Classics: Archimedean Dynasty Sci-fi underwater sub simulator

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Archimedean Dynasty

DEVELOPER: Massive Development GmbH
PUBLISHER: Blue Byte Studio GmbH
FIRST RELEASE: 1997
PLATFORM: PC/DOS; CD with CD-AUDIO tracks
ALTERNATIVE RELEASES: n/a
MINIMAL HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS: DOS 5.0, 486 DX2/66 compatible CPU, 8MB RAM, 35MB free hard-drive space, x2 CD-ROM, Microsoft-compatible mouse
RECOMMENDED HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS: Pentium 90, PCI graphics card with 16MB RAM, SoundBlaster 16 soundcard, joystick highly recommended
RELATED GAMES: AquaNox (sequel); AquaNox 2: Revelation (sequel)

Screenshots (courtesy of mobygames.com):

Earth. The future is now.

... Our only habitat is much different from the almost heavenly planet described by historical archives. That blue heaven was once a place full of life - a home also to humanity, it's evolution through science and time - it's technological miracles: exploration of space, exploration of the deepest seas... People were setting their foot where no man had lived before - first brave men and women created underwater settlements in the deepest regions of seas. In the name of science. In the name of military security...
While nations were making great leaps in the fields of culture - they were just that... nations. The planet was still covered with thick political boundaries. Not all men wanted those to disappear. And where a great political tension is created - a catharsis of even bigger volume will follow.
Now, we look with terror how easy it was for human to cover it's only home with nuclear fire. But even the hell stepping down to Earth was not the worst to come ...

And so begins the new masterpiece from the well known Origin. Famed for their original, creative and very entertaining productions like the Privateer or the Settlers series, now they strike again with perfectly crafted game, but with an unexpected theme as well. The action starts several hundred years after the great nuclear holocaust. A tragedy that resulted in melting of Earth's polar caps which flooded the planet with one, endless ocean. The last remnants of humanity have learned to exist deep under the surface, safe from the deadly radiation above. They have now created large communities, if not to say nations - each with it's own number of cities, settlements, it's own corporations and military power... Some rule with democratic protocol, others with a dictator's mighty hand. Science was not buried either - methods of relatively fast, large scale transport were developed initiating the evolution of trade.
All in all - people have learned that the most precious key to survival is balance. A balance that soon might be disturbed...

What we have here is of course an underwater sub-of-the-future simulator but there is much more to expect from the gameplay than a copy of SilentHunter routine. As you can see from the plot outlined above - the game takes us about 600 years into the future where we animate an experienced mercenary called Emerald "DeadEye" Flint. He is about to enter one of the greatest and most entertaining S-F stories ever encountered in a game. I won't say more, but rest assured that the plot-outline above is only the tip of the iceberg. An iceberg you are likely to fall off if you won't get your hands on the original book-size game-manual, where the whole history and geography of the future's world is laid out, without which you won't be able to fully appreciate the game. And there is plenty to appreciate - one of the most beautiful "underwater" 3D engines where big things a-r-e big; with hi-res textures and state of the art dynamic lighting, shading and perspective correction technologies; precisely recreated real-world physics like gravity, tides system and detailed hydro-dynamics; some of the greatest computer-animation sequences, easily blowing any Abyss movie stuff away; brilliant voice-casting; some of the most moody techno music you will ever hear; stunning armament of guns, torpedoes, turrets, software and other equipment for your boats; and above all - an unusually detailed and realistic world, where you can talk to people, choose your own dialogues and earn bonus missions in a non-linear fashion.

Definitely worth a shot!

Special notes:

• 
  
• Be sure to grab the newest patch for the game and an update making the game use some 3DFX cards' acceleration (both available at

dlh.net). Read the documentation delivered with the updates before installing!
Analogue joystick strongly advised!
If you want to understand the complex plot - grab the manual at replacementdocs.com

Edited November 22, 2008 by xerxes (see edit history)