Diluvion is a game by Arachnid Games that puts the characters at the bottom of the ocean after the gods put them there to teach them a lesson. Humanity was originally supposed to be eradicated, but was spared by the god Sul and sealed under the ocean beneath a thick ice sheet. The player begins the game as a captain of a submarine with the goal of gathering a team to reach the end of the “Endless Corridor”. In the process, you will meet all different types of characters that can be hired to work in your submarine. Each character has its own backstory and brings their own strengths as well as weaknesses to the team. The entire time you play the game you will be gathering materials and fighting off other submarines as you search for the secret at the end of the corridor. The game is amazingly beautiful with a steam punk aesthetic that I’m a huge fan of and bright colors that make the dark ocean almost seem alive. The music is a huge joy to listen to and adds to the epic atmosphere of the game. The only issue I have with the game is the wonky game controls and poor navigation system.
The game begins with you as the captain of a submarine after finding out that humanity has angered the gods and has been submerged underwater, which is then covered by a thick ice sheet to prevent humanity from escaping. One god took pity upon all of humanity, saved them from certain death and has hidden a secret inside the depths of the ocean. The job falls upon your little submarine to find that secret and unlock humanity from its dependence on the ocean. When the game begins, you get to choose from three different types of submarines, in which you will sail around in. The choices are between a faster ship with less protection, a slow, but heavily armored sub and one that is middle of the road in everything. I chose the middle of the road sub, but that is more due to habit than anything else. I kind of wished I used the heavily armored sub because I was constantly bumping into walls and mines.
At the beginning of the game, you are the sole occupant of the submarine, but build up a crew as you sail around the ocean. Crew members can be hired at the various underwater stops that you encounter as the game progresses, and are paid with money that you obtain through looting wrecks, as well as trading items. They also need to be fed on a consistent basis, which can wrack up quite a bill. The other thing you need to keep an eye on is oxygen, which can be refilled by docking with bases and other subs. Yes, you have to keep the sub full of oxygen or your crew will die of asphyxiation. The characters consist of a tired veteran, an explosion obsessed girl, a greenhorn and more, with each having their own jobs to do within the sub. I love that you are able to place them in different parts of the submarine quickly depending on the situation at hand. It made delegating tasks, repairing the sub and battles all the more easier.
The bulk of the game takes place in a 3D world, with it switching to 2D whenever the boat is docked to talk to the game’s NPCs. It oddly meshes well, creating a Vernian styled adventure that is extremely original. The small team that created the game did an amazing job with all the tiny details in their character designs and their backdrops, making sure that each of the types of characters looked unique. It is amazing how bright they make the ocean feel even at it’s deepest. Sometimes the lack of light in certain areas was an issue because you were unable to see where you were going or anything that was in the way. It was never helped by weird blue streaks that were caused by swirling ocean currents. They can be used to increase speed, but can also hinder you visually often times becoming a catch 22.
The game did have its low points for me in the maneuverability of the submarine, combat systems and their lack of direction. The controls, oh man, the controls. They are so frustrating at times to the point where I wanted to throw my keyboard. A lot of times, I would find myself pushed up against the side of the wall or running into sea mines for no apparent reason. The most irritating are during fire fights when you have to fire upon the enemy with whatever you have at the moment, while slowly circling around them. God forbid you end up going in the wrong direction and getting stuck; the crazy camera making it nearly impossible to get around sometimes.
Maps are difficult to manage as landmarks are grouped together as you travel away making them very difficult to distinguish between them. The navigation system consists of a trail of golden fish that you are required to follow to get to your next point. They never seemed to take you to the correct position, just in the general vicinity. Sometimes I would circle around forever trying to find the mission point.
I enjoyed this game a lot despite all of its flaws. The music and art style create an original experience with an amazing story. The music score is overwhelmingly haunting as well as beautiful that really sets the tone for the game. It is an extremely beautiful score that you will never get tired of listening to as you go through the oceans. It is very hard to become immersed in the game with the wonky controls and difficult navigation system. The NPCs are recycled throughout the game as if they are cut and pasted in the different parts of the bases and landmarks. I recommend playing this game if you can get it on sale, as you will appreciate the story.
Candice ‘Gamer Girl’ Wendt
Platform: PC
System Requirements
• Minimum:
◦ OS: Windows 7, 10
◦ Processor: Intel i5 (or equivalent)
◦ Memory: 4 GB RAM
◦ Graphics: GeForce GT 300 series (or equivalent)
◦ DirectX: Version 10
◦ Storage: 5 GB available space
Developer: Arachnid Games
Publisher: Ambitious Digital Entertainment
ESRB: N/A
Price: $19.99
Diluvion Official Website: http://www.diluvion.com/
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| The game is amazingly beautiful with a steam punk aesthetic that I'm a huge fan of and bright colors that make the dark ocean almost seem alive. | |
| Sound |  |
| The music is a huge joy to listen to and adds to the epic atmosphere of the game. | |
| Gameplay | |
| The game did have its low points for me in the maneuverability of the submarine, combat systems and their lack of direction | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| I recommend playing this game if you can get it on sale, as you will appreciate the story. | |
