Earth's population is out of control, there are barely enough natural resources to sustain life, and terrorist organizations following the teachings of Thomas Malthus are planning a genocidal attack on humanity in hopes of solving the problems by creating a new, smaller population. This is not only the basis for 3/4 of all conspiracy theories, but Dark Energy's upcoming Xbox Live Arcade title, Hydrophobia. At this year's PAX East, I had a chance to play a build of the game and talk to Rob Hewson, Senior Creative Designer for Dark Energy. While the game was definitely rough around the edges, the issues were easily overlooked thanks to the water engine, which is, without question, one of the most impressive things being shown at the expo.

Before getting to the water, though, some context is necessary. Hewson set up the backstory before the demo had even started, discussing the game's story. In Hydrophobia, the temporary solution to the world's overpopulation is large, city sized boats. The plot takes place on the Queen of the World, one such luxury cruiser, and sets players in the body of Kate Wilson, a systems engineer. Despite living aboard a giant, sea-faring vessel, she actually has the titular disorder, and is quite frightened of H2O. This becomes an issue when the Malthusians attack, attempting to roll the population back to a more manageable number. Since the game takes place at sea, Kate finds herself needing to overcome her fear of water and platform her way to heroism. Luckily, Hewson says that the game is actually as long as most retail releases, meaning she'll have plenty of time to face her fears. 

And her fears have never looked better. Hydrophobia's engine, the HydroEngine, brings the best looking interactive water to ever make its way into a game. Water has always been something games can't really pull off realistically, with even the best in the genre keeping it to small pools instead of actually making it interactive. Blockbuster hits like BioShock and Uncharted both have good looking water, but it's utterly useless. In Hydophobia, not only does water move realistically when it interacts with objects, but it actually acts like it should in every instance shown during the demo. If a flooded room had a door opened it wouldn't slowly lower the water level - it would flow through the doorway, spilling into the adjacent room exactly as it should. There was even a time where two different bodies of water met, crashing into each other and converging into one. It was simply marvelous, and Hewson said that it was one of the elements of the game that added a lot of variety. During combat, players could intentionally flood areas or go out of their way not to, creating different ways to complete an objective. The idea of multiple paths extends to the story as well, though it's something that wasn't shown off too much in the demo.

While the water was impressive, it was far from the only element of Hydrophobia to leave me wanting more. During the early sections of the game, Kate is actually without a weapon entirely. In fact, the area in the demo had Kate navigating the crumbling cityboat by jumping from ledge to ledge Uncharted style and hacking doors with her datapad with quick mini-games. While I'm sure that her mission will eventually evolve into something grand, my time with the game gave me a unique sensation. I wasn't trying to save the world, I was trying to save her, something that can't really be said about any other game. Later, when Kate gains control over water (which, apparently, she does) and some additional weapons (and the ability to gain cover), that feeling might be replaced with a more traditional shooter experience, but the early section was utterly unique. Controlling someone so vulnerable is even more interesting than playing as a Marcus Fenix or Master Chief, especially considering that her phobia is one that most gamers don't have to deal with.



Though there's no set date for release just yet, I'll be anxiously awaiting more information on the title, and I hope to have a chance to play more in the near future. The interesting story, marvelous water system, and unique protagonist should all mix together to create something wholly wonderful on Xbox Live, and it's an experience I simply can't wait to partake in. 

Hydrophobia is due out later this year for the Xbox Live Arcade.