Analysis of Still Wakes the Deep, the immersion of evil

The Chinese Room brought The depths are awakening againAnd survival horror with a lot to say. This title in first person This places us in a Oil rigit will happen to us really bad (in the best possible sense). This horror game wants to imbue your identity sign and this is evident from the first moment. Construct a story which, in the 6 hours Approximately how long it lasts, it won’t let you go at any time.

For this analysis, I played on a Xbox Series X mainly in fashion performance (recommended). Additionally, I tested cloud gaming using a Xbox One X.

Still Wakes the Deep constructs a story set on an oil rig near Scotland

And one of the things that gives most identity to Always awakens the depthsIt is his environmental location. That we are relatively “close” to ScotlandAt first glance, this shouldn’t be anything too remarkable. The fact is that we quickly get into character because something so enriching like accents, here he captivates us while making us fall in love. Yes, simply by having retained this English accent from the north of the island, we already feel that we are facing an immersive experience

. Because what is told from the first moment already makes us expect everything that is going to happen.

Without adding too much information so as not to fall into spoilers, we take control of Caz McLeary. An oil station operator who owns a little personal story to tell. This, although basic and not too complicated, gives us some interest to find out what the outcome will be. But something more important is brewing apart from the maneuverability that our protagonist could have as a technician, that’s where the absolute chaos.

We wake up to a situation like no other, which we did not understand at first. This will take us through a nightmare it is gradually becoming a reality. If anything comes out Always awakens the depths is to leave us at all times with a feeling of insecuritythat few games can reproduce so faithfully. We will go from top to bottom the oil station (a map of which hanging on the wall will guide us) in search of a solution, a way to escape this anxiety from which we cannot escape.

We find ourselves almost alone in the face of danger, and this time we will not be exactly armed but stealth will be our best weapon.

If in something difference The depths are awakening again with respect to the majority of survival horroris that we will not have the possibility of confronting the enemy directly. This adversary, will appear at certain times and we can only avoid it or at most distract it. To do this we can collect a series of objects scattered around the stage to throw them in the opposite direction of the monster. But we will not have no possibility of storage or management of resourcesso these objects only fulfill this function and nothing more.

Otherwise we will have to press a series of buttons in a certain order and in different positions. This mechanic which seeks to maintain the player’s interest a little earlier it seems consumabletheir contribution being only residual. Because what he offers us The depths are awakening again is here quite interesting I like to put aside your gameplay. However, that doesn’t mean that other mechanics couldn’t have been implemented beyond climbing, jumping, sliding down narrow hallways, throwing objects, opening doors…

Fear, Still Wakes the Deep’s most powerful mechanic, fits seamlessly into the narrative.

Visit every cabin, every exterior of this oil rig It was an experience

. Well, at all times I felt this sense of danger, of insecurity, of not knowing what will be behind the next door. I heard footsteps, screams, internal conversations… which made me smile even when I was in a moment of great tension. Because Always awakens the depths knows how to play with these contrastswith adult language that shows you a complicated perspective of life, and that despite the harshness of the work situation, there are always people behind trying to chase away said evil.

All this, as I have already mentioned, is transformed to give birth to a situation of agony. Well, from these conversations that certain characters will have, we can feel his inner suffering which is not only given by the current situation, but by a life that has not been entirely simple. There will be those moments when we will see the suffering and even normalize it, knowing that it is becoming increasingly difficult to continue. This whole atmosphere is treated in a really organic way, with a relevant storytelling at all times. Manifesting through phone calls, with small conversations with other platform operators, even internally of our character through flashbacks.

Audiovisually, this has its advantages and disadvantages

Concerning the graphics section, there is a series of options that we can customize as we wish, in addition to two graphic modes in Xbox Series X. Yes, I disabled most of the effects because I found the image too dirty. Which also didn’t convince me much in terms of the movement of the character, giving a feeling of too much blur. I played mainly in Performance mode

although it is a game which, by its nature limited interaction It can be played perfectly with a reduction in the number of frames, which implies a higher image quality. Some physics Yes, they stand out, but negatively, since we see how the position of the hands or the movement of an object behaves abnormally.

As has been expressed throughout the text of this analysis, Audio is one of the strong points why is it Always awakens the depths. The voices found localized in english (swindle Spanish subtitles), immerses us fully in this experience which also, knows how to play with silences and the most dangerous moments of tension.

conclusion

The depths are awakening again it’s a Survivor Horror who has a spectacular setting. Trap us from the first moment, keeping us in suspense until the conclusion of the last act. Playable, it fulfills its objective but there aren’t too many mechanics or inventory management. It is precisely for this reason that focuses on its narrative aspectin these moments of anxiety, tension and, above all, fear.

The depths wake up again is available for PS5, PC And Xbox Series X/S. Let us remember that it is available day one with a subscription to game passwhich almost makes required to play If you’re a fan of horror games, and if not, this is a great way to start. Stay with us and visit our website via the following link.