The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human is what happens when you combine Super Metroid and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. I’m here to tell you that the result of that mixture is bloody fantastic. The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human is slow and methodical with is large cavernous areas to explore, but spectacularly frighting with some immense boss battles that will challenge even the best gamers out there. Wrap that all under a heavily pixelated style, and you get something that is very indie, and very awesome.
The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human sees you take control of a ship that gets flung into a far future where the oceans play host to a seemingly long dead human race. You must command your space-sub and make sense of what has happened, all the while exploring large sections laid out in a manner very similar to Metroid and Symphony of the Night. This of course will see you doing a great deal of backtracking, but as new areas open up and new weapons make areas easier to explore, it never really feels like a chore. Controls are super simple with WASD handling your movement, and the mouse aiming you projectiles. Any new weapons that you uncover along the way get assigned to the number keys, so switching can feel a bit awkward at times, but the game does have controller support if you want to go that route. As with any Metroidvania type game you will also upgrade your ships hull and the various weapons you collect to better help you tackle the games massive bosses, so exploring is essential if you want to have a good time.
That’s where the bulk of the game lies. Yes, exploring is a delight, and while there are enemies that get in your way, there is nothing like the various bosses that The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human throws at you. I dare say they are some of the most impressive boss battles I’ve played in quite some time. As with games of this ilk, you just need to understand/find the proper patterns and weaknesses to take them down, but finding these is where a lot of the fun lies. I spent an hour trying to deal with a boss until I accidentally stumbled upon a new idea to try, thanks to a new weapon I found a few boards back. This kind of logical connection, or “Ah ha!” moment is something that I think we’ve lost, especially with the hand-hold games we get today.
Graphically the game looks good, with lots of variety between segments. You go from bright and colorful areas teeming with life, to dark corridors where the darkness dwells, to giant abandoned underwater cities lost to time. The pixel style works in its favor (especially for fans of The Life Aquatic) but I do wish your little ship had more detail and style. You often find yourself lost among the lovely scenery, but it does get the job done. The games giant bosses are where the graphics really grab your attention, as most of these thing could easily find a place in a horror film. Although everything looks nice, I did find some annoying slowdown in certain areas. These seem to happen like clockwork in certain areas, and it is a bit of a shame that the engine stutters when in areas it really shouldn’t.
The sound design is decent with a lot of music helping to set the mood in the games various areas, but it’s not something that will probably stick with you. They nailed the style from The Life Aquatic, it’s just too bad they didn’t quite nail the music style. Sound effects are also pretty mediocre, and none of your weapons really have any feel to them. Nothing is terrible of course, it just leaves you feel a bit disappointed in the sound department when compared to the rest of the package, but there are people out there that will think otherwise.
The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human is a lot of fun, especially for those that love the Metroidvania gameplay, but are looking for something a little different. It’s a slower paced game, but the massive boss battle that present themselves really helps mix things up at just the right points. If you understand how the game is laid out, it probably won’t take you dozens of hours to complete, but if you take it all in and just enjoy the adventure, you can expect to put in around 8 hours; maybe more if you stink at figuring out boss patterns (clearly not me…). And for under $10 the game is a really solid deal.
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Pros: + Metroidvania gameplay works well + Great look & atmosphere + Massive boss battles |
Cons: – Engine chugs along at times – Ship is a bit bland against the vibrant world – Sound design is hit or miss |
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