Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Wetlands offers a classic on-rails shooter experience that will feel instantly familiar to fans of titles like Cyberia. Missions unfold along predetermined paths, guiding your submarine or combat suit through intricate underwater caverns and open ocean trenches. Your primary objective is straightforward: eliminate any hostiles that enter your crosshairs and survive to see the next animated cutscene. This simplicity keeps the action fast-paced, allowing you to focus on reaction times and weapon upgrades rather than complex navigation or exploration.

Despite its linear structure, Wetlands introduces enough variety to keep each encounter fresh. Some levels feature tight corridors where quick reflexes are paramount, while others open up into vast, aquatic arenas teeming with enemy drones, mutated sea creatures, and automated defense turrets. Between these underwater excursions, you’ll occasionally launch into low-gravity space skirmishes that test your aim in three dimensions. The shift from submarine hulls to zero-G dogfights provides a welcomed change of pace and reminds you of the larger galactic conflict at play.

Progression in Wetlands hinges on upgrading your arsenal and special gear. Salvaging wreckage and completing mission objectives rewards you with credits that can be spent on faster torpedoes, enhanced sonar shields, or experimental railgun prototypes. While the on-rails format limits exploration, these upgrade paths offer meaningful choices—do you bolster your defensive capabilities to withstand heavier fire, or do you lean into raw firepower to clear the screen faster? This tension between offense and defense adds an extra layer of strategy to what might otherwise be pure trigger discipline.

Graphics

Visually, Wetlands embraces a late-’90s sci-fi aesthetic, blending pre-rendered backgrounds with polygonal enemy models. The underwater sequences are particularly striking, with shafts of light filtering through the ocean’s surface and schools of bioluminescent creatures flickering in the distance. This attention to environmental detail gives each submerged mission a distinct atmosphere—whether you’re navigating murky trenches or a ruined coastal base.

The animated cutscenes between levels are a highlight, showcasing a mix of hand-drawn art and early CGI flourishes. These interludes not only advance the plot but also serve as a reward for completing each mission, breaking up the steady stream of combat with narrative flair. Characters move and emote in ways that, while not photo-realistic, capture the heightened drama of an interplanetary conflict and lend personality to your undercover commander.

Space missions shift to a darker palette punctuated by starfields and asteroid debris. Enemy ships and projectiles glow against the blackness, making targets easy to identify even when multiple foes swarm your viewport. The sound design complements the visuals nicely: muffled sonar pings and the roar of thrusters underwater transition smoothly to the high-pitched whine of particle beams in orbit. Together, the graphics and audio craft an immersive backdrop for the game’s relentless action.

Story

Set in the near future, Wetlands thrusts you into the heart of a planetary war that has spilled into the oceans and beyond. The inciting incident is the daring rescue of the galaxy’s most notorious prisoner—a criminal mastermind who once threatened entire civilizations. As an undercover agent, you’re ordered to infiltrate enemy bases, track down the fugitive, and bring him back at any cost. The stakes are personal and political, since his knowledge could tip the balance of the war.

While the core premise remains straightforward, the game’s narrative unfolds through detailed mission briefings and animated sequences that reveal layers of intrigue. You’ll discover factions vying for control, old alliances fracturing, and hints that the prisoner’s rescue may have deeper motives than initially disclosed. Dialogues are punchy and loaded with military jargon, reinforcing your role as a hardened operative who must navigate both battlefield tactics and shifting loyalties.

The pacing of the story works hand in glove with the gameplay loop: you complete a mission, the plot advances, and a new twist emerges. Although some players may find the overarching narrative predictable, the execution—bolstered by the game’s visual storytelling—keeps you invested from start to finish. Occasional moral quandaries add emotional weight: do you follow orders to the letter, or trust your instincts when orders conflict with what you learn about the prisoner’s true intentions?

Overall Experience

Wetlands delivers a refreshing throwback to the heyday of linear shooters, complete with memorable FMV cutscenes and pulse-pounding aquatic combat. Its straightforward design makes it easy for newcomers to jump in without worrying about complex controls or open-world navigation. At the same time, its upgrade systems and occasional branching mission objectives provide enough depth to satisfy more seasoned action fans.

While the on-rails format may feel restrictive to those craving full 360° freedom, the game’s pacing and visual variety—ranging from dank ocean floors to star-studded voids—compensate for any lack of exploration. The soundtrack and sound effects heighten the tension, ensuring that each mission feels like a life-or-death gamble. For players who relish high-octane shooting with a cinematic overlay, Wetlands strikes a compelling balance between simplicity and spectacle.

Ultimately, Wetlands is an engaging adventure for anyone looking to relive the charm of classic rail shooters with a modern polish. It may not reinvent the genre, but its charismatic storytelling, striking visuals, and relentless action make it an easy recommendation for fans of underwater warfare and interstellar intrigue alike. Strap into your submersible or suit up for zero-G combat—your mission to recover the galaxy’s most dangerous prisoner starts now.

Retro Replay Score

6.6/10