Critical Depth
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Critical Depth is a vehicular combat game made for the PlayStation, developed by the game studio SingleTrac and published by GT Interactive. It was released on November 22, 1997.
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[edit] Overview
Critical Depth is based strongly on SingleTrac's original Twisted Metal hit game series engine and concept. Only this time, the combat takes place underwater, so the vehicles (typically submarines of some sort) have more degrees of freedom. The game thus combines the gameplay and control elements of Twisted Metal with the company's earlier game Warhawk.
[edit] Story
The story is based on the disappearance of undersea explorer Douglas McKragen and the discovery of five mysterious and powerful alien pod-shaped objects. Twelve different factions enter the sea to find out more about these forces and uncover their mystery, each for its own reasons.
[edit] Gameplay
The game features three modes of play: a mission/story mode, where you (or you and a friend cooperatively) can battle your way through eleven levels; a battle mode, where you capture pods in a selectable level; and deathmatch, where you can play against the computer or another human in a split-screen mode.
The playable ships are divided into factions, one of which you must align with at the beginning of the game. Once you do, a mix of the eleven other ships will constantly stand in your way.
[edit] Characters
- Dr. A. Pocalypse captaining the Armageddon (can trap subs with a grappling hook)
- The revolutionary organization the VLO with The Anarchy (drops spiky metal balls)
- Several men-in-black types from the CIA with The Manta (fires a deadly electromagnetic ray)
- The Soviet Die-Hards and The Stalingrad (slow but strong ramming ship)
- The Indiana Jones-like Professor Armstrong and The Archimedes (rapid-firing Jules Verne-type sub)
- Greenpeace wannabes Team Earth Hope and the Siren's Song (shoots a dolphin-shaped torpedo)
- Ex-children's show host Captain Cutlass with the Sea Dog (blasts cannonballs)
- The evil Mordrid Corporation and the Bottom Liner (steals weapons)
- Jack "Lockjaw" Keon and The Lockjaw (shark-like sub with a bite)
- Deadhead Joe Skullion and the Death Sled (shoots trippy-colored discs that stun)
- The mystical Order of Nishroch and the Ohm (casts energy blasts)
- The French Oceanographers and La Griffe (has crushing mechanical arms).
The ships can pick up weapons, such as the Piranha Swarm (a quick, ripping robot fish), the self-explanatory Remote Control Torpedo, and the Magnetic Sucker (which sits in place and draws enemies in).
Unlike in the Twisted Metal series, the stages aren't simply about killing all your opponents, though it is one of the ways. Instead, the goal is to retrieve all five pods, which are scattered throughout the level, and find the escape gateway. Each pod gives its holder an extra power. The enemy AI is set to go after ships depending on the number they're carrying. If you have no pods, you'll be very likely left alone, while if you have all five, everyone's going after you. This strategic element adds much to the Twisted Metal-style gameplay.
