Today, the Slovak development studio Games Distillery reveals new details of its upcoming naval shooter “AQUA – Naval Warfare”. The game will be released by Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox LIVE Arcade in summer this year.

Basic player ships
In AQUA, the player will be steering what at the first glance may appear as just a small ship, but in truth, this small ship bears a formidable arsenal of weapons like guns, torpedoes, flamers and mines, all ready to wreak havoc in the enemy lines at his command. As the story progresses the player will get access to three basic ship types each supporting different weapon types and ship characteristics:

VIXEN CLASS CRUISER
The Vixen class cruiser is a real all-rounder – designed for independent combat operations, it combines good speed and maneuverability with a wide choice of weapons and no serious weaknesses – rapid-firing gatlings, volley shotguns and armor-piercing cannons can all be equipped to this ship. Standard torpedoes and mines round up the offensive selection. In the hands of a skilled and resolute commander, the cruiser can take up most of the challenges the enemy can offer. The Cruiser can summon volleys of high-explosive “Angelstrike” rockets to destroy any enemies around it.

SEAFURY CLASS GUNSHIP
The Seafury gunship is a heavy-weapon platform – designed to breach enemy formations and unleash devastating hailstorms of heavy ordnance. The ship can be equipped with a large variety of guns to deliver a massive punch in battle – heavy gatlings, double-shot Bismarck cannon and even the Prototype pulse-modulating Dominator cannon. As barter for all this tremendous firepower and variety, the Seafury has limited torpedo and mine capabilities and is less maneuverable than other ships. A good captain would however never let the enemy discover these drawbacks – anyone trying will be touching the sea bottom before he can spot any weakness. The Gunship can call the secret “Angelcraft” prototype airplane to support it in battle.

BULLIT CLASS SPEEDBOAT
The Bullit Speedboat is a new design recently introduced to the Emperean Navy. Some more traditional-thinking admirals may discard this ship as hardly more than an extravagant toy, since it trades off classical firepower for speed, maneuverability and more experimental weapons – the Speedboat is equipped with multiple types of torpedoes and mines – guided torpedoes, volley torpedoes and even the notorious Anaconda rapid-fire torpedo. This set of abilities allows the Bullit to dodge almost everything the enemy can throw at it, while outmaneuvering the target and obliterating it from distance with its sophisticated weapon systems. The Speedboat can utilize the “Angelstorm” impulse device to disable and stun enemies around it, making them easy prey even for its weaker board guns.

Warshop & Upgrades
Each ship can equip various weapons and upgrades. The player will be able to enter special “Warshops” in the game levels to choose a ship type for the next operation and equip it with the right setup of guns and tweaks. Various upgrades can be equipped here, increasing either the general ship abilities, the performance of the guns or adding abilities to the player’s squad. Each ship has 3 weapon and 3 upgrade slots which the player can fill with his own selection of items, providing huge variety and room for replay and experimentation. Some upgrades and weapons can be found hidden in the game levels way before they become available in regular Warshops, so keep that lookout station on the topmast manned in all situations!

Squadron commands
When one ship is simply not enough to handle all aspects and challenges of naval war, it is time to look for some persuasive means of support.

In AQUA, this comes in the form of a small squadron of allied ships. The player can pick a squad of four support ships in specialized “Squadshops” and lead them in tactical operations. While still concentrating on controlling his own ship, the squad can be commanded through a simple interface of context-sensitive orders.

Four types of squad-ships become available during the campaign, each specialized in a different field of combat operations:

Fighter Squad - Compensating the lack of special new technology with good old firepower and solid armor, Fighter squads are fairly proficient in most combat situations.

Sieger Squad - Equipped with ballistic artillery cannons, Sieger squads cause massive damage to structures and can be an unwelcome surprise to all unarmored enemies.

Healer Squad - Utilizing advanced mass-energy transformator technologies, Healer squads can significantly prolong the lifetime of allied vessels in action.

Sonar Squad - This technologically advanced squad has the ability to detect and attack hidden submarines. The sonar rays also jam all enemy homing missiles within range.