A futuristic submarine combat simulation developed by Criterion Games and published by Ubisoft for Windows PCs and the Sega Dreamcast in 2000.
A colony of humans is facing the imminent destruction of its habitat at the hand of volcanic eruptions. In response, construction has started on a gigantic Mothership to relocate then entire populace. You are Moray 2, one of the last class of graduates of the Academy, and your duties will be split between assisting the construction effort and fending off attacks by the mysterious Shadowkins.
Deep Fighter is based on Criterion's earlier submarine game Sub Culture, but eschews the Wide-Open Sandbox format for a linear mission-based structures, playing much like games like Wing Commander and Archimedean Dynasty. The game alternates between typical combat and Escort Mission and more sedate tasks, such as replenishing stock for a fish farm or mining thorium crystals.
Moray 2, can you provide some examples of tropes over there?
- Colony Ship: The goal of the game is to build one such vessel for the population of the Colony. While at base, you can check on reports of its construction progress.
- Easing into the Adventure: The story starts off with Moray 2 having just graduated from training and doing menial non-combat assignments like mining crystal and herding yellowfish to replenish a fish farm. It's not until the Shadowkins start attacking that the complexity and intensity of your assignments goes up a notch.
- Great Offscreen War: Some flavour text mentions a "Great War" that occured but it's not detailled much. It is distant enough that Moray 2 is stated to have no memories of it.
- Hot Sub-on-Sub Action: Submarine combat is a major part of the game, though the subs behave more like spaceships. They're single-seaters, have smooth movement with little inertia and employ Energy Weapon and torpedos that behave like missiles.
- Human Subspecies: The Shadowkins are a faction of humans that splintered off from the initial colonization effort for unknown reasons. They've since diverged through bio-engineering and speak a different language (whose translation is represented as a loud Cockney accent).
- Live-Action Cutscene: The briefing video employ live actors over composite backgrounds. Of note that is that the game was an early acting role for David Walliams.
- Secret Character: By blowing up a random wall with the Demolition Charges and towing it back to a drop-off point, players can unlock the pirate submarine from Sub Culture. It has all-around mediocre stats and is only really there as an Easter Egg.
