Hydrophobia: Prophecy

Hydrophobia Prophecy is an improved version of the game Hydrophobia, designed for the PlayStation 3 and Steam. Hydrophobia Prophecy includes both new levels (updated approximately 70% of the content) and levels already exist, but have undergone significant processing.

Both the original and the reworked version of the game are created as part of the action-adventure genre with elements of survival horror in the cyberpunk style.

Place and time of action

The game takes place in the middle of the XXI century. By this time, the world is plunged into chaos caused by great overpopulation. Lands suitable for food production are destroyed by rising ocean levels and the spread of deserts. Hunger and misery reign in the world. The most precious resource of humanity in these conditions is simple drinking water.

The game takes place on board a giant cruise liner comparable in size to the city. The liner is called Queen of the World, it was built by a group of giant corporations to create comfortable conditions for the elected representatives from among the managers of these corporations.

History

At the very beginning of the game, a group of terrorists is attacking and seizing a ship. The terrorists call themselves "Neo Malthusians" (after the economist Thomas Malthus, who predicted the death of humanity from overpopulation). They plan to kill many people so that the world will return to a state fit for a full life. Attacking the liner, the terrorists painted the walls with their slogans, the same slogans are broadcast on screens all over the ship. One of the slogans: “Save the World - Kill Yourself!”.

The terrorists are attacking a diner to get a tool for global genocide, killing about 10 billion people - such tools are in the secret laboratories of one of the Five Corporations located on the liner - “NanoCell Corporation”.

The protagonist, system engineer of the ship Kate Wilson, was responsible for the safety of the liner - when as a result of an attack by terrorists the ship begins to sink, Kate seeks to survive and tries to prevent the terrorists. What she needs for this, too, is in these secret laboratories.

Gameplay

One of the creators of the game described the gameplay as a “player against the environment”, meaning, first of all, water - water constantly interacts with everything it comes in contact with, and it gives an incredible variety of situations, sets of options for changing circumstances.

Water floods the liner, constantly changing the configuration of spaces suitable for action and movement. The player must constantly adapt to this and respond quickly.

Other characters can also affect the situation, and this effect also leads to a redistribution and movement of water. Water may involve other objects and substances in its actions — for example, a gasoline stain that has spread through water may ignite and burn, while water carries these fiery stains throughout the ship.

The action can occur both on the surface of the water and in its thickness.

HydroEngine, an engine capable of solving this problem with unprecedented realism, was created to simulate flowing water in all its variety for the game.