Why Aquaria is a Great Game
Story
Naiji wakes up to discover that she has lost her memory. She is soon getting flashbacks every time she enters into new locations. Now she is on an adventure to discover the history of Aquaria and her past.
Presentation (5 out of 5)
Aquaria is one of the best looking indie games ever. The game is a beautiful underwater adventure, full of ancient ruins, secret caves, and all kinds of creatures from giant fish, seahorses, colorful shells, pesky crabs, and a host of others. The game will require that you explore all over, but swimming through these exotic landscapes will be a pleasurable experience. It’s a nice touch to allow Naiji to interact with friendly creatures, plants, and other life; but she will have to be careful with all the foes she will meet, including some nasty bosses. She can also cling to surfaces and springboard herself forward.
The game also comes with a rich soundtrack, peaceful and vibrant melodies that help you get into the game. The voice over for the main character is also very well done
Gameplay (4 out of 5)
In the game the character has a variety of abilities and activities to do: singing, spell casting, cooking, and item collecting.
One of the unique parts of the game is how you cast spells. Naiji willl have to sing a few notes in order to cast a certain spell. In the song menu you have to move the cursor to a sequence of notes in order in order to cast whatever you want. Some of her magic includes encasing herself in a shield barrier and levitating heavy objects. She can also turn herself into Dark Naiji, a more athletic character who can fire projectiles at her opponents; Dark Naiji is more powerful on offense, but the downside is that you can’t use the other spells in the songs menu.
The game plays like Super Metroid and Castlevania when it comes to how the map is laid out and how you earn your weapons. It’s always fun to find new weapons and other new spells that will grant you access to new places. Aquaria is a big world to explore so there are plenty of hidden secrets that will require curiosity and a keen eye, as you will find more recipes, items, and other things to store into your inventory. Later on the character will get much stronger as you wander around and collect new spells, giving her more weapons, speed, and other abilities.
Conclusion
Aquaria is a top-notch indie game that packs a large amount of content along with high quality production values. If you enjoy exploring a beautiful underwater world filled with secrets, history, and amazing looking creatures, as well as an adventure along the lines of Super Metroid, then this game is for you.
