1st thing u notice about Undertow is that it's powered by the Unreal engine?!? Really? Ok bring on the Unreal Undertow.
What sets the game apart is two fold:
1- it's powered by the unreal engine. yeah. an arcade game powered by unreal. crazy i know, but it certainly grabs one's attention. also as a result the game is gorgeous.
2- a bi-product of unreal engine usageis what and why the game is so pretty. the main reasoning for that is the game's foray into a rarely used environment in games: underwater combat. it is surprisingly well done, and satisfying.
Water has been (for years) the bane of a game's existence. it never looks good, and water physics have wreaked havoc with engine's for as long as i've been gaming. along with foliage nothing wrongs a right game faster than the necessarily complicated process of using water in your game.
And yet, Undertow pulls it off beautifully. Thanx Epic Games! Marcus Fenix would be proud. as to the story, it won't be winning any oscars. imagine what might be goin on with an underwater combat game, and there ya go.
The progression of combat is inherently frantic, and the design reflects this. it works basically like a shooter's version of territories in that there are control points on every map that you need to convert to your typically good color of blue from the evil enemy color of orange. there is a ticker at the top of the screen i.e. mana, that denotes everyone's resources. work your enemy to zero and you win.
the game is pretty straight forward and it won't be pulling you away from cod4 and gta4 for long, but what it does, it does well and succeeds in the way every good arcade game should.
Undertow is a fine fine diversion to break up the action of your real collection. so go get wet and enjoy.