Deep Fighter
Score: 90% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Ubisoft Entertainment Developer: Ubisoft Entertainment Media: GD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Action
Graphics & Sound: Nearly perfect. Seriously, I was completely drawn into the game immediately because of the visual stimuli. From the moment I popped the Deep Fighter CD in, I was immersed in the depths of the abyss and felt myself slowly propelling my submarine along the amazingly textured and hugely (if that's not a word, it is now!) expansive worlds. Now, maybe I'm just exaggerating because this is the first game that I really played on the Dreamcast, or maybe I'm not. You will have to be the judge. The sound effects are equally impressive. Everything from your typical underwater noises to the rumblings of volcanic action sound great. The only thing that could have been a bit clearer were the voice contacts coming from either the base station or other fighters in your unit. But hey, it was actually a well-done unclarity, as voices had that distinct bad microphone noise associated with them. But Ubi Soft did well ... they included the option to have subtitles in case you missed anything.
Gameplay: Okay. I'm typically not impressed with this genre of games... but this one had me engulfed. If I were to describe it best, it is an underwater 'Wing Commander'-type game (instead of being in space). You start out by doing a few missions of recovery in order to repair your base station. It may seem a bit slow going, but if you stick it out, you will soon have baddies launching torpedoes at your backside in full combat. Basically, Deep Fighter is a mission-based game. Of course, these missions always seem to be disrupted more often than not with a few close combat battles. You will be doing everything from search and recovery, to infiltrating and defending. With 6 expansive worlds and 36 individual missions (on 2 discs), you will have your hands full.
Difficulty: In a combination of puzzle solving and dog-fighting, you will have some time ahead of you to complete the game. Although neither is extremely difficult, the enemy AI is pretty good. In fact, you will not only be the hunter, but also the hunted! Some things will be a bit more difficult than others, but since Deep Fighter auto-saves after each completed mission, you can easily replay (and replay, and replay, and...damn octopus!) any missions you happen to fail. Use your weaponry, use your wits, and most importantly, use your head, and you will become a top pilot!
Game Mechanics: If you don't get bored with the first couple of missions, you will find yourself succumbed by the underside of the world. Deep Fighter does a great job with navigation features, as well as incorporating both tools and weapons. It shouldn't take long to learn the basic controls, and you should be launching your machine through the water with ease. In an aquatic 'Wing Commander' sort of way, you will be required to attend mission briefings before attempting the mission itself. Just don't fail or you will end up with a court martial!
-Woody, GameVortex Communications AKA Shane Wodele
D2 ESPN International Track & Field