Undertow Review

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 Fun Factor



 Single Player




Undertow may sink down into the depths of the sea, but this title clearly knows how to swim. Anyone who is looking for a casual game should enjoy their time with Undertow. While it does suffer the setback that almost every level has the same feel, the game should keep you entertained for a few hours.
The way the game works, is that you pilot one of four classes of units through the briny depths of the sea attempting to take all the other bases, and destroy the enemies units (similar to the battlefront games). The game does use cut scenes to help advance a story, but in all honesty, the story isn’t very good. Thankfully, you can skip them if you wish. There are three distinct campaigns, but they all use the same format: a few matches, a boss, and then another match. The single player aspect of the game can get a tad boring, but when you step out into the deep waters of online play, the game gets more exciting. Up to sixteen players can play in a match online, allowing for some chaotic undersea action.
You have you choice of four distinct classes, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. The class based aspect of this does make the game more interesting. There are also three distinct races. The each look different, but for the most part, they are pretty similar in structure.
The controls are the essence of simplicity. You move within the 2-D depths of the sea through the 3-D looking environment with the left joystick, while using the right joystick to aim and fire your weapon. You can drop depth charges with the left trigger and use “X” for turbo.
Each level looks different, but for all practical purposes they don’t really feel that different. It is kind of just like being in an underwater cave. For the most part, they have some variations, but it’s still an underwater cave.
The game’s strength is its simplicity, but that is also it weakness. The game is easy and fun for anyone to play, however because of the lack of variety; it will not last too long. For those of you who enjoy easy to learn and fun, casual games, you should give undertow a try.

Author: John Laster