Amok portrays a futuristic storyline on a planet with two gigantic corporations, NONLUN and AZTK, who had been at war for 47 years. A recent peace accord has only just been reached, but an influential mercenary company called "the Bureau" wants to restart the war. The player takes the role of Gert Staun, a capable battle walker pilot.
The player's battle walker, Amok , is custom-modified and can survive on land or underwater. It can transition between the two environments automatically, but the player has no control over this feature. The game has a linear structure with levels that present tasks of increasing difficulty. The player must meet objectives in such a way that each side will blame the other, while avoiding hazards and targets like military bases, power generators, land mines, infantry, tanks, submarines, sharks, and birds.
The game features arcade-type gameplay with power-ups scattered throughout levels. The Amok carries explosive devices and line-of-sight weapons, such as laser cannons that can fire rapidly an unlimited number of times. These cannons are useful in case no other weapons remain. The player must use these cannons to cover a wide area when underwater.