Episode 32: Archimedean Dynasty

Retro Spectives

Archimedean Dynasty takes place in a dystopian future where mankind has been forced to retreat deep underneath the Earth’s oceans. A literal crust of dead organic matter coats the surface of the oceans, trapping the scant remnants of humanity beneath. In this grim world, all that is left to mankind is a precarious existence within the fragile mining stations that pepper the ocean’s floor. Yet despite these harsh realities, money still rules supreme. And it is your job, as legendary mercenary Emerald “Dead Eye” Flint, to make as much of it as you can while navigating the political turmoil of the far (wetter) future.

And what a job it is, piloting your single person submarine in flight-sim fashion, destroying enemy vessels, escorting vulnerable targets and defending important locations.

But has the gameplay and story of this 1996 title truly stood the test of time? Is it still fun to pilot the ocean’s depths with basically zero draw distance? With the fourth entry in the franchise due to release soon, is the original title even worth playing?

On this episode, we discuss:

• How should background lore be delivered to the player? Archimedean Dynasty has a huge manual with its world history that should be read before playing the game. Is this better or worse than having the information gradually dispersed in game?
• What are the consequences of having a story presented almost entirely in dialogue between characters? Should this game also have had descriptive text to better set the scene?
• How well is information presented to the pilot of the submarine? WIth very low visibility on the ocean floor, you need to rely on your sensors and radar to properly navigate your environs.

We answer these questions and many more on the 32nd episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

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Archimedean Dynasty Augmented Mod

Includes a bunch of bug fixes, translation improvements and balance changes. Highly recommended!

Game Manual

Archimedean Dynasty’s game manual features 30 pages of some of the best alternate history that either of us have ever read.

If you are in anyway interested in this game, be sure to check it out!

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Are Aquanox and Aquanox 2 games that are also worth playing? Is the kickstarted sequel going to live up to the originals? Come join the discussion and let us know what you think on our community discord server!