BinaryMessiah Still Wakes the Deep Review

Megalophobia. Thalassophobia. Claustrophbia. These are three things I am afraid of, and all of them are present in this game. You play Caz McCleary, an oil rig worker. The Scottish oil rig began operations in the mid-1970s. The game starts out just fine, with everything being peachy. You explore your cabin and get a phone call from your boss to report to his office. We also come across a less than pleasant letter from Caz's wife. There are problems back home, and the story only touches on this every so often. As you arrive at Rennick's office, you learn about the game's little mechanics. You can grip and hold on to ledges and ladders, press buttons, and break open locks and vents. Outside of interacting with objects, there isn't much gameplay. There aren't even any puzzles here. The stealth sections when you are hiding from monsters and the scripted events are the biggest gameplay elements. The game is well-paced, and I didn't want to put it down. There is a good balance between running around, climbing things, and hiding from monsters. There are primary areas where you can conceal yourself, such as vents, holes, and various containers. To send the monster running in the opposite direction, you can throw objects, and any form of running or walking will alert the monster. These monsters are truly amazing, and the entire entity you encounter is a blob of flesh with twisted faces and limbs protruding everywhere. There are multiple monsters, each with their own unique appearance. Most of the game has you just going from goal to goal, climbing around on monkey bars, ladders, opening doors, popping vents, flipping switches, and answering phones. A couple of times I had to grab a fire extinguisher, put out a small fire, or turn on a heater to warm up. This experience goes far beyond the typical walking simulator that The Chinese Room is known for. There are numerous ambient sound effects and moments of terror, which extend beyond just the presence of monsters. Being stuck on a crumbling hunk of steel in the middle of the ocean will terrify anyone. At times, the prospect of climbing around on the rig and even swimming in tight spaces during floods can evoke a sense of panic. The lighting effects also help, with your flashlight not reaching the surface of the water and barely lighting up small crawl spaces. The story, sadly, doesn't really go anywhere. Caz's backstory remains largely unexplored, focusing only on domestic issues, and the presence of side characters is insufficient to pique our interest. Caz has a lot of inner dialogue, but it's mostly just cussing at himself and situations. The game's opening effectively established a potential deeper narrative. The voice-acting is great, and I really wanted more from this game. The game never touches on the origins of this monster and its existence, which I find intriguing. I enjoy games with a lot of scripted events and cinematics, and I don't mind the lack of traditional gameplay. But I need something else for the payoff, and that's usually a story. The visuals are excellent, utilizing Unreal Engine 5 to its fullest potential, but they fall short of making this game something I will remember for a long time or want to revisit. There are no collectibles or ways to explore. This is a very linear game, and you can only go down one path. Overall, Still Wakes the Deep is fun, but it lasts with a very tense and terrifying atmosphere, from the monsters to the closed-in spaces and lack of hope. The exploration of Caz's backstory falls short, leaving us uncertain about the nature of the monster and its purpose. The stealth sections don't overstay their welcome, but the lack of traditional gameplay may turn a lot of players away. The visuals are fantastic, with lumen lighting effects, great water effects, and creepy sound effects.