Submerged Hidden Depths review: the enchantment of the Indies

Following the trend of the moment is a practice that not even the varied and courageous world of video games can escape. But where there is a stream flowing in a certain direction, there are always small, fascinating fishes that swim against the current pushed by the will of tell something new. In this group he places himself Submerged: Hidden Depthsthe sequel to Submerged, released in 2015. We are dealing with a video game, if we want to say it, anomalous or in any case far from the canons to which we are accustomed that renounces any sequence of action or struggle without necessarily removing the value of the title. How is this possible? Let’s find out in this Submerged: Hidden Depths review.

Our review of Submerged: Hidden Depths

Matching a specific genre to Submerged: Hidden Depths, is not easy. We can say that we are in a world quite circumscribed and freely explorable, as far as possible. As the title suggests, we are in fact in the presence of a world submerged by water, hit by a violent cataclysm.

The protagonist of this story is Mikualready the main character of the first episode, in exploration, together with his brother, of what remains of the world surrounded by Pulp, a dark and poisonous creeper to humans that has wreaked havoc on the world. Miku herself has been infected with this plant but she is endowed with a special power that not only makes her immune to her tremendous effects, but allows her to reverse her evil power and cleanse the affected areas. Miku and her brother, who will replace her as a player character in some “levels”, will therefore leave in search of 10 corrupt seeds to purify them and place them in strategic places to put an end (?) To the power of the evil plant.

Being the game world submerged by water, their main means of transport will be a slim boat that will allow them to sway among the few islands of buildings and structures incorporated by the water and the mass. Here, among collectible objects, documents that will explain the game plot and puzzles to solve, they will find the seeds to save and purify.

An underwater world to explore

From the point of view of gameplay, Submerged: Hidden Depths doesn’t stray far from the plot description just made. Our aim will basically be to to explore, by sea and by land, the areas available and juggle the ruins on the surface to achieve our goals. After finding a docking place, which is not easy in certain areas, the characters will continue on foot, looking for objects and documents. Apart from the seeds, protagonists of our research, any object, collectible or animal sighted, will simply be a plus. It is not essential to discover them all but in addition to increasing the hours of play, they will provide us with a clearer idea of ​​what has affected the world and how its inhabitants reacted, reduced to a sort of spirits.

In areas that can be explored on foot we will be able to run and jump on certain ledges and platforms in a parkour stripped down but still fun and rewarding. Everything happens automatically and it is not physically possible to fall or make a mistake, actually, it’s just not possible to die. There are in fact no enemies and therefore, no combat or weapon. The only challenges, not even those too demanding, are represented by a series of puzzles scattered throughout all areas.

The will of Uppercut Games, the software house behind Submerged: Hidden Depths, is precisely to offer us all a pleasant, light and to explore video game. There is also a deep and well-developed story, accompanied by cinematic interludes that unravel the plot and tell us about the relationship that binds the two brothers.

Developer:
Uppercut Games Pty Ltd

Price:
24,99 €

A more unique than rare style

Particularly apt for the aforementioned intent, it is graphic style. Fluid (pass us the term), full of colors and always at the top despite some limitations that often characterize Indie games of this type. Despite this, the final result is stunning and the glance particularly pleasing. Some animations and mechanics, such as the management of the boat, could have been better developed, but except for these small minutiae, the overall work is absolutely commendable.

Equally “on point” is the soundtrack and the voices of the characters who, although they speak an unknown language, somehow manage to give a strong personality to both. Sweet melodies, first disturbing when the mass is the host and then more pleasant, after purification, guarantee an excellent dose of immersion.

Submerged: Hidden Depths review at a glance

Submerged: Hidden Depths is an anomalous game, in the most positive sense of the term. While the video game world is obsessed with Open Worlds, shooters and extremely difficult and complicated Bosses, he peacefully navigates a world full of history. Although we are in a video game of a very short duration, the amount of objects, plants and animals to find and discover is high, to give you even more hours of play.

If you want to try the fascinating experience of exploratory video games and the freedom that only Indie Games can offer, let yourself be carried away by the waves of Submerged: Hidden Depths.