The use of depth and how different submarines can be at different depths of the ocean scavenging for certain debris and the like is one of the few features I found enjoyable throughout my playing. I'd often be caught up in the race of trying to reach a capsule or rock for more materials with up to three other players, effectively becoming competing treasure hunters in a way. Unfortunately, these concepts just don't translate to consistently fun and engaging gameplay.

Like many of the browser-based games out there these days, "Deepolis" was originally a German operation but has since traded to American hands. The microtransaction model has been in effect since the beginning of the game and has certainly created a 'have' and 'have-not' mentality in the playerbase. Players who have the money outside of the game can, effectively, buy experience boosts which let them level up far faster than anyone playing the regular game could ever manage. While the actual gameplay is fun, though repetitive, the constant threat of a higher-level player deciding that it is your day to die casts a shadow on the entire experience.

The quests seem to all be about destroying a certain number of enemies or gathering a certain number of materials. With the fascinating concept and use of depth, you'd think there would be other intriguing ways to introduce quests, but apparently not. The game looks great for a browser game, as the actual game is played through a pop-up Flash window, and the concept, again, is amazing. But the implementation just seems shoddy at best. I wouldn't describe "Deepolis" as a game that would attract my interest for terribly long, but that's just my opinion.

Review James Bishop
October 9, 2009