Hydrophobia (video game)

Infobox VG
title = Hydrophobia


caption = E3 2008 teaser trailer logo
developer =Blade Interactive
publisher =
distributor =
designer = Rob Hewson
series =
engine = HydroEngine
version =
released = Spring 2009
genre = Survival-adventure
modes = Single-player
ratings = ESRB: Rating Pending (RP)
platforms = PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
media = Blu-ray Disc, DVD
requirements =
input =Xbox 360 Controller, SIXAXIS Controller, DualShock 3
cabinet =
arcade system =
cpu =
sound =
display =

"Hydrophobia" is an upcoming survival-adventure video game developed by Blade Interactive and will be released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles.cite web|url=http://uk.games.ign.com/articles/786/786329p1.html|title=Blade Interactive Reveals "Hydrophobia"|date=May 8, 2007|publisher=IGN|language=English|accessdate=2008-10-03] The game's engine, HydroEngine, developed by Blade Interactive, provides realistic fluid dynamics technology for flowing water, allowing it to interact with the surroundings. [cite web|url=http://www.bladeinteractive.com/hydroengine.php|title=Blade Interactive - HydroEngine|publisher=Blade Interactive|language=English|accessdate=2008-10-03] The levels of "Hydrophobia" was designed using Blade's InfiniteWorldsGCS system. [cite web|url=http://www.bladeinteractive.com/infiniteworlds.php|title=Blade Interactive - Infinity Worlds|publisher=Blade Interactive|language=English|accessdate=2008-10-03] At E3 2008, a teaser trailer was released for the game. [cite web|url=http://www.games.net/video/bts/130100/hydrophobia-e3-2008-debut-trailer/|title="Hydrophobia": E3 2008 Debut Trailer|first=2008|publisher=Games.net|language=English|accessdate=2008-07-22]

Gameplay

Gameplay will involve the player being able to interact with the environment, and the realistic water dynamics. Rob Hewson stated that "player versus environment is certainly a large part of the experience, the wonderful thing about water is that it is constantly affecting every area of the environment, so you get incredible amounts of emergent behaviour. The player constantly has to adapt to the environment and react quickly because doors, walls and windows are going to cave in differently each time according to the distribution of water."cite web|url=http://www.ps3attitude.com/2008/09/hydrophobia-sequel-revealed-blade.html|title=Hydrophobia sequel revealed - Blade Interview Part 1 |date=September 22, 2008|publisher=PS3 Attitude|language=English|accessdate=2008-10-04] Players will also be able to visit previous locations that have been submerged and are able to interact with them in various ways. Hewson stated that players are able to "fight through an area one time and there might be a foot of water flowing around and effecting the environment, another person might play through the same area and blow out walls or windows causing a great deal of water to flow into the scene, meaning perhaps the gameplay switches to floating cover. Another player might shoot fuel barrels which let even more water into the scene but also spawn floating fuel fires which are carried around with the flow and find they need to resort to underwater action." [cite web|url=http://www.ps3attitude.com/2008/09/hydrophobia-exclusive-artwork-revealed.html|title=Hydrophobia exclusive artwork revealed - Blade Interactive Interview Part II |date=September 23, 2008|publisher=PS3 Attitude|language=English|accessdate=2008-10-04]

Plot summary

Story

Kate Wilson, the protagonist, is a systems engineer, who becomes a reluctant hero when terrorists attack and take over a futuristic city-sized cruise liner, the "Queen of the World". On board the ship, she serves as part of the security detail. She is eventually forced to confront her fears aboard the Queen in order to stop the terrorist attack. The terrorist attack takes place on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Queen of the World, and it's up to Kate to stop them. [cite web|url=http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/786/786307p1.html|title="Hydrophobia" Info Leaks out|last=Burman|first=Rob|date=May 8, 2007|publisher=IGN|language=English|accessdate=2008-10-03]

Setting

The game is set in the mid 21st Century where rising water levels have sunk most of mankind, and takes place aboard the Queen of the World, a luxury city sized ocean liner, built by a group of corporate giants known as the "Five Founding Fathers"; the group who, due to the Queen, have prospered while the rest of the world suffered. At the beginning of the game, the craft is bombed by a group of terrorists known as the Malthusians—named after political economist Thomas Malthus who predicted that population growth would one day outpace agricultural production, returning society to a subsistence level of existence. [cite web|url=http://threespeech.com/blog/2008/09/hydrophobia-one-to-watch-out-for-pt1/|title=Hydrophobia - one to watch out for (Part 1)|date=September 5, 2008|publisher=Three Speech |language=English|accessdate=2008-10-04]

Development

Game engine

The HydroEngine is a video game engine created by Blade Interactive for "Hydrophobia". Developed over three years and claimed to be the world's first fluid dynamics engine, it has a unique capability which allows modeling of flowing water and other liquids for the first time. [cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=13487 |title=Blade Announces Next-Gen Fluid Dynamics HydroEngine |last=Dobson|first=Jason|date=April 11, 2007|publisher=Gamasutra|language=English|accessdate=2008-10-03] It is entirely dynamic, which means the effect is not repeated and thus allowing different effects each time. The engine can also interface with solid body physics engines such as Havok,which allows objects and debris to be carried with the flow. [cite web|url=http://www.developmag.com/news/26514/Blade-sharpens-HydroEngine |title=Blade sharpens HydroEngine|last=French|first=Michael|date=April 12, 2007|publisher=DevelopMag|language=English|accessdate=2008-10-03] InfiniteWorldsGCS is Blade's development platform, which interfaces directly with the HydroEngine. According to the developers it is "an underlying architecture, which can interface with bespoke editors tailored to individual game projects". [cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=13910%20Blade%20Announces%20Middleware%20Gaming%20Dev%20Solution|title=Blade Announces Middleware Game Dev Solution|last= Dobson |first=Jason|date=May 11, 2007|publisher=Gamesutra|language=English|accessdate=2008-10-03]

Sequel

A sequel has been announced, despite the fact the video game has yet to be released. Pete Jones, Managing Director of Blade, reported that the game would take place in "a drowned Boston". [cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=243239|title="Hydrophobia" already set for a sequel |last=Purchese |first=Rob|date=September 23, 2008|publisher=Eurogamer|language=English|accessdate=2008-10-03]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.bladeinteractive.com/hydro.php Official Site]
* [http://threespeech.com/category/hydrophobia Hydrophobia Latest News]
* [http://uk.ps3.ign.com/objects/884/884576.html "Hydrophobia" (PS3)] | [http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/objects/899/899537.html (Xbox 360)] at IGN