Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising

 PC
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. Spank!
    90
    Hostile Waters is not only a superb PC game it's actually one of the very best games I've ever played.
    All this publication's reviews
  2. Adrenaline Vault
    90
    With superb graphics, sound, and music, as well as immersive and challenging gameplay, Rage has really done its job in making sure that this title has no real weaknesses. The plot development and cinematics are simply in a class by themselves.
  3. Yahoo!
    90
    Tremendous fun. It doesn't innovate so much as it refines and ties together a couple of different elements into a satisfying whole.
  5. Voodoo Extreme
    88
    It’s very fast paced, yet strategic at the same time – as such, it requires lightning fast decisions to be made in order to be successful. Many action gamers, as well as strategy gamers, will enjoy it.
  6. IGN
    87
    This is a great mix of strategy and action and should keep most gamers well entertained. There's a lot going for this title even through it's AI flaws and sometimes difficult command interface.
  7. Electric Playground
    85
    Nice single-player game progression, though, and a welcome transfusion of RTS gaming's life-blood.
  8. GameSpot
    85
    The game's excellent story, action elements, de-emphasis on repetitive base building, and largely automated resource collection ensure that even the most jaded real-time strategy player will find something fresh and exciting in Hostile Waters.
  9. Game Revolution
    83
    Best taken as what it is: an experience. It is a graphically beautiful, fully engrossing story that lets the player take the role of combatant and commander.
  10. GamePro
    80
    HW:AR creates innovative and white-knuckled gameplay that will strain both your reflexes and your wits, not to mention your cool head.
  11. Armchair Empire
    80
    Those strategists who want to work on their battlefield commanding ability will enjoy this game more than people whose greatest thrill is decimating an enemy with an unstoppable force.
  12. GameSpy
    79
    It's a "one night stand" of a game, pretty but not perfect, a nice way to kill some time, and it's good for the duration as long as you don't think too hard about it.
  13. ActionTrip
    69
    If you want an action strategy with unique moments, and you don't mind stupid camera placement, and you're not too much into online fighting, and live in Europe, Hostile Waters is a decent choice.
  14. GamePower
    50
    A distasteful plot combined with bitterly frustrating controls saps a lot of the fun out of what could have been a real winner.
    All this publication's reviews
  15. Gamezilla!
    45
    Ultimately, a gap-filled and very linear storyline, a lack of any sort of multiplayer or joystick support, and the relative ease of mission completion undermine any real value here for the gamer.

Awards & Rankings

49
#49 Best PC Game of 2001
74
#74 Most Discussed PC Game of 2001
49
#49 Most Shared PC Game of 2001

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 41 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 41
  3. Negative: 6 out of 41
  1. DGDrocks7
    Nov 19, 2012
    9
    It's been over a decade since this game was released. I thank my dad for buying me this game. The game was well presented. The story was veryIt's been over a decade since this game was released. I thank my dad for buying me this game. The game was well presented. The story was very powerful, and the narrator had you at the edge of your seat. As for graphics, they will obviously be ugly compared to those of more modern games, but, hey, this game was made in 2001, so give it a break. It was great at the time. Now for the gameplay. What a wonderful combination of real-time strategy and third-person shooter elements! Yes, it has the action, but you really need think, and start being strategic. And I love the resource management. The sound and music were excellent as well. What pains me is that there was no multiplayer. If it had multiplayer, then it would be a great game perfected. Unfortunately, the game only has a story mode, so once you beat the game, that's it. But it takes about 20-30 hours to complete, and a second playthrough is worth it, so that's like 40-60 hours. In conclusion, this is the best game nobody plays. I hope one day, someone will remake this game, solve all its issues and I'll buy it on day one.… Full Review »
  2. hwanin
    Apr 3, 2018
    10
    Absolutely hybrid game (of action/tactical/strategy elements) and what a brilliant one.

    The main title screen says 'Pugio in averso' which    Absolutely hybrid game (of action/tactical/strategy elements) and what a brilliant one.

    The main title screen says 'Pugio in averso' which means "I think in reverse". It suits the game well, but in its best meaning.

    Huge maps, sometimes frustrating level design (and I mean about the difficulty or the method to complete the goals). Fully 3D design, MI controlled built units (less than 10 per map!!) that you can take control anytime you want + the possibility to build other units that you control manually one by one. For me, the beauty of the game is the user interface in the first place. 1 tactical map (when you are there, the game is paused!) where you can give up to 8 or 9 orders per each unit even though they work cleverly by MI itself. During the game, you see a mini map and on the left top; a radar on the left bottom; you see the main screen and you can select 1 unit of your roster and while it is active, you see the live seed of its front/board camera. If you actually control or over-watch an MI controlled transporter or bomber aircraft, as an again additional live feed, you can see its bottom camera feed... Maybe it sounds too much, but during the game, it just works fine.

    Considering that the game is now 17 years old, the graphics are a bit outdated, but not ugly at all. The texture of the surface is very low, due to the capacity of the graphics cards back in 2001 and due to the huge maps. I play it now as I would be back in 2001. From 2001 perspective, it's beautiful.
    The textures of units are very good, the buildings are not bad at all, the water is quite alright.

    The sounds are OK, though not outstanding. The MI controlled units' voices are diverse, but they use the chat way too often, therefore it gets boring after a short while :(

    The music is OK for me, I never use it during the game though.

    The game is quite interactive. There are human units (not fighters) on the ground next to the buildings (lots of supportive/neutral buildings, fences, lamps) and the wood or rocks. You can even cause landslide by shooting at the right place - wtf :)

    Resource management is possibly the best part next to the UI. You can't mine fictional craps or chop wood or anything else. You simply recycle the destroyed units' and buildings' parts. Just like how we COULD do it in real life. You could see similar idea in the early RTS Total Annihilation, where you could recycle the "wreckage" of units, but this game puts it to a higher level.
    The "wrecks" corrode in the water and disappear after a short while. But they slowly corrode even on the ground. You can destroy these wrecks by shooting at them or driving over them by tanks. They are displayed on the radar and the mini map.

    The game physics are also well executed. If you drive to an edge of a cliff and stop, you can slowly slide into the deep, it depends on the weight of the unit and the slope angle.    … Full Review »
  3. Alexaev
    Jul 25, 2015
    10
    Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising is a 2001 strategy game, similar to the original Command and Conquer, where you create and use a variety ofHostile Waters: Antaeus Rising is a 2001 strategy game, similar to the original Command and Conquer, where you create and use a variety of ground and air defense units, collect resources, while battling an enemy on an island in the ocean. The story puts you in the middle of a world rebuilt after a war that nearly destroyed everything. The people of this new world once again find themselves in a conflict, this time against the leaders of the old world who escaped into hiding after losing the war.

    The story is pretty good and would make for an interesting reboot with a modern look. As a real-time strategy, it's actually pretty fun. The voice acting is decent and the game looks good for a 2001 release, but definitely outdated by todays standards. The game utilizes a 3D map, which is a nice change for RTS games released around the same time. The controls are different than I expected for an RTS. I usually like to micromanage my units, but with Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising you don't have that ability. There are an array of different units you can create, each with their own abilities and shortcomings, Unlike more popularly known titles such as the Command and Conquer games, in Antaeus Rising you have the ability to individually upgrade units with armor, shields and so on.

    All in all, while it might be a bit dated, it is a decent RTS and is worth picking up if you are into old school Real Time Strategy games. Personally, I would like to see this on a reboot list at some point in the future.    … Full Review »
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