Thirteen1

Written by: Kieran McSherry

Hydrophobia – ‘An irrational fear of water.’ If we’re completely honest, being scared of water isn’t overly irrational. We don’t breathe the stuff for one. and large bodies of endless liquid are some of the most inhospitable habitats for us land-bound mammals. In fact, I’m sure the basic fear of drowning is written into us at the genetic level, like being scared of the dark or afraid of confinement.

Hydrophobia, the new third person, futuristic survival-adventure from Dark Energy, attempts to tap into each of these base and primal fears. By locking players in a leaky box beneath the waves, before turning out the lights.

The world is overpopulated, nearly ten billion souls at the last count. In an attempt to cope with such swelling numbers, humanity built ‘The Queen of The World’, an enormous ocean-liner/mega city. You take on the role of the unlikely, hydrophobic heroine Kate, an engineering officer aboard the enormous floating real-estate. Her ship is attacked, obviously, by ultra-radical terrorist’s hell bent on global genocide. For an indie title, this game has a dark and very adult subject matter. Story isn’t the only ‘indie-surprise’ Hydrophobia has in store either. The graphics are stunning, easily comparable to many blockbuster titles, with the ship’s innards looking realistic and complementing the astounding water and lighting effects well. Dark Energy’s Hydro Engine was obviously at the core of their design, and digital liquid has never looked so genuine or behaved so accurately. However, Dark Energy didn’t just design their new engine with looks in mind. Water is a very important part of Hydrophobia’s gameplay.
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