I've been in the mood to write reviews lately. Don't know why, but here's another one. Critical Depth for the PSX.
Graphics
The game takes place in an Underwater Environment. Because of this, graphical flaws that would be noticeable in most games are pretty easy to cover up. You can move your sub in any direction, since all areas are fully 3D. The underwater effect is actually really good, especially considering that this is a PlayStation game. Being able to move anywhere at anytime is a nice change from some games where you are limited in where you can travel.
The subs themselves aren't that detailed, but the weapon fire certainly is. This is also a problem, though. When there are 5 subs attacking one another at the same time, weapons are going in every which direction, and it's easy to get disoriented. The weapons are so flashy, graphically, that it sometimes difficult to see much if there a lot of other subs around. There are other graphical problems as well, but most of them can be overlooked.
Game Play
There are 10 areas in the game. You are not able to access them all until you play the game on the Medium or Hard Difficulty levels, though. When the game begins, you must choose a Submarine that you will be using thoughout the entire game. Each sub has advantages and disadvantages. All of the subs use the same weapons. These weapons are scattered about each level. You can only carry a certain number of weapons at a time, so you need to be careful that you don't waste them. When you get close enough to an enemy sub, you automatically lock onto it, making fighting easy. But remember, if you're close enough to attack a sub, they are also close enough to attack you. In case of emergency, there is also a weak missile weapon, but it doesn't lock onto enemies, and is difficult to use on anything that moves. Each sub also has it's own "Special Weapon" that is unique to it. Each sub also has a shield that works off of it's energy. It can block enemy fire, or reflect it back. Reflecting it drains even more power than blocking. In order to use the sheld well, you need to wait until an enemy weapon is just about ready to hit you, or else you will waste too much energy.
The purpose of the game is to get 5 Energy Pods and get to the portal without getting destroyed, and without any of the other subs doing the same thing before you. You can get Pods from other Subs by destroying them, or by using a special "Shaker" weapon on them. In addition to needing them to finish each level, the Pods also enhance the various aspects of your Sub. For example, one pod increases your attack power, and one increases your Defense. The more Pods a Sub has, the more powerful it is, and the more difficult to destroy. After you get all of the pods, you can bet that every enemy sub is going to hunt you down and try to destroy you. You need to get to the exit portal as fast as possible at this point. The game's story isn't very interesting or important, and really isn't worth mentioning in this review. It's pretty simple, and doesn't effect Game Play at all.
In addition to the main game mentioned above, there is also a Death Match game, where getting the pods is not an issue, and you simply must destroy all of your enemies. There is also a 2 Player mode, which I have't had the opportnity to try.
When I first played this game, I used the Standard PlayStation Controller. Since the game is fairly old, I didn't expect it to work with the Analog Sticks. I checked the box to make sure, and there was no mention of it being compatible. But one day, I had nothing to do, so I decided to try it. As it turns out, it actually works! The left analog stick controls direction, and the right stick controls speed. After you get used to it, it's more precise than using the D-Pad.
Music
The music fits the mood of the game very well. It's not distracting, and I like most of it. The sound effects from weapons are pretty good, too.
Final Thoughts
I only paid about 15 dollars for this game when it was fairly new, and I got a decent amount of enjoyment out of it. I doubt that most people will enjoy it as much as I did, and so I can't recommend paying full price for it. But if you ever find it on sale used for a few dollars, it's probably worth it. It's great for passing time when you don't have any other games to play.
Master Ghaleon 99 (CLOUDBOND007) "Perhaps you should demonstrate the power that gives you such confidence. Then we shall see who is fit to be supreme ruler, and who...is dead." -Ghaleon
Owner of Master Ghaleon's Videogame Board
Administrator at Kiera-Yin-Cat's Game Pond
Graphics
The game takes place in an Underwater Environment. Because of this, graphical flaws that would be noticeable in most games are pretty easy to cover up. You can move your sub in any direction, since all areas are fully 3D. The underwater effect is actually really good, especially considering that this is a PlayStation game. Being able to move anywhere at anytime is a nice change from some games where you are limited in where you can travel.
The subs themselves aren't that detailed, but the weapon fire certainly is. This is also a problem, though. When there are 5 subs attacking one another at the same time, weapons are going in every which direction, and it's easy to get disoriented. The weapons are so flashy, graphically, that it sometimes difficult to see much if there a lot of other subs around. There are other graphical problems as well, but most of them can be overlooked.
Game Play
There are 10 areas in the game. You are not able to access them all until you play the game on the Medium or Hard Difficulty levels, though. When the game begins, you must choose a Submarine that you will be using thoughout the entire game. Each sub has advantages and disadvantages. All of the subs use the same weapons. These weapons are scattered about each level. You can only carry a certain number of weapons at a time, so you need to be careful that you don't waste them. When you get close enough to an enemy sub, you automatically lock onto it, making fighting easy. But remember, if you're close enough to attack a sub, they are also close enough to attack you. In case of emergency, there is also a weak missile weapon, but it doesn't lock onto enemies, and is difficult to use on anything that moves. Each sub also has it's own "Special Weapon" that is unique to it. Each sub also has a shield that works off of it's energy. It can block enemy fire, or reflect it back. Reflecting it drains even more power than blocking. In order to use the sheld well, you need to wait until an enemy weapon is just about ready to hit you, or else you will waste too much energy.
The purpose of the game is to get 5 Energy Pods and get to the portal without getting destroyed, and without any of the other subs doing the same thing before you. You can get Pods from other Subs by destroying them, or by using a special "Shaker" weapon on them. In addition to needing them to finish each level, the Pods also enhance the various aspects of your Sub. For example, one pod increases your attack power, and one increases your Defense. The more Pods a Sub has, the more powerful it is, and the more difficult to destroy. After you get all of the pods, you can bet that every enemy sub is going to hunt you down and try to destroy you. You need to get to the exit portal as fast as possible at this point. The game's story isn't very interesting or important, and really isn't worth mentioning in this review. It's pretty simple, and doesn't effect Game Play at all.
In addition to the main game mentioned above, there is also a Death Match game, where getting the pods is not an issue, and you simply must destroy all of your enemies. There is also a 2 Player mode, which I have't had the opportnity to try.
When I first played this game, I used the Standard PlayStation Controller. Since the game is fairly old, I didn't expect it to work with the Analog Sticks. I checked the box to make sure, and there was no mention of it being compatible. But one day, I had nothing to do, so I decided to try it. As it turns out, it actually works! The left analog stick controls direction, and the right stick controls speed. After you get used to it, it's more precise than using the D-Pad.
Music
The music fits the mood of the game very well. It's not distracting, and I like most of it. The sound effects from weapons are pretty good, too.
Final Thoughts
I only paid about 15 dollars for this game when it was fairly new, and I got a decent amount of enjoyment out of it. I doubt that most people will enjoy it as much as I did, and so I can't recommend paying full price for it. But if you ever find it on sale used for a few dollars, it's probably worth it. It's great for passing time when you don't have any other games to play.
Owner of Master Ghaleon's Videogame Board
Administrator at Kiera-Yin-Cat's Game Pond

