Hydrophobia revealed

By Robert Purchese Published 8 May, 2007

Water way to go.

Blade Interactive has finally taken the wrapping off its next-generation project Hydrophobia, which is due for release sometime next year.

It's a third-person action game for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 that revolves around that stuff we all take for granted, water.

The action takes place on an enormous ship, which more closely resembles a floating city than a P&O ferry. It comes under attack and you'll be drafted in to go below and sort out the damage. You being Kate, who just so happens to be terrified of water.

Hydrophobia takes water simulation to the next level. The developer reckons it's the first team to really tackle the physical properties of the stuff, simulating the currents and devastating effect it can have on its environments. It also looks pretty snazzy.

And given that the puzzles and action are all more or less based around the liquid, Blade's confidence in its engine is reassuring.

We've had a chance to see it in action and will be bringing you our impressions of a game that had us very excited later this week.

Meanwhile you can swim over to our Hydrophobia gallery to submerge yourself in the latest screenshots.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (35) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Dizzy #1 5 years ago

    [insert wet t-shirt joke here]
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/07 @ 13:48

  • toy_brain #2 5 years ago

    So, Tomb Raider but with more and better wather then? (judging by screenshots).
    Or Raw Danger but with (much) better graphics?

    Cynicism aside, it could be pretty good. I'm all for platformy games set in realistic-ish environments.

  • kangarootoo #3 5 years ago

    I can't help feeling a little reticent over this one at this stage. All those screens just look like pitch material. I don't actually see any gameplay.

    There is just something about this that, at this stage, says "its an engine that does water well, waiting for gameplay to come along and complete the picture".

    I really hope it turns out well as it looks like a nice concept, but nice water effects alone won't make a good title so I can't really form an opinion at this time (other than being inherently a bit cynical and suspicious).

  • MyWifeNowDave #4 5 years ago

    I would buy this just for the water physics. Really.

  • RandolphScott #5 5 years ago

    i hope they get the water good enough

  • Royal Fool #6 5 years ago

    Looks pretty good. I spotted this back when you first wrote about it, and I must say I'm intrigued.

  • L0cky #7 5 years ago

    What if you don't like water levels?

  • Tomo #8 5 years ago

    Looks plastic.

  • Eldritch #9 5 years ago

    Does that girl have any skin textures or is that just flat shading?

  • DrunKao #10 5 years ago

    I read somewhere that their water technology had been in R&D for 3 years.

  • Mr_Whacker #11 5 years ago

    Sounds like you've got a nasty case of Hydrophobia yourself there, Kanga. The fear of pointless water themed videogames?

  • The-Bodybuilder #12 5 years ago

    I'm I the only one that read "homophobia revealed"?

  • The-Bodybuilder #13 5 years ago

    Honestly, the concept is intriguing, and if sucessful, could be a great game with great atmosphere.

    Imagine a deep blue sea scenario, with water levels rising as one tries to escape, and maybe even sharks lurking about.
    This where next gen hould be aiming. Sure it's not an entirely new concept (essentially a survival game), but the tech is there to make it successful.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #14 5 years ago

    This looks pretty decent. If they get the platform-y and puzzle-y elements right, this could be a good little game. Most of all I'm looking forward to some good water simulation, though.

    Bit scared how pervy that sounds...

  • bonker #15 5 years ago

    Well this seems to have a smattering of originality about it - conceptually at least. Yes, it'll be interesting to see how it plays but again, it's a great concept.

    Plus I didn't see a single gun in any of those screenshots which makes it an 80% buy for me straight away ...

  • Les #16 5 years ago

    "but nice water effects alone won't make a good title"

    Tell that to the creators of Bioshock... ;-)

  • TwistidChimp #17 5 years ago

    Looks very interesting, if they've managed to really make the water be integral to the gameplay, then colour me seriously interested. Having just gone to their site, I cant find a single video of the engine in action which is disapointing. I understand they might want to keep it under wraps till they're ready to release a headline grabbing trailer, but it would have been nice to atleast get a look at the tech in action.

  • T4RG4 #18 5 years ago

    Blade Interactive, IIRC, suck balls. Therefore hold no hope for this!

  • TwistidChimp #19 5 years ago

    I've never heard of them, their website doesn't fill me with confidence tbh. What else have they done ?

  • RexRunti #20 5 years ago

    I'm sorry but what is a women with hydrophobia a)doing on a boat and b)tasked with going down to the bowls of the ship... where's there's lot's of water

  • TwistidChimp #21 5 years ago

    Aparently she 'thought that would be the best way of getting over her fear' although I cant imagine they would have hired her knowing she was a hydrophobic.

  • spongebob #22 5 years ago

    Looks interesting. I really love new IP. It's so much easier to get excited about.

  • The-Bodybuilder #23 5 years ago

    >"but it would have been nice to atleast get a look at the tech in action"

    And end up with a too human situation?

  • Machetazo #24 5 years ago

    Very impressed by what's there. Bit worried about the shot where it looks like she's swimming in red stuff, though. Gulp. I (again) hope guns play little to no part, and we must instead solve puzzles, (I wonder what effect a rising water level might have, on our heroine?) or just get into, or out of places in time. That sort of thing. Visuals: yummy. :)

  • kangarootoo #25 5 years ago

    @Mr_Whacker

    I have Hypeophobia

  • TwistidChimp #26 5 years ago

    @ The body builder

    hehe, yeah well I didn't mean clips of the game neccesarily, just some clips of the water technology they've been developing for 3 years.

  • captainrentboy #27 5 years ago

    Thankfully for a game based around the wet stuff those water effects do seem to be pretty sexy going from the screenshots. Especially the one from slightly above where the lass is just coming around a corner.
    Colour me officially intrigued about this game now.
    Ohhh and where's Alan Wake dammit?

  • TheUnionFrag #28 5 years ago

    For a game that revolves around water - the water doesn't actually look that good :/ take a hint from Crisis, LOTRO and Supreme Commander guys.

  • kangarootoo #29 5 years ago

    I think the proof of the pudding with all water effects is what they look like when they are moving.

    Fluid dynamics. As in fluid... being dynamic. That is what its all about.

  • Badgerous_Fiend #30 5 years ago

    i'll make ya right, kanga. If I get dragged downstream by the flow of the water, i'll be much happier than how "pretty" it looks.

    looking forward to seeing stuff moving etc. in the xbox mag they were in (XBOX World?) they were going on about filling rubber ducks with explosives and sending them downstream

    sounds genius :p

  • SomaticSense #31 5 years ago

    Is it just me, or does it look like they've basically ripped the Lara Croft model from Legend and just reskinned it? Seriously, it looks exactly the same....

  • Kiigan #32 5 years ago

    Even if their water simulation is amazing, those "screenshots" look ridiculous because the character looks like a slightly androgynous Real Doll. Why show stuff like that?

  • SBfistfun #33 5 years ago

    Blade interactive = shite

    shite with water though, wwWWWoooooooooooWW

  • Badgerous_Fiend #34 5 years ago

    By "exactly the same as Laura Croft" do you mean brunette and a game character? :p

    Anyways..

    Personally I don't care what they've done in the past tho. Any developer with the balls (no snooker pun intended) to go against the grain and create something other than a (insert generic "blockbuster" here) gets my vote.

  • NeedMoreSocks81 #35 5 years ago

    It's nice to see a next gen game which actually gives us new tech which was not possible on previous generation machines, which actually has an implicit and meaningful gameplay implication. Flowing water really does open up a whole load of possibilities - and if it's as dynamic as they claim, this could be truly outstanding.