Overview

Developer: Rage Software
Publisher: Interplay

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Antaeus Rescue

Whether it is sending nine Ogres to demolish a base in Warcraft II, or using the Psi-storm against incoming units in StarCraft, every RTS has its heated moments. However, not many of them allow you to call the shots, and then take the shots like an arcade action shooter. For the action gamers who just can't seem to find the fun in real-time strategy game, Rage Software presents Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising.

Preparing for the Death Blow!

I could use one of these scavenger tanks to clean my apartment

Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising combines standard top-down RTS gameplay with the option to carry out missions in a 3D third-person perspective. Set in the year 2032 on a small artificial island chain in the Pacific Ocean, global peace is at an end. Many of the world's financers, presidents, and armed forces have joined to form the Old World Cabal.

Together, the Old World Cabal is waging a war against peace for fear of an unknown future. The resistance's only hope is to resurrect the Antaeus cruiser and its nanofactory from the Pacific Ocean floor. Capable of creating military units by using scrap parts from demolished machinery, the nanofactory will enable the resistance to take down the Old World Cabal.

Looks like this scavenger tank has lots of work to do

Time to take a break on the Antaeus

Who's In Charge?

The Antaeus has several computer chips that contain the consciousness of dead soldiers. The computer chips must be used with the war machines in order to control the units. Once a chip is plugged into a vehicle, it will behave independently, as if a soldier was manning the controls.

There are 10 different soldier chips in the game, but only four are available at the start. One detail worth noting is that your soldiers can never "die." If a chip is placed in a tank that is destroyed in battle, it can easily be replaced with the exact same soldier chip moments later. In that sense, losing a unit doesn't affect your chances as much as it would otherwise, although you do lose the resources you spent on the destroyed vehicle.

The early morning sun rise, I could use some coffee right about now

The support chopper is a team player. You wont see Brandon in one of these.

When group attacks are made, the soldiers communicate back and forth constantly. It was easy to figure out the personalities behind the soldiers after observing a few minutes of conversation. One soldier named Ransom was particularly memorable for his cocky attitude that featured phrases such as "Kill those f***ers" or more simply "f*** you." It was a welcome taste of something extremely gutsy on the part of a developer. Unfortunately Ransom's antics will be toned down for the U.S. release. There is still speculation as to whether or not the European version will ship with the "F" words in all their fabulous glory.

Borden likes the rough stuff

Poor little tank