A Review: Archimedean Dynasty, DOS 1996
Archimedean Dynasty is the first game in the AquaNox series, and one that would go on to be re-released through the online game download service GOG. The player takes on the role of Emerald Flint, a mercenary submarine pilot, as he goes on a series of different missions for some of the last remaining factions of a post-apocalyptic world. All while uncovering a plot by bionic machines to destroy the last remains of humanity and take the increasingly scarce natural resources for themselves. Gameplay is much like titles such as Wing Commander, with the player needing to navigate a 3D environment and pilot through a mix of narrow spaces and obstacles as well as engage in underwater dogfights.
I felt that this game was one of the many titles out there that was unfairly undersold. It had the potential to be something really great, but it just wasn't given a fair enough chance. I loved the way that this game played and found the 3D environments to be excellent for the time of release. The missions were fun and drove the plot forward brilliantly, with enough time in between for the player to really explore and grow. The controls were simple and intuitive and responded sharply and correctly to player inputs. It was possible to become a skilled pilot in very little time, and mastery of this game's mechanics and gameplay was very simple. The plot is far deeper than it is given credit for, with a rich and varied cast of characters on display. The game was very open-ended and allowed the player to be anything that they wanted to be. From the next scourge of the seas to a smuggler or even a goodie-two-shoe police officer, there was a huge amount of freedom given to the player for a title that was released in 1996. This game had everything that was needed to become a cult classic; however, there were also a lot of issues and bugs that were never resolved. The first major problem that I had was with the AI. It could clip through objects and terrain and just vanish beyond a point that the player was allowed to go. This was very frustrating when fighting near the limits of a level, and it could mean that the player was forced to reload or restart a mission because the computer simply flew off. It was horrible in the later missions, as sometimes the player could lose an hour just trying to beat one stage. The AI also seemed to be allowed to 'cheat', and more than once I found that the enemy's I was up against were either invincible or were near enough invulnerable. It pained me to complete the escort missions as the players allies were flimsy and easily destroyed or were all but useless, just going around in circles. They never seemed to me to be of any help, and more often than not, they would end up dead within the first few minutes of starting a level. The difficulty spikes were also a problem, as you could breeze through one mission only to be near enough one shotted by a 'weak' enemy come the next. Mission end triggers and scripts sometimes randomly fail too, leaving you piloting around for half an hour or more, waiting for the autopilot to become available, before eventually giving in and just restarting. I very much disliked that there were no 'mission failed' texts or pop-ups aside from a single sentence at the bottom of the screen, as that was all too easily missed at times. Which in turn left you to guess as to whether or not you'd met the objectives or failed the mission. This really layered on the frustration for me and was one of the biggest oversights by the developers, I feel. Stability was another problem I found, with crashes to the desktop being all too common. This was mostly due to the AI was bugging, doing something goofy, unexpected, or just because the game felt like being an ass. I personally had five separate crashes, and from what I have read in forums and support threads, I was one of the lucky ones, as some people reached double figures during their own playthroughs.
Visually, this game was gorgeous for the time of release, with excellent models and objects. The world environments were a little bland, but the terrain generation was great. I loved the little torpedo animations and models as they zipped off into the side of an enemy target, and I thought that the explosions were also very good. The lighting and shadow effects were really good for the time too, and being suddenly enveloped by a colossal ship's shadow was very atmospheric and immersive. I liked the interfaces and ship control panels and thought that they looked great, with different visuals given to the different ships that the player could pilot. I also thought that the FMV sequences looked really good, and the various ports all had their own appearances and vibes going on. The fog of war at the edge of the render distance fit well, in my opinion, and added brilliantly to the feel of an underwater world while hiding some of the game engine limitations.
Overall, I really liked this game and would have loved to see what it could have been without all the bugs and issues. Archimedean Dynasty will always have a place in my heart, but I really do believe that it could have been an even more amazing game if certain things were fixed and done right.
7/10 – Nearly There!
Signed Off – Leonardo – PSJ
I felt that this game was one of the many titles out there that was unfairly undersold. It had the potential to be something really great, but it just wasn't given a fair enough chance. I loved the way that this game played and found the 3D environments to be excellent for the time of release. The missions were fun and drove the plot forward brilliantly, with enough time in between for the player to really explore and grow. The controls were simple and intuitive and responded sharply and correctly to player inputs. It was possible to become a skilled pilot in very little time, and mastery of this game's mechanics and gameplay was very simple. The plot is far deeper than it is given credit for, with a rich and varied cast of characters on display. The game was very open-ended and allowed the player to be anything that they wanted to be. From the next scourge of the seas to a smuggler or even a goodie-two-shoe police officer, there was a huge amount of freedom given to the player for a title that was released in 1996. This game had everything that was needed to become a cult classic; however, there were also a lot of issues and bugs that were never resolved. The first major problem that I had was with the AI. It could clip through objects and terrain and just vanish beyond a point that the player was allowed to go. This was very frustrating when fighting near the limits of a level, and it could mean that the player was forced to reload or restart a mission because the computer simply flew off. It was horrible in the later missions, as sometimes the player could lose an hour just trying to beat one stage. The AI also seemed to be allowed to 'cheat', and more than once I found that the enemy's I was up against were either invincible or were near enough invulnerable. It pained me to complete the escort missions as the players allies were flimsy and easily destroyed or were all but useless, just going around in circles. They never seemed to me to be of any help, and more often than not, they would end up dead within the first few minutes of starting a level. The difficulty spikes were also a problem, as you could breeze through one mission only to be near enough one shotted by a 'weak' enemy come the next. Mission end triggers and scripts sometimes randomly fail too, leaving you piloting around for half an hour or more, waiting for the autopilot to become available, before eventually giving in and just restarting. I very much disliked that there were no 'mission failed' texts or pop-ups aside from a single sentence at the bottom of the screen, as that was all too easily missed at times. Which in turn left you to guess as to whether or not you'd met the objectives or failed the mission. This really layered on the frustration for me and was one of the biggest oversights by the developers, I feel. Stability was another problem I found, with crashes to the desktop being all too common. This was mostly due to the AI was bugging, doing something goofy, unexpected, or just because the game felt like being an ass. I personally had five separate crashes, and from what I have read in forums and support threads, I was one of the lucky ones, as some people reached double figures during their own playthroughs.
Visually, this game was gorgeous for the time of release, with excellent models and objects. The world environments were a little bland, but the terrain generation was great. I loved the little torpedo animations and models as they zipped off into the side of an enemy target, and I thought that the explosions were also very good. The lighting and shadow effects were really good for the time too, and being suddenly enveloped by a colossal ship's shadow was very atmospheric and immersive. I liked the interfaces and ship control panels and thought that they looked great, with different visuals given to the different ships that the player could pilot. I also thought that the FMV sequences looked really good, and the various ports all had their own appearances and vibes going on. The fog of war at the edge of the render distance fit well, in my opinion, and added brilliantly to the feel of an underwater world while hiding some of the game engine limitations.
Overall, I really liked this game and would have loved to see what it could have been without all the bugs and issues. Archimedean Dynasty will always have a place in my heart, but I really do believe that it could have been an even more amazing game if certain things were fixed and done right.
7/10 – Nearly There!
Signed Off – Leonardo – PSJ
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