Subterrania

"A fun and challenging space shooter game!"

Well, I was actually just playing this game again, and it's still as fun as it was when I first played it many years ago. Subterrania is a space shooting game, where you are able to fly in any direction... You also have to fight the laws of gravity in order to be stable. This can be a little frustrating for new players, because the learning curve will be long at first.

Story: 7/10
Aliens have started attacking humans. It's your job to put an end to the conflicts and save the Earth. You will get to use an experimental spaceship, which can become a submarine after you have found all the sub parts for it. There's not really much to the story.

Gameplay: 9/10
As I said before, this game will feel frustrating for new gamers, because ship control can get hard, especially when you have to attach something to your ship. You also have to worry about conserving fuel, and hitting walls.. Not to mention the various enemies that will try to attack you as you carry out your missions.

Before every level, there will be a Sat-scan map of the level. If you watch this, it will tell you everything you need to know about the level, and how to accomplish the missions.

Sometimes, it can get annoying if you get stuck on a wall, because it can do a ton of damage to your ship if you don't get off of the walls fast enough. If you run out of fuel, your ship will immediately crash without warning. This can get a little annoying if you are so close to a fuel pod. These look like shining orange circles sitting in a little metal compartment. You have to land on it to fill your fuel up.

There are also 3 types of main weapons for your ship, along with different levels of them.

Things get even worse when you get to the submarine levels later in the game... Gravity will completely ruin your chance of doing just about anything, so a lot of extra care with controls is needed in these levels.

Controls: 7/10
Unfortunately, there really isn't any comfortable control method in this game, but there is a way to configure the buttons to what you like. Once you get used to the controls, the game will be a lot easier.

Sound and Music: 10/10
Well, the sound is decent.. nothing too special. There's explosions, and sounds of your guns shooting, as well as other things. The music, however, is great. When I first played this game many years ago, I loved the music. It is mostly techno, but even people who don't like techno will enjoy the music in this game.

Replay value: Low
Sadly, after you have beaten the game much, there really isn't anything to do. You can try the game again on a different difficulty level, but that's about it. It is a fun game though, if you don't really have anything else to do.

Rent or Buy? (Buy)
If flying, shooting, or space themed games are your thing, and you don't mind a game with a high learning curve, this is definitely a game for you!

Overall: 8/10 (Not an average)
If you can get used to the controls, and having to deal with gravity, then you are in for a great game.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/01/05