should I get it?

[johnbee]

I read a report in a games mag this month reviewing past games and thought that Aquaria seemed to be one that I would like.

So I visited here to see if I would buy it, but looking at on line reviews and reading this forum it sounds a bit more like a shoot em up, which I certainly don't like.

Can anyone tell me whether it is just a lot of fighting for ten year old boys, like almost all games, or is it more enjoyable?

Best wishes, Johnbee

[Xiagan]

It of course IS more enjoyable!

Why don't you just download the demo (1-6 hours of gameplay) to see if you like it?

Windows/Wine: http://www.flashbangstudios.com/mirror/AquariaDemo.2007.12.07.exe (old version without patches, am not sure if there is a new demo?)
MacOs: http://www.ambrosiasw.com/dl/aquaria

Trailer: http://store.steampowered.com/app/5166/

[johnbee]

Thanks for that, good idea.

[Chibi]

This has to be THE game to play if you're looking for the antithesis of the 10-year-old boy oriented game (though there are some elements of the gameplay that would satisfy such a child's taste).  Aquaria is a masterpiece of art distilled into game form.

[silverflagon]

I didn't like shootem ups until I played this game, if that is of any help with making your decission? But playing the demo should give you a better idea and time to get adicted to it lol

[artstarr]

This has to be THE game to play if you're looking for the antithesis of the 10-year-old boy oriented game (though there are some elements of the gameplay that would satisfy such a child's taste).  Aquaria is a masterpiece of art distilled into game form.

LoL antithesis of the 10 yr old boy game. u r gr8... LoL

me after 10 hours of aquaria --->   no sleep


my reply: heck yes you should get this game! i don't like shoot em ups like other people have stated. BUT this isn't really a shooter game. there is like aim/shooting involved but i think that's a small part of her character. you spend more time figuring out things and puzzles. i'd say this game is more so puzzle than anything.

[Particlese]

Yeah, definitely check the demo out.  It's one of those demos that gives you a very good idea of what the game is like, and then you find out how huge the full version is. 

For me, Aquaria was mostly about exploration.  Its gameplay has been compared to Super Metroid's, and I'd say Aquaria is even less shooting-oriented than that.  You do have to shoot some stuff to get by, but there's much more to it.

[Xiagan]

Thanks for that, good idea.

And tell us how you liked it!

[delve]

Aquaria is definitely not a shmup. It's an adventure game in the classic Zelda sense with fantastic art and an interesting story. It's true the basic play elements are shmupy to some extent, but only as far as having to use energy form to blast some things. If I recall correctly the only time you're required to shoot an enemy are the bosses, which generally require a bit of problem solving anyway.

There's not a lot of frantic blast-everything action in Aquaria, unless you're paranoid or just like fried fish. Mostly it's serene coasting through the water with occasional bouts of aquabatics to dodge a pesky nautilus or shark. The harmless sea creatures outnumber the dangerous ones by a pretty good margin.