System Requirements: Pentium III 600 MHz, 128 MB RAM, 32 MB Video, Win98 AquaNox isnâ€™t exactly bad, but it just doesnâ€™t have the solid story and gameplay needed to make this tech demo into a full-fledged game. Sadly, in addition to the crap voice acting, the gameâ€™s techno beats will have you either tapping your toes or (like me) turning off the music altogether.

So what does this game have going for it? Well, it delivers the sort of graphics that were top of the line in its day. The AI wonâ€™t slow you down either, as enemies never act intelligently and arenâ€™t very good shots. AquaNoxâ€™s 30 missions are short and easy: you can just circle-strafe and press madly on the mouse button to destroy most enemies and installations. The default control setup is for the standard mouse/keyboard layout, although thereâ€™s also joystick support. The combat is more involving than the story, fortunately.

The story is mildly compelling, but the dialogue is delivered via poorly drawn cartoon characters and truly god-awful voice actors. As a sequel to the 1997 submarine shooter Archimedean Dynasty, AquaNox brings back Emerald â€œDead Eyeâ€ Flint, a sort of Han Solo of the deep sea, only not as exciting. Like the great-looking but ultimately lackluster Incoming (1998), AquaNox is ultimately better at showing off the capabilities of your machine’s rendering power than the game design capabilities of its developers.

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