Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: February 26, 1997

Imagine this: Not being able to ever see a ray of sunlight again! Not being able ever to walk on land!

Welcome to the world of “Aqua,” the world under the seas, the world of Archimedean Dynasty.

The year is 2661, all living organisms are now living underwater. In the beginning of the 21st century, mankind self-destructed and nuclear wars destroyed the surface of the earth. Mankind was forced into the depths of the oceans to begin a new life, a new home.

The world underneath the oceans is controlled by different power blocs. These power blocs are made of the Atlantic Federation, the Clans Union, the Shogunate, and various other packs of pirates, mercenaries, buccaneers, and outlaws.

In Archimedean Dynasty, you take on the role of Emerald “Deadeye” Flint, a mercenary. Your nickname “Deadeye” was given to you because you can hit anything that comes within range of your guns. You pick up the story right after a mercenary job that went totally wrong. The job had consisted of escorting a transport from the Gulf of Bengal to the Argentine Basin. You were attacked along the way and are lucky to still be alive. The transport was hijacked and you were left to die. This is were your adventures as the character “Deadeye” begin.

After getting Archimedean Dynasty up and running, you are introduced to a world that few games have created. During the game, you take on different missions during your quest to solve the mystery of your near death experience. These missions are centered around “flying” an underwater craft in missions that take place around 60 different cities. You have the ability to upgrade different aspects of your craft as you earn money by completing missions. There are different radar systems, propulsion systems, and a vast array of weapons from which to choose. Between missions you can hold conversations with others in each city. These conversations supply you with information to help keep the story moving. The gameplay is much like Origin’s games except it takes place in an underwater 3D world.

Some different upgrades to your ship involve equipping it with torpedoes, changing sensory equipment, or upgrading your engines. Depending on the missions that you are flying, your ship’s equipment will quickly become very important. There are different levels and families of torpedoes from which to choose. Each family has advantages and disadvantages. The Stanley family contains basic Stanleys, which are usually inexpensive. The Man Eater Family contains the best all purpose torpedoes that are preferable for more important missions. These are just a small sample of the torpedoes that you can choose. As you upgrade your sonar systems, you will be able to locate enemies faster, but they also may be able locate you faster. Not only is it important to be able to locate an enemy quickly, but also to be able to identify targets to prevent you from firing at your own people! You also have the ability to upgrade the armor on your ship. As with any other type of simulation, this is very important. The better the armor you have on your ship, the easier it is to stay alive. Additionally, you have the ability to purchase defensive items. These items are for helping you either evade a target or draw a target to a particular location. Examples of these are basic buzzers that will attract torpedoes away from your ship and torch torpedoes used to draw enemies together for an all in one kill. The weapons and systems in Archimedean Dynasty allow for an in-depth and challenging playing arena.

As your missions evolve, you will be asked to do everything from shooting garbage to warding off attackers. It’s the combat in AD that really makes this game stand out. Having to deal with your underwater environment adds a very realistic underwater simulation. As you are maneuvering your craft, you will have to deal with currents that will pull you in another direction. The ocean bottom terrain is not flat and, at times, you will fly through canyons and maneuver around them during combat.

Archimedean Dynasty is a welcomed game in this area of gaming. The effects of being underwater are done extremely well. You will feel as if you are on the bottom of the ocean. With Archimedean Dynasty’s wide variety of weapons, sonars, effects, sounds, intense missions, and story, Blue Byte has a rock solid game on their hands.