Reviews

Aquaria Review: A colorful 2D adventure game

Aquaria is a side scrolling whether game by indie developer Bit Blot, that was developed for desktops and later ported over to Android. While this game is no longer available at all that i can find, I played a previously purchased version for Android and thoroughly enjoyed this game. Aquaria’s Android version was previously available on Humble Bundle’s website. I have reached out to the developer to see if there’s an intention to reinstate to Android at some point in the future, but I have yet to hear back. Oddly enough, it’s still available for iOS for $4.99, as well as on the developer’s website for desktop machine’s for $9.99. So whether you have been sitting around on an Android copy (or elect to hold out hope for a possible re-release), or choose to go another route with it, it’s a great game no matter what platform you choose to play it on.

The setting for Aquaria is under water, and players assume the role of Naija, the last of her kind with no memory of how that came to be; her kind is a type of bipedal mer-people, and not the half-fish type one might picture at first blush. As players progress through the game, the story unwinds through the character’s voice over narrations and flashbacks. It moves along at a good pace, dropping small amounts of information while drawing you in to the story. And with the setting being underwater, Bit Blot did a good job with the appearance of the game. While it isn’t high-end as it was originally released several years back, the graphics are richly colorful and diverse, with foregrounds and backgrounds layered quite nicely. For example, there are areas of the game that are the “deep blue” of the ocean, while others are green forests comprised of kelp, dark cavernous areas, and even an Atlantean-esque temple dedicated to a forgotten god of the deep.

There’s also a plethora of sea creatures that fill the game. Jellyfish, sea horses, turtles, eels, and more can be found swimming about. Some provide ambiance, while others are threats to be dealt with or avoided. All told, each area (or group of areas) was unique and enjoyable to explore. Aquaria’s soundtrack is quite solid as well. It’s very fitting for what you’re doing, and does a good job in complimenting the game. All of this is played in a side-scrolling, 2D format. The areas range from small to large, and players navigate from one to the next in a way that’s similar to the Metroids of old. They wind in all different directions, and interconnect in various ways. On top of that, there is a good number of them, making this game rather large. One could just Google a picture of Aquaria’s map to see what I mean (assuming no aversion to spoilers). I prefer that in a game that I enjoy, as having abrupt endings come too soon is always a disappointing feeling for me. Players will have no problem putting a good number of hours into this game, as one area simply leads to one or two more, and they continue outward from the game’s start point like a spiderweb. And just like the classic Metroid games, you progress into new ones as you advance and upgrade your character, unlocking certain doors later in the game using abilities that weren’t available early on.

Speaking of Naija’s abilities, they are quite diverse and are utilized through a system of colored gems, with each gem having a corollary musical note that Naija will sing. When players tap and hold on Naija, a ring appears around her that contains the gems in question. You then drag your finger from one color to another, much like drawing a star without lifting your pencil for each point, and you get the desired effect once it’s completed. So if a player wants to enable a protective barrier around Naija, the player would have her sing the corresponding song by “connecting” the gems in the appropriate pattern, which are typically short and easy to master. As you progress through the game, Naija learns more songs and can thus do more things.

In addition to a protective barrier, other abilities that Naija acquires range from changing into a tiny fish to zip through small areas that otherwise couldn’t be traversed, to shifting into a different type of under-sea humanoid that can fire missile-like projectiles, to Aquaria’s equivalency to a tractor-beam that allows Naija to manipulate objects in solving puzzles, to many more. All of these abilities fit in nicely with the feel and flow of the game. Moreover, there’s also a mechanic within Aquaria that allows players to “cook” (think of crafting in other games), where Naija is able to create useful boosts by combining drops that are left behind defeated enemies, or found throughout the game. So, for example, if a player feels the need to temporarily have Naija swim faster, then cooking the correct recipe would be in order. There’s also ample save slots within Aquaria, with 32 slots being provided for players to take advantage of.

There wasn’t very much to dislike at all about this game. About all I can think of that I didn’t like was the occasion where I felt like using touch controls was considerably more difficult than would be were I using a keyboard and mouse (as the game was originally designed for). While briefly frustrating, it’s nothing that couldn’t be overcome with persistence and a little luck. And at the end of the day, what gamer hasn’t been in that type of situation before? On the whole, this game is creative, lengthy (in a good way), and an all around colorful adventure game that is worth anyone’s time.

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