2.5D action adventure game Sub-Species blends shoot ‘em up style with aquatic horror. Can the amusingly monikered Howling Hamster Entertainment scour the ocean depths for a memorable modern arcade gem?
Having played the demo out today, the Irish developer might be on to something. A sci-fi shooter where you must go deeper and deeper into the undersea lair of a monstrous alien race has the potential to cause us thassalaphobia sufferers to break out in anxious sweats.
The developer describes it as a blend of Subnautica and Space Invaders, which is fairly accurate. Although I think it’s got more in common with more modern shmups like Resogun than the ancient arcade classic.
In the world of Sub-Species, an alien outbreak has spread through Earth’s oceans. Humanity has managed to put a lid on it for the time being, but it looks to be a passing victory as the world above crumbles.
You, the player, are tasked with salvaging lost technology under the sea. Of course, the sea isn’ quite as friendly as it once was. The containment zones humanity set up to keep the alien menace down in the depths are exactly where this tech is, and the new local wildlife is a bit tetchy about having any human neighbors nicking their goods.
But you have the defense of your armed submarine to keep them at bay, and you’re able to swivel it 360° to fend off foes from all directions.
Sub-Species: Retro Action and Modern Storytelling
Traversing the 2.5D ocean depths, your submarine uncovers the unspoken truth of what’s going on down there. Abandoned structures, alien-infested containment zones, background wreckage, and labyrinthine cave systems all tell their own part of the story beyond the initial context.
Even from the opening tutorial, there’s a hint of something wrong above the surface that necessitates you being daft enough to head into the alien-infested depths. The demo doesn’t give too much away, but there’s enough grim-looking breadcrumbs to follow already.
But none of that is going to matter if scouring the deep and blasting alien monsters doesn’t click with you. So far, Sub-Species does enough to quench my thirst for arcade Shoot ‘em up action, even if the free-flowing underwater controls for the sub can occasionally feel like steering a loaded wonky shopping cart round a corner.
The demo does a good job of settling you into its systems, at least. The sub’s regular movement is good for combat and exploration, but when you need to pick up equipment, ammo, upgrades, and the like, there’s a hover mode.
Switching between the two takes a little getting used to, and utilizing the mini-map to size up opportunities, openings, and enemies becomes an essential part of your movement. Reactions do play a part in it, but anticipation and forward planning ease the burden in the moment.
Upgrades give you better weaponry to tackle the increasingly monstrous alien threat, and in classic shmup fashion, it’s all bombs, double fire, and other arsenal-boosting beauties. You’ll also need to find new equipment to access certain areas deeper in the ocean.
Early game pacing in this respect is slow, making it manageable as you learn the ropes. It remains to be seen what later exploration pacing is like, but I did begin to feel it needed to speed things up a touch by the demo’s end. Not by much, but I do expect a challenge to match mastery in the full game.
We’re still wading in the shallows of what Sub-Species will be at this point, but the dark unknown of the future’s depths is a little clearer now after this half-hour, two-level demo.
Sub-Species demo code provided by the publisher.
Sub-Species demo is available on Steam now. The full game will arrive at a later date.
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