The Xbox Live Arcade is a common location for a variety of old-school ports and
coin-op titles, but every now and then, gamers are treated to brand new IPs from
independent developers. Sometimes these titles can leave a bit to be desired,
but once in a while, you’ll find a great diamond in the rough that reminds
you that Microsoft’s platform is indeed capable of bringing some great indie
games to the masses.
Undertow is one such game. Developed by Chair Entertainment, Undertow mixes the
shooting elements of arcade classics like Smash T.V. and Robotron 2064 and adds
the spawn-point elements of the Battlefield series for a fresh and addicting
action game with some excellent online capabilities. If you’re looking for the
right XBLA title to download in the post-Christmas crawl, then Undertow is
definitely a worthy purchase.
For an Xbox Live Arcade title, Undertow has a surprising amount of story-driven
narrative added throughout. The world has been completely flooded, leaving
several races to vie for supremacy over the seas. These races include the
Atlantians, who are a magical race that use mystical weaponry against their
foes, the Nemodians, who follow in the footsteps of Captain Nemo, and the
militant Iron Marines. Each one feels that they are the proper rulers of the
oceans and will stop at nothing to regain power.
The benefits that each race has over each other come into play with four
different units that you’ll have throughout the game. You’ll get units that have
their own strengths and weaknesses, requiring you to employ some strategy to
your methods on the battlefield.
Undertow controls a bit like a shooter on a 2D plane, using the left thumbstick
to move your character around the screen and the right thumbstick to shoot off
in whichever direction. The gameplay feels quite familiar to another Xbox Live
Arcade title, Geometry Wars, so players of that title will immediately feel at
home with Undertow. The gameplay has you controlling a single unit in the middle
of a larger-scale battle, requiring you to capture spawning points for your side
of the fight. This has the give-and-take elements of the Battlefield series,
adding a great sense of intensity to the game’s 15 levels.
The game’s online component truly shines in Undertow. You’ll be able to stage
large-scale battles online with matches hosting up to 16 players, taking
advantage of the three races and their unique units. Additionally, you’ll be
able to tweak the match settings before you battle it out, allowing you to
factor things like bots and so on before you go on.
Graphically, the game is very impressive as well. Using the Unreal Engine 3, the
game benefits from great lighting effects that capture the overall feel of the
game and the universe it presents. The environments are also quite detailed and
have all kinds of destroyed elements to let you know the collapse that the world
has gone through.
The sound effects are also quite good, with the cutscene voice acting sounding
well done and the music and sound effects keeping with the game’s overall mood.
Undertow is a fun and engaging downloadable title with some great online
elements and addicting gameplay. The game’s unique look represents the world
well and takes advantage of its powerful engine. If you’re looking for a great
online game to play on your Xbox 360 in the upcoming slow months, you need only
to check out Undertow.
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Gameplay: 9.0
Undertow offers up a great campaign mode with a full-fledged story that keeps
the pace up. The gameplay crosses Battlefield with Geometry Wars for a
surprisingly addictive single-player element.
Graphics: 9.0
Undertow may not have the overall graphical punch of its Unreal Engine 3
brethren like Mass Effect or Gears of War, but it does use the engine quite
effectively with some great looking environments and superb lighting effects,
for an aesthetic that easily rivals most retail games out there.
Sound: 8.5
The voice work is quite good, as are the sound effects and mood-setting music.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 9.0
A
title that truly shows how an independent game can shine on Xbox Live Arcade.
Multiplayer: 9.0
Undertow’s multiplayer element is very surprisingly deep, allowing 16 players
online as well as several different tweakable elements, great maps and the
option for system link play.
Overall: 9.0
With
solid gameplay, a fun story, and a great online component, Undertow is a great
addition to anyone’s Xbox Live Arcade library.
