82
MobyRank
100 point score based on reviews from various critics.
4.2
MobyScore
5 point score based on user ratings.

Description

Naija lives in a city on a rock floating high in the sky. She dreams of the ocean, painting pictures of the distant fascination she can never reach. One day the city is hit by meteors and she tumbles down into the endless depths of the object of her fantasy: the ocean. Instead of drowning she wakes up, transformed to fit her new environment: a cave that serves as her sanctuary for a long time. There she learns of the verse, a harmony that flows through the underwater world of Aquaria. But eventually she leaves the cave, driven out by loneliness (inspired by Metroid) and restlessness, wondering if she is the only one of her kind.

Aquaria is a 2D side-scrolling shooter with a focus on exploration. Naija can freely roam her underwater world with fluent movement, reminiscent of Ecco the Dolphin. She soon meets a dark creature that shows the hidden dangers Naija will have to face if she continues her quest. Naija is moved around large maps at a constant speed. Clicking away gives her a speed boost and she can also cling to walls to launch herself with a sudden burst, or break through the ocean surface.

To face dangers, Naija has to use the power of the verse. By right-clicking on her, eight notes of different colours are shown, and clicking them triggers a chant. By chanting the right tone at certain plants, Naija can collect items, and learn spells and recipes. In the style of Loom or The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the notes can be combined into songs to cast spells. These form shields, can be used to lift objects or change Naija to different forms with new abilities giving access new locations. Right-clicking interacts with the environment and is used for attacking. In an items menu food and other objects can be used or cooked in combination to form new ones. During the game Naija also meets four pets that assist her and there are ancient turtles she can use to travel over large distances.

The different environments are linked from Naija's home, a central hub. Hidden treasures found while exploring are used to decorated the cave or can be used as a costume. During gameplay, a mini-map is shown in the bottom right corner and it can be enlarged to a full map. The game can be saved using red crystals scattered around the areas and it includes a level editor to create new environments and modifications.

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User Reviews

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The Press Says

The A.V. Club Jan 20, 2008 A- 91
GameZebo Jan 22, 2008 4.5 Stars4.5 Stars4.5 Stars4.5 Stars4.5 Stars 90
Gamer.co.il Feb 03, 2008 86 out of 100 86
Jeuxvideo.com Mar 06, 2009 17 out of 20 85
PC Gameplay (Benelux) Feb, 2008 84 out of 100 84
UOL Jogos Dec 28, 2007 4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars 80
Krawall Gaming Network Jul 15, 2008 79 out of 100 79
IGN Australia Jan 09, 2008 7.4 out of 10 74
Eurogamer.net (UK) Dec 18, 2007 7 out of 10 70

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Trivia

The in-game runes can be translated to reveal messages about the environment. The main menu is used as a key. When entering the menu, the runes slowly fade into English text and the examples there can be used to construct the alphabet.


This entry was contributed by Sciere Bronze Star Contributing Member (126957)
 

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