Subtrade is a fun if slow-paced game, let down somewhat by the incongruous presentation. Just as it was with the pre-VGA iteration of this game, Subtrade: Return to Irata has game mechanics, most predominantly in the multiplayer elements of play that keep players coming back to the underwater, turn based commercial dominance farming sim for more.
Those who have no previous experience with the classic M.U.L.E version of this game will perhaps be surprised at such a bizarre and obtuse genre, but rest assured there is fun to be had in this piece. True to the virtual underwater setting seen in Subtrade: Return to Irata (and most likely some way to explaining the long, sub-titled title itself), the loose yet to the point and effective story sees the player going head to head against up to as many as three friends or enemies alike in an attempt to become the indisputable and dominant undersea fishing and farming presence this side of the great barrier reef.
If three friends are willing to sit down and play an undersea fishing and farming sim with you all evening is a bit of a tall order, then it is possible to go up against an AI opponent, although once the basic nuances of the game have become familiar to you, all too often the challenge in play dissipates entirely and you are left wishing you had a few like-minded game nostagics to indulge your retro tendencies. It is also worth mentioning that the outdated AI opponents all too often follow such a predictable and transparent list of if / then commands that you can quite easily be trained in tactics and methods that would be nothing but backwards when facing up against a real person.
Game rounds themselves last one in-game month with undersea life multiplying and growing at a rate which keeps you interested without being unbelievable. A full game of Subtrade: Return to Irata will last one in game year, or twelve rounds. This is normally around enough time to become invested in the experience, but keeps things fresh from a tactical perspective as many long-sighted financial investments and strategies simply will not have the time to fully reach fruition by the game's close. At this end of this full fiscal year, your profits are totalled and whoever has the most thickly-lined pockets at the end is declared the winner.
In conclusion, this is an old classic, looking very dated today even by retro standards, but the model of multiplayer play is enough for entertainment to still shine through, provided you have some friends willing to indulge your tastes.
Written by:
~BambiSkinner
