Before the actual action, though, you're given the opportunity to pick a co-pilot, each excelling in one area, be it enemy detection, combat experience, route detection, or just good ol' combat ability. Once you've confirmed everything, it's off to the mission. Once you actually enter flight, it's easy to get accustomed to the controls. The ship you fly is quite agile, and while you're still on rails, and forced to fly only in the predetermined paths, the distance you can fly in those paths is pretty far. Like every good shooter, there's a mini boss halfway through the level, and a final boss.
Some levels are just plain brilliant.
Even after you've dove under, though, the action doesn't let up, and in fact, you're treated to a whole new group of enemies, all water-based. After a brief swim, you'll pop back up above water and continue the fight. It's all so slick and looks so amazing, that I was instantly hooked. Small things, like palm trees and thick fern-like plants coupled with decidedly alien flora on the first level, and the crumbling remnants of an ancient copycat civilization that suffered the same fate of Atlantis are perfect examples of the fantastic amount of detail put into these levels. The more you pay attention to the texture work and simple, yet well done enemy designs, the more you just start to like the game.