Video Game Review: Submerged (PS4)

Somewhere beyond the sea . . .

Submerged (2015)

Format: PS4/Xbox One/Windows PC (Reviewed on PS4)

Publisher: Uppercut Games

Developer: Uppercut Games

What is it: An exploration game set in a dystopian future where the sea level has risen and flooded the earth. Siblings Miku and Taku arrive in an archipelago of a half-sunken city and the player, as Miku, has to explore the ruins by boat and climbing skills to locate supplies needed to heal her younger brother Taku, who is gravely wounded.

Review: I like indie games. Compared to huge AAA titles they can often offer more unique gaming experiences, short and sweet and with price points to match. I happened upon Submerged last week whilst browsing the PS Store, discounted in a promotion from a reasonable £15 to a rather silly £3.29. I remembered reading about this game some time ago, so I took the plunge (no pun intended) and my, what a little gem I found.

Submerged is a very serene game. It's all about exploration - there's no combat of any kind, and your character Miku can't be killed. If you're all about action then this isn't the game for you, but if (like me) you enjoy a chilled-out gaming experience, then this is right up your street. The goal of the game is very simple - explore the relatively large map, using your boat to navigate around the ruined city and then, when you set foot onto a building, using your climbing skills to find your way up to the supplies hidden somewhere atop it. Miku could rival Lara Croft or Ezio Auditore in this regard - she can pull herself up to and along ledges, shimmy up drainpipes and balance over narrow beams with the best of them. Your routes up and through buildings aren't always clear, so the mild puzzles of the game consist of finding the best path to your goal. As well as the main goal of collecting the supplies, there are 60 secret collectibles dotted around the map to find, each one a page from Miku's journal which tell the story of how the world was flooded and how the siblings came to be where they are. These are entirely optional and provide more incentive for the player to explore, even after completing the main story. There are also notable locations on the map and a variety of sea-life such as dolphins and whales to find, to unlock more achievements.

The real charm of the game is the visuals. This is a very pretty game, the flooded environment a mixture of both eerie and beautiful as you pass familiar sights such as skyscrapers, suspension bridges, football stadiums and ferris wheels half-swallowed by the sea, covered with trees and vegetation as nature has begun to claw them back. There are nice weather effects ranging from sunshine to rain and fog, and when day turns to the night the environment becomes particularly beautiful as bright blue luminescent algae light up the sea beneath you. The textures do tend to become a bit rough when you get right up close to the buildings, but this doesn't detract from the experience.

The game is a short one - I completed it and found about half of the collectibles in around four hours or so - but it's one I'll go back to, to explore some more and find the rest. If you're looking for a peaceful gaming experience to chill out to, you can't go wrong with this.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars