Critical Depth (video game)
Encyclopedia
Critical Depth is a vehicular combat game
made for the PlayStation, developed by the game studio SingleTrac
and published by GT Interactive. It was released on November 22, 1997.
which permits the usage of ballistic
projectiles, only the combat takes place underwater and the vehicles are typically submarine
s of some sort. Players choose a vehicle and an arena—or a series of arenas in the story mode—to engage in battle with opposing drivers. A variety of weapons and upgrades are obtainable by pick-ups scattered throughout the stage. The goal on an arena is to retrieve all five pods, which are scattered throughout the level, and find the escape gateway. Each pod gives its holder an extra power.
The game features three modes of play: a mission/story mode, where the player (or two players cooperatively) can battle through eleven levels; a battle mode, where the player captures pods in a selectable level; and deathmatch, where the player battles against the computer or another human in a split-screen mode.
Pursuit: To power a machine capable of eliminating the entire human population so he and his mistress may initiate an era of a "superior breed" of humans. His demeanor seems similar to Hitler.
Sub Type: Submarine appears to be based on a scorpion, with the exception of a tail. It features a grappling hook that will attach to enemy subs and drag them toward two clamping arms.
Pursuit: Gaining vengeance on the industrialized world which has exploited Venganza, a
fictional island, for petroleum and other resources for years. The name "Venganza" is a play on the word "vengeance."
Sub Type: A makeshift submarine made from the remnants of industrial waste. Its main weapon is a flurry of spiked metal balls called the "Fragmentor."
Pursuit: To keep the energy pods, as well as the multitude of UFO conspiracies, a secret.
Sub Type: As the name implies, the sub is based on a manta ray. Main weapon is a "Plama Disruptor," an electromagnetic flare.
Pursuit: To usher in a new era of communism.
Sub Type: Very ordinary, although quite heavy and slow. Main weapon is a ramming feature.
Pursuit: To capture the pods and place them in a museum.
Sub Type: Appears to be based on a swordfish, with an over-sized propeller. Main weapon is a flurry of "liquid fireballs."
Pursuit: To protect the pods from exploitation by industrialists.
Sub Type: A large, mechanical dolphin, powered by a "technoflipper". Main weapon is a homing torpedo which looks like a mechanical dolphin.
Pursuit: Captain Cutlass is in the pod hunt to "look for a good fight."
Sub Type: This submersible appears to be a pirate ship, or rather a wooden U-Boat
. The main weapon are two cannons.
Pursuit: To exploit the pods as an energy source.
Sub type: Resembles a jet plane. Main weapon is C.A.S.H. (Capital Accumlating Super Hydrobeam) which steals weapons from other subs.
Pursuit: To add to his own collection, intending to surpass his former mentor Professor Armstrong.
Sub Type: A quick-moving mechanical shark. Main weapon is the Jaws Of Death which latch on to a opponent and shakes it violently.
Pursuit: To capture the pods because "everyone else wants 'em."
Sub type: A small propelling device which Joe merely holds onto. Main weapon is a Psycho Disc which disorients other subs.
Pursuit: To awaken the sacred "Zornad."
Sub Type: Submersible appears to be a golden starfish whose method of propulsion is gyration; this makes the sub ideal for quick turns. Main weapon is a mystical electrical arc generated by a green crystal on the sub.
Pursuit: To gain respect in the scientific community.
Sub Type: A standard exploratory submersible. The claws spin to create a vortex to draw in any sub in the vicinity.
Pursuit: To gain enough power for a mind-control device that will be used to enslave the world.
Sub type: Bulky, green sub similar to the Stalingrad (also built by Titan). Main weapons are a school of skeletal piranhas and red laser beam far-range, homing ram at close-range.
Pursuit: To prevent Dr. A. Pocalypse from annihilating humanity
Sub type: Resembles a red sports car. Main weapon is an electric blast much like the Manta.
Pursuit: Programmed by Dr. Pocalypse to collect the pods, and will fight off anyone and anything, even Pocalypse to get them.
Sub type: Submersible is trident-shaped. Main weapon is a series of small homing exploding harpoons.
Pursuit: To keep the "primates" from capturing the pods.
Sub type: Pod-shaped with spider-like legs. Main weapon is a green electrical shot similar to that of the Ohm's.
The reviews are rather mixed from critics. The rankings are 61% to 70%.
Vehicular combat game
Vehicular combat games are typically video or computer games where the primary focus of play concerns automobiles or other vehicles, normally armed with guns or other weaponry, attempting to destroy vehicles controlled by the CPU or by opposing players...
made for the PlayStation, developed by the game studio SingleTrac
SingleTrac
SingleTrac Entertainment Technologies was a video game developer, mostly for the PlayStation platform. The management team and much of the original development team came from Evans & Sutherland, bringing their 3D graphics and software engineering skills into the video game industry.Its most famous...
and published by GT Interactive. It was released on November 22, 1997.
Overview
Critical Depth is based on concept and engine of SingleTrac's original Twisted Metal hit game series. The game is basically a demolition derbyDemolition derby
Demolition derby is a motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another...
which permits the usage of ballistic
Ballistics
Ballistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.A ballistic body is a body which is...
projectiles, only the combat takes place underwater and the vehicles are typically submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s of some sort. Players choose a vehicle and an arena—or a series of arenas in the story mode—to engage in battle with opposing drivers. A variety of weapons and upgrades are obtainable by pick-ups scattered throughout the stage. The goal on an arena is to retrieve all five pods, which are scattered throughout the level, and find the escape gateway. Each pod gives its holder an extra power.
The game features three modes of play: a mission/story mode, where the player (or two players cooperatively) can battle through eleven levels; a battle mode, where the player captures pods in a selectable level; and deathmatch, where the player battles against the computer or another human in a split-screen mode.
Story
The story is based on the disappearance of undersea explorer Douglas McKragen and the discovery of five mysterious and powerful alien pod-shaped objects. Twelve different factions enter the sea to find out more about these forces and uncover their mystery, each for its own reasons. Each faction battles several competitors in order to retrieve the pods.Characters
The playable ships are divided into factions, one of which the player must align with at the beginning of the game. Once he does, a mix of the eleven other ships will constantly stand in his way. Four additional characters can be unlocked by reaching certain goals in the game.- Dr. A. Pocalypse captaining the Armageddon
Pursuit: To power a machine capable of eliminating the entire human population so he and his mistress may initiate an era of a "superior breed" of humans. His demeanor seems similar to Hitler.
Sub Type: Submarine appears to be based on a scorpion, with the exception of a tail. It features a grappling hook that will attach to enemy subs and drag them toward two clamping arms.
- The revolutionary organization the VLO with The Anarchy
Pursuit: Gaining vengeance on the industrialized world which has exploited Venganza, a
fictional island, for petroleum and other resources for years. The name "Venganza" is a play on the word "vengeance."
Sub Type: A makeshift submarine made from the remnants of industrial waste. Its main weapon is a flurry of spiked metal balls called the "Fragmentor."
- Several men-in-black types from the CIA with The Manta
Pursuit: To keep the energy pods, as well as the multitude of UFO conspiracies, a secret.
Sub Type: As the name implies, the sub is based on a manta ray. Main weapon is a "Plama Disruptor," an electromagnetic flare.
- The Soviet Die-Hards and The Stalingrad
Pursuit: To usher in a new era of communism.
Sub Type: Very ordinary, although quite heavy and slow. Main weapon is a ramming feature.
- The Indiana Jones-like Professor Armstrong and The Archimedes
Pursuit: To capture the pods and place them in a museum.
Sub Type: Appears to be based on a swordfish, with an over-sized propeller. Main weapon is a flurry of "liquid fireballs."
- Greenpeace wannabes Team Earth Hope and the Siren's Song
Pursuit: To protect the pods from exploitation by industrialists.
Sub Type: A large, mechanical dolphin, powered by a "technoflipper". Main weapon is a homing torpedo which looks like a mechanical dolphin.
- Ex-children's show host Captain Cutlass with the Sea Dog
Pursuit: Captain Cutlass is in the pod hunt to "look for a good fight."
Sub Type: This submersible appears to be a pirate ship, or rather a wooden U-Boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
. The main weapon are two cannons.
- The evil Mordrid Corporation and the Bottom Liner
Pursuit: To exploit the pods as an energy source.
Sub type: Resembles a jet plane. Main weapon is C.A.S.H. (Capital Accumlating Super Hydrobeam) which steals weapons from other subs.
- Jack "Lockjaw" Keon and The Lockjaw
Pursuit: To add to his own collection, intending to surpass his former mentor Professor Armstrong.
Sub Type: A quick-moving mechanical shark. Main weapon is the Jaws Of Death which latch on to a opponent and shakes it violently.
- Deadhead Joe Skullion and the Death Sled
Pursuit: To capture the pods because "everyone else wants 'em."
Sub type: A small propelling device which Joe merely holds onto. Main weapon is a Psycho Disc which disorients other subs.
- The mystical Order of Nishroch and the Ohm
Pursuit: To awaken the sacred "Zornad."
Sub Type: Submersible appears to be a golden starfish whose method of propulsion is gyration; this makes the sub ideal for quick turns. Main weapon is a mystical electrical arc generated by a green crystal on the sub.
- The French Oceanographers and La Griffe
Pursuit: To gain respect in the scientific community.
Sub Type: A standard exploratory submersible. The claws spin to create a vortex to draw in any sub in the vicinity.
Bonus Characters
- Mr. Phatt, AKA Sebastion Titan, and the Kronos
Pursuit: To gain enough power for a mind-control device that will be used to enslave the world.
Sub type: Bulky, green sub similar to the Stalingrad (also built by Titan). Main weapons are a school of skeletal piranhas and red laser beam far-range, homing ram at close-range.
- Agent 326 piloting the Barracuda
Pursuit: To prevent Dr. A. Pocalypse from annihilating humanity
Sub type: Resembles a red sports car. Main weapon is an electric blast much like the Manta.
- Abaddon and the Razor Fin
Pursuit: Programmed by Dr. Pocalypse to collect the pods, and will fight off anyone and anything, even Pocalypse to get them.
Sub type: Submersible is trident-shaped. Main weapon is a series of small homing exploding harpoons.
- The Overseer piloting Hydro Spydor
Pursuit: To keep the "primates" from capturing the pods.
Sub type: Pod-shaped with spider-like legs. Main weapon is a green electrical shot similar to that of the Ohm's.
Reviews
- 7.5/10 GamespotGameSpotGameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
- 5/10 IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
- 7.25/10 Electronic Gaming MonthlyElectronic Gaming MonthlyElectronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
- B Game RevolutionGame RevolutionGame Revolution or GR is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots, and videos...
- 3/5 Official PlayStation Magazine
The reviews are rather mixed from critics. The rankings are 61% to 70%.