Deadly Tide
Darkness will fall across the face of the deep...
Preview by Al Giovetti
Price: $50
Genre: rail shooter
Release: fall 1996
Developer: Rainbow America, Chaos Works
3D Imaging: Amblin Imaging
Music score:
Programmer:
Art:
Publisher: Microsoft Games
Phone: 800-426-9400
Website: http://www.microsoft.com/games/deadlytide
Requirements: Pentium®, 75 MHz, 8 MB RAM, 25 MB available hard disk space, 4x CD-ROM drive, PCI SVGA video with 1MB of memory, 256-Color display, Microsoft® Windows® 95 or Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, Mouse, Joystick or other flight control recommended, Sound board and speakers or headphones to hear audio.

Company line: Darkness will fall across the face of the deep... Year 2500: The ocean levels are rising. The Earth is drowning. Who will fight the aquatic alien forces who have invaded our seas to eliminate the human race?

Got the guts? Then hold your breath and plunge into Deadly Tide™, the stunning new cinematic action game from Microsoft, featuring killer 3D graphics and sonically shattering sound.

Escape the sunken ruins of the S.S. Ballard in a suffocating race against time. Fend off enemy gunfire from the mutant, aquatic aliens who plot to submerge the world. And do it fast before their underwater complex self-destructs, taking you, and the rest of the planet, with it! and speakers or headphones to hear audio.

Plot: Year 2500: The ocean levels are rising. The Earth is drowning. Who will fight the aquatic alien forces who have invaded our seas to eliminate the human race? You goal is to escape the sunken ruins of the S.S. Ballard in a suffocating race against time. Fend off enemy gunfire from the mutant, aquatic aliens who plot to submerge the world. And do it fast before their underwater complex self-destructs, taking you, and the rest of the planet, with it!

Game play: Hidden passageways offering players different game options every time you play. Deadly Tide's level design and graphics are developed by TRG3 in a partnership with developers Rainbow Studios Inc. Game play is not as good as it would seem from the hype, the game is too short.

Guys you fight: You fight the Alien Tank Fighter, with armor to tax any laser system's cooling system, Alien Fighter I, which is the standard fighter of the alien attack force, Alien Transport Cruiser, a well-defended utility vehicle, Alien Fighter II, an advanced Bio-Mech-Alien machine with massive fire power, and Alien Guard, Bio Droid that will make a specimen out of you. There are about a dozen different alien types and some big cloning machine that keeps churning the little devils (err. Aliens. Ed.) out.

Missions: There are 14 missions where you blast anything that moves.

Graphics: Extremely beautiful graphics produced by the designers who did Star Trek the Next Generation and Sea Quest with 3D sound from the folks that created the Hive. The screens are replete with glowing air bubles, current driven aquatic plants, and phosphorescent lighting.

Animation: Seamlessly integrated cinematic sequences for pulse-pounding realism

Comparatives: Rebel Assault II was an equally enigmatic game in that it violated the unwritten rules that game reviewers live and write by, yet, it, like Myst, was a big selling title. Jeff's editorial remarks are about this very issue and are worth your time, but forget about reading his review to get review information.

Music score: sonically shattering sound. A powerful musical soundtrack, seamlessly scored to gameplay, featuring true CD-quality sound. The soundtrack rivals that of the best feature films.

Sound effects: Not on a par with the music, but better than most games.

Utilities: None that I could see.

Multi-player: Just one player.

Journalists: The Journalists seem to feel this is a mediocre game. Jeff waisted over 50% of his review on an editorial, and while the point was well taken it was out of place. Those who read the magazine did not get a review.

References http://www.microsoft.com/games/deadlytide/default.htm
Next Generation, volume 2, June, 1996, pg. 53.
Glenn Broderick, Computer Player, volume 3, number 5, October, 1996, pg. 56.
Steve Klett, PC Games, volume 3, number 12, December, 1996, pg. 118, C-, (72%).
Jeff James, Computer and Net Player, volume 3, number 9, February, 1997, pg. 68, 70%.