Aquanox Deep Descent is the latest digital adventure from THQ Nordic. While the premise of a first-person vehicular shooter taking place entirely underwater is unique, the gameplay and recycled narrative make this “deep descent” feel very surface level. There are various moments throughout the story that are interesting and sometimes enjoyable, but as a whole Aqaunox Deep Descent struggles to stay afloat.
The world in which Aquanox Deep Descent takes place is a familiar dystopian setting where the player is one of the few remaining humans on Earth that is entrusted with saving humanity. However, humans have sought refuge by moving into underwater cities, which is a refreshing take on the dystopian storyline. The game cleverly introduces the player to this world by having them wake up from a simulation after completing the storyline, but from there on the story feels as if it belongs in a B-list action movie. The setting may be different, but it’s the same old save the world story that has been done time and time again.
The underwater landscape of Aquanox Deep Descent has a beautiful yet daunting atmosphere filled with winding coves and steep trenches, but it rarely rewards the player for traveling off the beaten path. Many of the missions require the player to travel from point A to point B, guard a defenseless ship, or stay close to a large vessel that doesn’t allow much for the exploration the game advertises. Regardless, the world is pretty to look and acts as a nice backdrop for remedial questing.
Players spend the entirety of Aquanox Deep Descent inside the cockpit of a small underwater ship equipped with heavy-duty weaponry. The ships are relatively customizable, and players can buy new vessels as they progress through the campaign. Piloting a subaquatic craft can take some getting used to much like flying a spaceship in No Man’s Sky or Elite Dangerous, but it quickly becomes second nature. Zooming through the ocean plays and feels good, and taking out mutated sea life with a shrapnel cannon is incredibly satisfying. Yet, these mechanics are often interrupted by assumed glitches and overwhelming enemies. All too often, the player’s ship is thrust in a certain direction for unknown reasons causing frustration. While hoards of glowing sea creatures are fun to tear through with an assortment of weaponry, enemy ships feel unfair to take on as they easily rip through the player’s shields and health.
If the main goal of Aquanox Deep Descent was to eradicate all infected marine life from the ocean, it would be a fantastic experience. The best moments are when the player gets to fight manta rays or jellyfish or whales, and Aquanox needs to capitalize on these moments before release. Sure, pirates and enemy vessels fit into the game’s weak narrative, but it’s much more fun to fight sharks with a shotgun than it is to die over and over to the same four bad guys while protecting a mining ship. Aquanox Deep Descent is an okay experience overall with highlights of aquatic combat strewn throughout, and could still find a home when it releases among fans of great environmental aesthetic tied into decent gunplay.
Aquanox Deep Descent is planned to release on PC on October 16. Screen Rant was provided a Steam download code for the purpose of this preview.
