Updated review: about a year later I decided to re-download this title and start from the beginning. I am very glad I did. The story is engaging, gameplay exciting, and graphics are beautiful. My original review complained about getting lost - that remains true and using a walkthrough online is nearly essential at certain points. Even with that said - this game is a masterpiece and a work of art. Recently learned this was made by TWO people. David And Alec created nearly everything. Simply stunning. Wish more iOS games were like this.Original review: I love this game, simply put. However, I've owned it for 6 months and frequently get stuck and stop playing for weeks. When I pick the game back up it is nearly impossible to remember where you have been or where you need to go next. The story doesn't lead you like many games and each new area provides a new challenge that may not be clear. Be prepared to frequently search the web for help.

This is a simply astounding game. The graphics are beautiful, there's so much to explore, mysteries to solve, monster things to kill... And an interesting story behind it all! At times it's very deep...no pun intended haha.It's a very long game the first time through, well worth 5 bucks. And I intend to play through it many, many times! the one thing is that in the beginning, it can be very slow. If you discover certain things sooner rather than later, it probably wouldn't feel so slow. but I myself was thinking "is there a point to this?" . So trust me: explore, explore, explore as much as you can, and when you stumble into the energy temple, the game will pretty much become a whirlwind and never slow down again.Also, if you get to a really difficult spot, you can google it. There's a lot of tactic advice for this game online. I had to resort to the web for help several times, though it wasn't my first choice. (it would have been runner if I could have done the whole thing independently). So even if you need every dollar you have for food, and you're a homeless person (which seems unlikely since you're holding an iPad connected to wifi), buy this. It's much more important than food. Okay, last thing I promise. Note to developer: please please PLEASE make the sequel!! I will buy it even if it's like $30!!!

Aquaria is probably one of the best games I have ever played on an iPad. The storyline is engrossing, well thought out, and long enough that it would have easily been worthy of a novel. The art is beautifully surreal, dozens of imaginative creatures swim through the water and offer a myriad of challenges to the player. The shear size of the world you have to explore is breathtaking and well worth exploring. Even at the end the game doesn't fail to amaze, I spent the last ten minutes of the game slack-jawed as every little nuance of the story came crashing into place, leaving me with the desire to return to the beginning so I could experience it with a new perspective. I don't have a problem with the controls like some of the other reviewers but I do see how they could be considered cumbersome. After playing on an iPod Touch for several years however, just about everything done on the iPad's screen feels easy.

Aquaria is a deep and rewarding game made of hand-drawn art, rich music, and emotional storytelling. It's an action-RPG in the style of classic Metroid and Castlevania, but it emphasizes exploration over violence: this is a complex world with a variety of life, not all of which is hostile, and your primary means of interaction is song. The majority of your power-ups are there to keep you alive and help you solve puzzles, keeping the pace (mostly) non-hectic and freeing you to just enjoy playing. And then, when there are big battles, each boss fight itself demands puzzle-solving under fire.The game is incredibly engaging whether you're playing with cute sea creatures, fighting for your life, or just singing along to the background music. Whichever system you have, I can only recommend its purchase. And recommend you play somewhere quiet and calm.