Still Wakes The Deep is a game I've been looking forward to for a long time. I'm glad to report that the game is indeed great. As expected after watching the trailer, the setting on the Oil Rig is pretty unique and I think this is the first game that used such a setting. The writing is also surprisingly good despite the fact that the story is rather straight forward. I did feel a connection to the main character and there were quiet a few emotional moments which I didn't expect.

I also like the creature design, it is a mix between The Thing and Lovecraft. Luckily they didn't spoil the design of the monsters in the trailer which is pretty rare nowadays. My biggest problem was how incredibly linear the game felt for the most part, even though I was already expecting something like that. The other issue that I experienced was a softlock where I had to pull a switch but it didn't work so I had to start a new playtrough halfway through the game. The lack of gameplay elements prevent it from being an outstanding game. Don't get me wrong there are gameplay elements, like a very simple hiding mechanic, being able to throw objects to distract the monsters or pulling levers. But these elements are representative of the horror game standards from 2010-12. Because of that some evil tongues might call this just a boring walking sim.

But Still Wakes The Deep is far from boring. It has a great atmosphere, voice acting and art direction and these things make it a really immersive experience. The writing is surprisingly good and the design of the monsters is one of the more unique ones in recent years. Overall a entertaining experience with a immersive atmosphere but don't expect to much gameplay-wise

Games I finished in 2024 ranked

My physical collection