Treasures of the Deep Review

Written by: David Laprad Published: September 24, 2006 Treasures of the Deep from Oberon Games does everything a good Arkanoid game should do. Set in several underwater environments, the visuals are stimulating, the audio has oomph and the controls are smooth as silk. Several standard bonuses are on hand, but the game doesn't overload you with pickups. You'll spend more time catching gems and hitting balls back into play. And, remarkably for an offering with such restraint, the gameplay doesn't get boring. Why? Partly due to the level design. Many current Arkanoid games consist of levels that resemble houses, airplanes, giant bugs and so on. But Treasures of the Deep fashions levels from an assortment of geometric shapes that fit together and are animated in creative ways. The underwater physics are fun, too. When you hit a column of bricks, they're jolted upward and then slowly settle down. There are other cool surprises in store for players, but I'll leave it up to you to discover them. Just know that in a market stuffed to the gills with Arkanoid games, Treasures of the Deep is worth diving into. Scoring (out of five dragon heads): Graphics: Ease of use: Gameplay: Difficulty: Sound effects: Music: Final analysis: Click here to download the free trial version of Treasures of the Deep.