Back in 1997, Singletrac, the developers of Twisted Metal, produced another Vehicular Combat game under GT Interactive for the PlayStation. Its main difference was that the players would battle in various undersea battlegrounds with a variety of dangerous and bizarre submarines. There was also more Back Story given to flesh out its many combatants and factions.
The plot involves a series of mysterious pods appearing in oceans across the world, which attracts a number of treasure hunters, governments and organizations to try and discover their purpose and use them for their various desires. Each level contains five pods which all must be collected to activate a Threshold that leads to the next level.
Fighting for the pods and threshold are:
- CIA, who believe the pods to be of extraterrestrial origin and intend to keep anyone else from discovering its secret. Pilots the Manta.
- The Soviet Die Hards, a trio of former Soviet military and government leaders attempting to resurrect the Soviet Union. Pilots the Stalingrad.
- The French Oceanographers, who believe that the pods are living creatures and intend to finally get some respect from their peers. Pilots the La Griffe.
- Dr. A. Pocalypse, Mad Scientist who wishes to wipe out the rest of humanity and repopulate it with a more superior race. Pilots the Armageddon.
- The Order of Nishroch, a cult believing the pods to be a sign of the Apocalypse from their god Zonrad. Pilots the Ohm.
- Team Earth Hope, a pair of environmentalists intending to kill anyone attempting to take what they believe are natural wonders. Pilots the Siren's Song.
- Captain Cutlass, disgruntled former children's-show host turned full-blown Pirate. Pilots the Sea Dog.
- The Mordrid Corporation, run by Dana Nadel, who intends to use the pods for an alternative energy source or whatever for profits. Pilots the Bottom Liner.
- The Venganza Liberation Organization, a group determined to end the oppression and exploitation of Venganza. Pilots the Anarchy.
- Joe Skullion, a Surfer Dude who's there for thrills and finding spiritual peace. Pilots the Death Sled.
- Professor Armstrong, Adventurer Archaeologist who believes the pods to come from an ancient race. Pilots the Archimedes.
- Jack "Lock Jaw" Keon, Prof. Armstrong's protégé-turned-rival, aiming to add the pods to his private collection. Pilots the Lockjaw.
- Mr. Phatt, arms-dealer and alter alias of Sebastion Titan, another Corrupt Corporate Executive with a strong understanding of the pods and thresholds. Pilots the Kronos.
- Agent 326, British secret agent sent to stop Dr. Pocalypse's plans. Pilots the Barracuda.
- Abaddon, robotic servant to Dr. Pocalypse, who is programmed to help achieve Pocalypse's plan to the point where it will turn against Pocalypse to achieve such a goal. Pilots the Razor Fin.
- The Overseer, a Cephalopod left on Earth thousands of years ago, now trying to stop humans from collecting the pods. Pilots the Hydro Spydor.
This game also contains examples of:
- A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Doctor A. Pocalypse creates Abaddon to carry out his plan of eliminating human life to create a genetically superior race. Once Abaddon is online, its analysis determines no one is genetically superior enough, including the Doctor.
- Aliens Steal Cattle: The CIA provides aliens fresh bovine placentas in return for their staying under wraps.
- Amphibious Automobile: Agent 326's Barracuda, and a rather fancy one at that.
- Arrows on Fire: Yes, they do work underwater. And with homing capabilities, to boot.
- As You Know: In story mode, there's usually some form of exposition on what exactly the pods do. Though by the time you come across it, you already have pretty much the whole picture.
- Bag of Spilling: The game won't let you use old pods in new areas. This is achieved by removing the pods from your inventory when you enter the new arena. Complete with messages flashing to inform you that you just dropped the pods you're looking for. Of course, collecting said pods is the GOAL of each level, so letting you keep them would pretty much defeat the whole purpose.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: The Cephalopods have a track record as bad as Calypso when it comes to this. Joe Skullion and Captain Cutlass are the few who come out on top.
- Captain's Log: Seen before each level/map in story mode, usually as a diary by your chosen character.
- Combos: You're rewarded for chaining different weapons/attacks against one enemy sub. You even unlock Mr. Phatt this way, by finishing him off with a combo that does a certain amount of damage.
- Cool Boat: Basically the whole point of the game.
- Cyanide Pill: The CIA refers to them as "Patriot Pills".
- Die, Chair, Die!: Every map has a lot of destructible objects...including fish that explode into gory sushi when shot.
- Disc-One Final Boss: But not in the way you might think: The Mr. Phatt you battle in Missions mode is later revealed to be an impostor.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: After losing his job and gaining a taste of blood throughout the story, Captain Cutlass becomes a space pirate with his own ship and crew and is having a blast doing so.
- Easy-Mode Mockery: If you play on the lowest difficulty, story mode won't continue past Mr. Phatt. You'll even get some text basically telling you, "Want to see what happens next? Then quit playing Easy, wimp!"
- Gotta Catch Them All: You have to collect the pods in every map.
- If It Swims, It Flies: Inverted — The Bottom Liner is a modified private jet.
- Karmic Death: Some characters' endings qualify:
- The CIA is stated multiple times to have handed over humans to other alien races in exchange for technology. The Cephalopods are intrigued by their offer to do the same with them... in that they find it inconceivable that the CIA would "betray their own species", and viciously dissect the agents to understand their behavior.
- Mr. Phatt wants to rule the minds of everyone on Earth. The surgery needed to give sufficient cranial capacity for this makes his head so large that it crushes him to death.
- Dana Nadel wants to be "showered with wealth" from controlling Earth's resources. She and her flunkies are crushed by falling meteors made of gold.
- Literal Genie: Like Calypso in Twisted Metal, the Cephalopods tend to be this. Unlike Calypso, they're not actively malicious in most endings and often don't seem to realize that they're inflicting ironic, painful fates:
- The Soviet Die Hards want to restore the Soviet Union and Communism, which is regularly referred to in their storyline as "every person being an equal part of a larger whole". The Cephalopods grotesquely merge every person on Earth into one giant... thing.
- Doctor Pocalypse is forcibly given a repulsive female Cephalopod to replace Evelyn with because the Cephalopods actually notice that she's only there for the Fanservice and he needs a being with "higher intelligence" to procreate with.
- The Order of Nisroch is told their god Zornad has been asleep right under their noses in the ocean, and the Cephalopods awaken him for the Order to commune with. Zornad is an Eldritch Abomination and he promptly eats them.
- The V.L.O. wish to end the oppression of their nation by other countries. The Cephalopods ensure this by drowning everyone else.
- Lightning Bruiser: Agent 326 vehicle, The Barracuda, has both high speed and high armor.
- The Men in Black: The CIA, of course. They even sport fedoras!
- Mission Briefing: Some of the pre-level Captains' Logs take this form; most notably the CIA.
- Multi-Armed and Dangerous: The Cephalopod race, as well as Abaddon.
- Multiple Endings: One for each character.
- News Travels Fast: Apparently, news of mysterious pods and a network of portals around the world spread fast enough for all of the various factions to learn of them, acquire combat submarines, and all go after them at once.
- No Fair Cheating: No points or unlockables are given if you use cheats.
- Pacifist Run: It is not necessary to destroy the other subs; just grab the pods and leave. Death Match mode, however, just focuses on killing everyone.
- Power-Up: The pods. Each one gives your sub a buff in some aspect (shielding, health, etc.)
- Meaningful Name: Dr. Adam Pocalypse, befitting his name, wants to Kill All Humans.
- Mighty Glacier: The Soviet Die Hards' Stalingard sub has the highest armor in-game, but is also the slowest one.
- Sapient Cetaceans: The Cephalopod race had intended for dolphins to rule the earth. In Team Earth Hope's ending, they are dismayed to find humans have taken over after millions of years, and vow to fix the situation.
- Stripperiffic: Evelyn appears in only a lab coat and jeans.
- The Chosen One: Joe Skullion is apparently the Cephalopods' chosen one.
- Threshold Guardians: The five Cephalopods.
- Videogame Cruelty Potential: Blowing up various aquatic lifeforms. Even more ironic when using Team Earth Hope to do it.
- Water Is Air: Zig-zagged. Your sub will take damage if you go to especially deep water, but otherwise, battles look and feel more like fighting with planes than with submarines. (To the point of one playable sub being a modified plane!)
- Worthy Opponent: Joe Skullion laments in his between-level diary that he's getting bored of mopping the floor with his opponents in the early levels. Then Mr. Phatt comes along...
- You Have Failed Me: When the Cephalopods discover the Overseer's ruse to use the Siren's Song to make them think dolphins became the dominant species as was planned, they reassign him to Hydrus 3 to oversee the evolution of the acid-spitting proto-roaches there. Hopefully, the Overseer remembered his acid-resistant toxin suit.
