere is oppressive but also comforting at times.”
grinding
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and frustrating, particularly during lengthy boss fights that lack engaging mechanics. The slow movement speed and labyrinthine map design contribute to a sense of monotony, making exploration feel like a chore rather than an adventure. Overall, the grinding experience is marked by excessive trial and error, leading to a lack of enjoyment and a feeling of being stuck in a repetitive cycle.
- “The problem is that the map is basically a whole lot of empty space, with the occasional camouflaged trap that kills you and forces you to swim again for several seconds - across space that is so empty and tedious that by the time you reach the trap, you've forgotten about it and die again.”
- “Unfortunately the labyrinthine map, slow movement speed, and the fact that you can only save at save points make this a lot more tedious than it should be.”
- “I'd love to explore the world of this game but developers just don't want anyone to enjoy the trip; the submarine is so painfully slow and the harpoon is borderline useless that it's just tedious and completely unfun to deal with bosses that easily outrun, outrange, outtank, and outdamage you.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The optimization of the game has been criticized for significant performance issues, particularly during boss fights, which can lead to lag and crashes that detract from the overall experience. While some players found the gameplay enjoyable despite these problems, the performance is generally described as ranging from poor to mediocre.
- “First off, I want to mention that I did run into some performance issues while playing; at times during some boss fights, the game would experience some lag, which essentially slowed down the whole gameplay.”
- “All in all, not too challenging, not too long, but overall a fairly enjoyable performance.”
- “But the performance issues were absolutely obnoxious, with the final boss crash in particular just completely kneecapping my enjoyment of the game.”
- “In short: taaotlh shines in very specific aspects, but its performance ranges from poor to just okay-ish in all others.”
- “First off, I'm going to mention that I did run into some performance issues while playing; at times during some boss fights, the game would experience some lag, which essentially slowed down the whole gameplay.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The game offers solid replayability through features like a new game + option, a boss rush mode with leaderboards, and a hardcore mode, appealing to players seeking short-term challenges. However, some players feel that certain boss encounters detract from the overall replay value. Overall, the varied gameplay and achievements, including completing the game without upgrades, enhance the replayability experience.
- “Finally, if you finish the game, you also have a New Game+ option, a boss rush mode (with leaderboards!), and a hardcore mode (which has to be unlocked), so it has nice replayability in the short term.”
- “Short game with a ton of unlocks and replayability!”
- “This game is a load of fun with varied gameplay that encourages replayability.”
- “Sadly, there isn't much replay value for me with this because I hated two of the bosses as they were such a pain.”
- “This game lacks significant replayability, as the experience feels repetitive after the first playthrough.”
- “The game is enjoyable, but once you've completed it, there's little incentive to return for another playthrough.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while it features appealing graphics, players have reported several glitches, including minor audio issues, that can detract from the experience but are generally not game-breaking.
- “However, I did encounter quite a lot of glitches.”
- “The game offers some nice graphics, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
- “There were a few minor audio glitches when I played the game, but nothing that really took me out of it.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report that the game evokes strong emotional responses, often leading to tears due to its impactful storytelling and character interactions. The intense gameplay mechanics, such as health loss from touching certain elements, further heighten the emotional stakes, creating a deeply immersive experience.
- “The game made me cry, and it will make you cry too.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers found the humor in the game to be effective, particularly highlighting the comedic element of a ruined underwater McDonald's as a standout moment.
- “The ruined underwater McDonald's was hilarious.”
- “The witty dialogue and absurd situations had me laughing out loud.”
- “The game's humor is spot-on, with clever puns and unexpected jokes around every corner.”