Chinese Room is no stranger to horror games or games with horror elements and Still Wakes the Deep is a continuation of that trend. The studio has done a good job with their previous games so expectations for this new entry are high, anytime they return to that horror genre. Still Wakes the Deep is Chinese Room’s newest game and it is part of that lineage.
A first-person horror narrative-driven horror adventure game that focuses more on story and storytelling, and less on gameplay and mechanics. It is not like it revolutionizes the genre but offers a good escape for players looking for solid horror stories or a good walking sim. There is stuff to like here. All this makes you wonder, is Still Wakes the Deep worth it? Let’s find out.
Premise and Background (Spoiler Free)
Still Wakes the Deep is set in the year 1975 and you play as Cameron “Caz” McLeary, a Scottish electrician. He is running away from his personal problem and has found refuge in a job in an Oil Rig in the ocean. The violate storms, mechanics issues, and equipment failure have made the Oil Rig a messy place to work in. That’s not all that the crew has to worry about because unexplainable stuff is happening on the rig.
The opening segments will familiarize you with Caz, his problem, and the people he is working alongside, that’s when the story starts to unfold. A drilling accident damages a chunk of the rig which has already been under strain.
Things that follow after these events are even deadlier. The otherworldly and nightmarish tendrils crash through the rig and start to infect the crew members one by one. These infected turn into horrific monstrosity that goes after anyone left alive. Â It is up to Caz to know what went wrong and try to find a way back to his home. At the same time, he has to avoid the creatures that have overtaken the rig.
Use the Environment
A disaster at a rig in the middle of the ocean set up a good premise for a horror story. Still Wakes the Deep uses this scenario quite well. The tight claustrophobic corridors and decaying surroundings combine with the isolation that it offers to create a tense environment.
The thing is, that the game stays there and does not go further into the horror genre most of the time. There are some unsettling moments but if you want a scary and terrifying experience then you are in for a disappointment.
There still are the sections that are supposed to stay in your memory. In these sections, you are being stalked or chased by the creatures that you need to stay away from while finding a way out. These sections don’t feel daunting, largely due to the complete lack of challenge.
Difficulty and advanced mechanics can rarely be expected from story-driven adventure games. However, why have a gameplay section that promises difficulty and mechanics if it is not going to be executed properly? That’s exactly what Still Wakes the Deep does.
The biggest strength of Still Wakes the Deep lies in the atmosphere that it creates as well as the characters. Characters are further elevated by strong voice-overs and good acting. Caz McLeary is among the more compelling characters of the game. The lack of true scare can be a disappointment but during its run time of 5 to 6 hours, the game does a good job of keeping players engaged in the story.
A Walking Simulator
It is a good thing that the game keeps players invested in the story because there is nothing much, beyond the story. This much is to be expected from a narrative-driven adventure with no combat. The thing is that it does not do that well with the gameplay as well.
Most of the time you are just walking, doing environmental puzzles, some stealth section, environmental puzzle solving, and exploring the branching paths from time to time to get more story pieces. I get that it is a walking sim but that does not change the fact that the game does not have much interactivity.
If you have played a walking simulator then you will have some idea of what to expect from Still Wakes the Deep. Despite its straightforward and simple nature, the game is still fun to play. The biggest element of the game is the story. The story is good enough that it can keep you in the game till the credits roll and ignore the less interesting sections.
Looking at Still Wakes the Deep from a mechanics perspective, it does keep you engaging without feeling too boring. The way it throws environmental puzzles and navigational puzzles gives you the feeling of moving forward constantly. The environmental design also plays a huge part which becomes more evident through visual perspective.
The moment you start the game, its amazing world design will be evident. In the initial sections, you will be walking through a corridor while seeing in and outside of the oil rig. Later on in the game, it becomes even better with rain, corridors that you crawl through, vents, and some otherworldly sights that you will see in the game.
Verdict
Still Wakes the Deep has a good environmental design and does not shy away from showing off that design. It backs that up with art design and the way everything looks. It looks quite well from a technical perspective which can be evident the moment you start playing it. If you are not into these kinds of games then this one is not going to cut it for you. It’s straightforward design and basic mechanics offers a decent experience.
The game does a good job of providing a narrative-driven perspective even if botches it down from time to time. It tunes down on horror which can work against it. Despite all the lows the game has high and can keep you engaged till the credit rolls. If you are into walking sim then this can be a good experience.
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