Quake's quake, and the game totally rocks. This version, though, is the game "as it was" before the release of Quake enhanced. This means there's no enhanced 3D models, no access to the two Machine Games campaigns (Dimensions of the Past and Dimensions of the Machine, although there's a free, also outdated, version of Dimensions Of The Past online), the newly released horde mode, and some of the newly releases of "community" addons that have been updated specially for the enhanced version. You will also lose access to any community project involving textures from this release, of course. There's also no access to its "officiaL" online multiplayer. There was a promise in August of this version coming to GoG, but it's been almost a year and there's no answer. I've given three stars because the game rocks, but the product offered by gog, taking into account that the "enhanced" version also contains this same package, is just a worse offer in every aspect.
The game main point is based in its replayability, which is handled trough the player's progression file which is on file stored on IO's server. This means that all the unlocks (New items, new starting points, new disguises, some events...) are locked behind what is basically an online DRM, leaving for the offline game the basic missions with the generic starting items. Basically the shell of what the game has to offer. This is completely shameful, on both the side of the publisher, for not working an actual DRM-Free version and on the side of GoG, for selling this as a "DRM-Free" version, when its clearly not the case.
Its really disappointing seeing how the fancy graphics, the really cool physics engine and the deformation and impact system got wasted with a cheating AI. After the first few races (and the first few crashes) you can start to wonder why your car can't throw any of the AI pilots out of the race but, in exchange, the slightest touch of any of those pilots will throw you out (Specially in the last laps) the course. Why your car is so fragile in the last laps crashing with the most spectacular stunts after crashing with just a barrel, or why it uses to end facing the opposite direction when you are the first on the race in the last lap after a bad taken turn (And why turning again to face the right direction its so difficult). It seems the game plots against the player: if he don't make a completely perfect race (Random element included due physics elements), then he will crash or end up the eight. If he does, maybe he has luck and don't get hit by any of the A.I. cars. It all ends in a frustrating driving experience where going the first for three laps doesn't assure you that a jump, or a light scratch in the side of your car will make you end crashing against something. And it's a shame, because if you can get through the unfair A.I. and the random collision system, there's a really fun and quick driving game. Sadly, I don't like to play with cheaters.
Setup on a future dark-pseudocyberpunk-underwater world, Aquanox its a one-of-a-kind first person shooter. Although some of its missions have a "arena match" feeling and the story development its done in a quite crude way (A simple menu where you can just select the conversation) the game slowly embraces you as you go deep and deep in it. The story begins to develop as you begin to get used to the submarine fighting (Whose control is nothing related to a any other first person shooter I ever played, you have to get used to it and accept it) and the background story begins to grow larger and larger, and halfway the game you just realize that, even with its faults, with its particularities and with its not-so-great voice acting, you are having fun. I haven't played Archimedean dinasty, and I can't compare both games. I only know that, Aquanox its a really funny game, although not a perfect one.
