The folks at Headup Games have announced that their underwater shoot-em-up explorer Earth Atlantis will be splashing onto new consoles very soon, with June 1 release for both PS4 and Xbox One. The game has been available for the Nintendo Switch for about half a year now, and has been received mostly favorably. This re-release onto PlayStation and Xbox hardware promises re-balanced gameplay mechanics, tweaks, and more.
Earth Atlantis is a 2D side-scrolling shooter, in which players pilot a submarine through deep ocean settings and do battle with dangerous creatures. Players can unlock multiple different ships, all with unique special weapons and abilities, to vary their playstyle through the game, as they explore in the game’s Quest Mode, and go on the offensive in Hunter Mode.
In the world of Earth Atlantis, a “Great Climate Shift” occurred right at the turn of the 21st century, leaving nearly the entirety of Earth’s surface underwater. With human civilization all but wiped out, a new type of machine/creature hybrid has taken over much of the planet. These marine mechanical monsters stalk the depths, hunting for prey. As an undersea Hunter, the player must gear up their ship with weapons and bring the fight to these creatures to destroy them and keep the oceans safe.
As evidenced in the trailer, the game features a distinct visual style, reminiscent of 14th century pencil sketchwork. The old-timey aesthetic throws back to a time when there was still much to be explored of Earth’s oceans, and when tales of sea monsters were taken a bit more seriously, building on the game’s themes.
Re-balanced gameplay mechanics come with this re-release of Earth Atlantis, which are promised to keep gameplay enjoyable “even for non-hardcore shooter players”. Players will also now be able to use the d-pad to steer their ship, as a nod to retro control schemes from 2D shooters of yesteryear.
Earth Atlantis arrives on PS4 and Xbox One on June 1.