Dive Alert review by substance J

I feel a sort of odd connection to Dive Alert. I've been following it for over a year and a half now...from its days as "Passive Sonar" to the news of its English translation, I've been very excited about the concept and design of the game, not to mention the fact its development team is comprised of ex-Squaresoft employees. Was it worth the wait?


Graphics
Simply due to the nature of the gameplay, you won't find a stunning graphical extravaganza here. But still, Dive Alert manages to satisfy with a wealth of good character and mechanical designs, all of which are nicely presented onscreen. At first glance, the character portraits used during text exchanges look rather ordinary...then suddenly you'll notice a blinking eye, a raised eyebrow, smiling, or other subtle animations. These touches add a lot of personality to the already interesting character designs. The static art screens convey the atmosphere well.

The sonar screen used for exploration and combat is clean and easy to make sense of, but it's about as exciting as watching your stereo's graphic equalizer. One of the problems with this display is that it is often impossible to tell if you're moving or standing still, since the only things that scroll are enemies and weapon shots. In the back of my head, I know I'm moving, but it's irritating to go for as much as 30 seconds without any sign of progress. One element I like is the way the screen darkens as you dive further down, creating a sense of depth.


Sound
Music is standard, for the most part...perhaps a bit uninspired. The Domus theme is catchy, though most of the other music is nondescript. There are basically two songs used during story scenes; one song for normal dialog, and another used in dramatic situations. When piloting your sub, though, things are slightly more diverse. For example, when you move to a greater depth, the music gradually changes (a cool touch). I'm a bit disappointed in the SFX department, or rather, lack of. Out of the few samples used, none of them really caught my attention. Sonar blips and all those typical sounds I associate with submarines would have been a great addition.


Gameplay
Dive Alert has a cast, a plot, and a handful of other RPG elements, but with play it quickly becomes obvious that it is, first and foremost, a submarine combat simulation. After reading through the initial, perfunctory story sequences, you take control of your SAS and head out on a mission. Mission targets are always interesting, ranging from giant amoebas to mysterious phantom ships, but your goal is always the same; destroy. More often than not, it's impossible to predict what sorts of weapons or strategy will need to be employed, since there is no briefing to fill you in on such details ahead of time. This adds to the tedium by forcing you to frequently replay missions, which is made even more tiresome by dialog that cannot be skipped. Blindly hitting "A" for 5 minutes just isn't satisfying.

The real-time combat engine is very realistic (which can be considered good or bad depending on your perspective). While piloting your SAS, you must monitor a number of gages such as oxygen, power, and other vital information. There are 4 'levels' of depth that can be used strategically to attack enemies on different planes (i.e., depth charging enemies below you, or sending floating mines to the surface to destroy unsuspecting ships), and can also have different effects on your own sub. With all of these factors to consider during combat, it's easy to make mistakes and end up in a barrage of unfriendly torpedoes. Even when using high-powered engines, evading enemy fire is difficult and time consuming, so I often find myself absorbing shots while attacking in a stationary position, or even ramming enemies with my own hull.


Overall
I really wanted to enjoy Dive Alert, and at first glance, it seemed like a real winner. Sacnoth (and their high production values) created a believable, complete environment for their characters to inhabit, and the translation work is some of the best I've seen. As a true RPG, Dive Alert would have possessed an engrossing world, cool art, and a great cast. As a pure real-time combat simulation, it would have provided a realistic and challenging experience for the niche market. Splicing both these elements together was a huge mistake, as they are simply detrimental to each other. Dive Alert was obviously well intentioned, but the experience of playing it is so convoluted, I really can't recommend it to anyone. If you're looking for an engrossing and addictive SRPG, Yumekobo's Biomotor Unitron is still the best choice.