"AquaNox" is a real looker. It's got sumptuous state-of-the-art graphics, dazzling special effects, and takes place in a rare setting for videogaming, the bottom of the ocean. So why isn't it a better game?

"AquaNox" takes place in the turbulent seas of a world called Aqua, a world first seen in an underrated and all but forgotten shooter/simulation called "Archimedean Dynasty." Although this is a sequel, familiarity with the first game isn't required. The basic thrust of the story involves undersea pirates, humanity splintered and at war over resources, plenty of combat in diverse and often startlingly cool environments, and as many clichés as there are air bubbles.

Story
The protagonist is the oddly named Emerald "Dead Eye" Flint, a freebooter, or privateer, out for himself as much as he's out to save humanity. The robotic Bionts of the first game are all but destroyed, though pockets remain, and the story mainly pits Emerald against other humans in similarly armed submersibles with a few twists and turns thrown in -- like "the enemy stole my submarine!" -- which have almost become commonplace in linear mission-based sims.

Naturally, you can only save between missions, but oddly, these missions are generally on the short side, some ending a mere minute or two after launch. The story is told through cut scenes (which often feel longer than the missions), and sometimes through a pop-up window that actually pops up during the mission -- sometimes, annoyingly, during combat itself.

Amazing graphics

The graphics are absolutely amazing, and the detail of the vast underwater canyons even ruined cities is incredible. Wreckage drifts slowly to the ocean floor, and there's a copious number of bubbles, not to mention drifting seaweed, exotic architecture, cool weapon effects, and a decent draw distance. The texturing in particular is simply amazing, and the lighting effects, along with the explosions, are fantastic. Massive Entertainment obviously spent a lot of time tweaking, refining, and crafting the graphics engine -- though this was time they might have better spent on the gameplay.

Gameplay and control
For a simulation in the grand tradition of "Wing Commander," "AquaNox" is very simplistic. Hardcore space simulation fans will find it disappointing, but that makes it more accessible to newer players or people looking for something more like a 3D shooter. The game is fully compatible with the mouse and keyboard -- assigning keys to a joystick is just plain annoying here -- and the action is simple point-and-shoot. There aren't any targeting keys, no wingmen commands, and very little to do except line up your targets and press the fire button.

Perhaps the most annoying problem with "AquaNox" is how it betrays the novelty of its own unusual environment. The game takes place underwater, but there's surprisingly little inertia here, not much more than in most space simulations. In space there is no friction; under water there is considerable friction, yet in "AquaNox" moving forward and back, or even sideways, is as easy as stopping on a dime. There's no drift, no current, no feeling of tremendous undersea pressure, and the fiery explosions are as scientifically out of place as they are cool to look at -- but cool or not, they just look wrong. The enemy AI isn't particularly aggressive either, and you'll find yourself taking on targets one by one, simply because the enemy will not team up on you.

Sound
The audio consists of innocuous techno music and blaring sound effects. While the audio is generally good, it again fails to take advantage of the setting. It doesn't sound cramped, claustrophobic, or as echoed as an underwater game should sound, and so the music does little to create a sense of atmosphere.

But man, does it all look fantastic, especially if you have a GeForce III video card. Nvidia has used "AquaNox" to market its card, and the special effects look even better on that technology. If you have a GeForce III or comparably advanced graphics card, the game might be worth picking up as a showcase, or as a simple and fun -- if slightly disappointing -- arcade-style shooter.