Similar to developer SingleTrac's Twisted Metal series, Critical Depth also features vehicular combat, only this time the vehicles are submarines as the game is set in the ocean. Initially 12 submarines are available to take control of while four more can be unlocked. There is a story mode that has each character searching for a powerful artifact, a free-for-all deathmatch mode, and a battle mode where the objective is to capture pods. Players can team up in the story mode through all 11 levels or battle one another in split-screen action.