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Undertow (video game)
Encyclopedia
Undertow is an original video game
developed by Chair Entertainment
for the Xbox 360
's Xbox Live Arcade
service.
Through conquest-style battles, players obtain points by killing enemies, accomplishing team goals, and capturing check points. Points and a variety of power-ups can be used to further upgrade unit abilities.
and his followers become enraged at the oceanic disturbances, joining the fight. With the city of Atlantis thawed by the melting of the ice caps the Atlanteans
also become a threat, vowing to reclaim the planet and rule again.
announced through an official company press release that Undertow was in development for Xbox LIVE Arcade. The news had been first reported in an exclusive "first look" preview on IGN.com and quickly became a popular news item across all other major gaming news sites. In addition to the news, the company also released a 30 second teaser trailer, which revealed the first footage of the game in action. Creative Director, Donald Mustard was quoted, "We’ve really enjoyed designing Undertow for Xbox LIVE Arcade because it’s given us the freedom to create a pure gaming experience focused on fun, addictive game play. Whether a player is looking for hours of intense multiplayer or they have just 10 minutes for the ultimate gaming experience, we’re confident Undertow will be as exciting to play as it has been for us to create." Chair began production on Undertow in the fall of 2006 and the game was released on November 21, 2007.
On January 18, 2008, Microsoft selected Undertow for its free game offer from January 23 through January 27 as compensation for the holiday traffic/outage experienced on Xbox Live
. Given the game's strong focus on multiplayer, Chair welcomed the opportunity to participate in this promotion as the immediate influx of hundreds of new players greatly enhanced the competitive game play experience.
A single downloadable content
pack was released for the game. Titled "Path of the Elect", the pack featured a new five-mission campaign following the story of the Elect, the aquatic alien race responsible for flooding the Earth, as well as new multiplayer maps.
As of year-end 2010, Undertow has moved more than 634,000 units.
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
developed by Chair Entertainment
Chair Entertainment
Chair Entertainment Group is an American video game developer based in Salt Lake City, Utah.-History:Chair Entertainment Group was formed in 2005 by Advent Rising creators, Donald and Geremy Mustard, CEO Ryan Holmes, and key members from the core design team behind Advent Rising. Soon after, Chair...
for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
's Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
service.
Gameplay
Undertow features a 15 level campaign for single-player or co-op and two multiplayer modes for up to 16 players. Players select their race (Iron Marine, Nemoidian, Atlantean, or Elect) and unit type and are then launched into battle. Each of the four races features four unique, upgradeable unit types ranging in ability from the fast and agile to the large and powerful. Players have the ability to unlock and purchase unit upgrades as they acquire points. Each unit type has three levels of permanent upgrades.Through conquest-style battles, players obtain points by killing enemies, accomplishing team goals, and capturing check points. Points and a variety of power-ups can be used to further upgrade unit abilities.
Plot
Undertow is set underwater, where an aquatic alien race known as the Elect launches an attack on the polar ice caps, causing them to melt and flood the planet. Most of the human race is decimated in the destruction. The remaining humans band together to reclaim the planet back from the alien race. The Iron Marines, an elite group of underwater divers, are sent to combat the alien threat. Elsewhere Captain NemoCaptain Nemo
Captain Nemo, also known as Prince Dakkar, is a fictional character featured in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island ....
and his followers become enraged at the oceanic disturbances, joining the fight. With the city of Atlantis thawed by the melting of the ice caps the Atlanteans
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
also become a threat, vowing to reclaim the planet and rule again.
Marketing
On April 23, 2007, Chair EntertainmentChair Entertainment
Chair Entertainment Group is an American video game developer based in Salt Lake City, Utah.-History:Chair Entertainment Group was formed in 2005 by Advent Rising creators, Donald and Geremy Mustard, CEO Ryan Holmes, and key members from the core design team behind Advent Rising. Soon after, Chair...
announced through an official company press release that Undertow was in development for Xbox LIVE Arcade. The news had been first reported in an exclusive "first look" preview on IGN.com and quickly became a popular news item across all other major gaming news sites. In addition to the news, the company also released a 30 second teaser trailer, which revealed the first footage of the game in action. Creative Director, Donald Mustard was quoted, "We’ve really enjoyed designing Undertow for Xbox LIVE Arcade because it’s given us the freedom to create a pure gaming experience focused on fun, addictive game play. Whether a player is looking for hours of intense multiplayer or they have just 10 minutes for the ultimate gaming experience, we’re confident Undertow will be as exciting to play as it has been for us to create." Chair began production on Undertow in the fall of 2006 and the game was released on November 21, 2007.
On January 18, 2008, Microsoft selected Undertow for its free game offer from January 23 through January 27 as compensation for the holiday traffic/outage experienced on Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
. Given the game's strong focus on multiplayer, Chair welcomed the opportunity to participate in this promotion as the immediate influx of hundreds of new players greatly enhanced the competitive game play experience.
A single downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
pack was released for the game. Titled "Path of the Elect", the pack featured a new five-mission campaign following the story of the Elect, the aquatic alien race responsible for flooding the Earth, as well as new multiplayer maps.
Reception
The game received numerous Editors Choice Awards from leading gaming publications and websites, including Official Xbox Magazine, IGN, and Team Xbox. IGN also selected Undertow as its Game of the Month for November 2007. Undertow was nominated for Microsoft's 2007 XBLA Awards and 1UP's 2007 Editors Choice Awards and was selected by Official Xbox Magazine as its 2007 Game of the Year for Xbox LIVE Arcade.As of year-end 2010, Undertow has moved more than 634,000 units.