Under the Waves Reviews
Under the Waves is a slow and steady title with a gripping atmosphere and beautiful underwater world, but by the end, you might get sick of it.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Parallel Studio's latest avoids drowning from formulaic story & design critiques, but whether the plunge is still worth it greatly depends on your Pacific taste.
Under The Waves is a powerful story with wonderful atmosphere, but a lack of polish holds it back from achieving its true potential.
Rather simple in its conception, Under The Waves immerses the player in a narrative dealing with several subjects. The atmosphere and the way the story is told are undoubtedly the strengths of this game developed by the Parallel Studio team. Nevertheless, loading times, the pace of certain phases and technical problems detract from the overall experience. Still, the game should appeal to players looking for an immersive narrative experience.
Review in French | Read full review
Under the Waves tells a solid tale of grief that is at its best when it focuses on environmentalism and technical issues and lack of polish hinder the unique experience of the deep sea.
In "Under the Waves" we didn't find the graphics of Detroit Become Human or the plot that Heavy Rain develops, but I found a more solid and engaging experience as a whole. By simplifying some elements and refining others, we are faced with a solid narrative that will captivate players and easily allow us to join the character's struggle... on a personal or professional level. The developer's bet on teaming up with an organization with "on-site" knowledge of the reality and difficulties our oceans face, was a successful bet and one that we see as an example for other publishers to follow.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Under the Waves is a strong start for Spotlight, Quantic Dream’s new publishing label. It carefully manages several deep, meaningful and important themes, while allowing us to explore a vast ocean to wave at seals, pick up trash and take photos of sharks. Some build instability, repetition and mechanical frustrations aside, this is a very well told story with a wonderful sense of pace, a surprising amount of atmosphere, complete with a series of enjoyable activities that also manage to bring a sense of calm and relaxation.
While far from shallow, Under the Waves doesn’t quite reach the depths that it could have. Its ambient score, gorgeous stylised visuals and emphasis on tackling issues such as mental wellbeing, ocean conservation and how we deal with grief illustrate just how much love has been put into the game. However, some of its more striking moments quickly come undone as a result of a lacklustre protagonist, whose monotone line delivery and poor lip-syncing can break you out of the seafaring spell, as well as the occasional bug. Nonetheless, despite Stan and some technical hiccups here and there, Under the Waves shines when you are roaming around the ocean, taking photos of the various ecosystems and cleaning up the environment to later put to use for crafting materials. Spending your days exploring the ocean may seem like a quiet task, and it is, but it is a meditative one that you should allow to wash over you.
Gosh, I was looking forward to this game! The gloomy presentation, along with the narrative approach in the depths of the sea already excited me at the announcement. Fortunately, there is still plenty of enthusiasm left for the release. Because in its narrative and writing, I'm happy to let Under the Waves capture me and throw me into an emotionally gripping game. Indeed, that grabs you just as much as exploring the underwater world that seems so alien. The only annoying thing is the stiff submarine controls and the heavy tearing in the main menu. This has already been fixed on the PC, but console players will have to be patient. Under the Waves is a moving excursion into the depths, including those of the main character Stan. Dealing with the past, loss and loneliness, as well as dealing with the environment, are skillfully spun into a virtual journey wrapped in exploration. Absolutely recommended purchase!
Review in German | Read full review
Under the Waves offers us an unparalleled underwater experience with a great emotional charge that constantly invites us to get lost and enjoy that great ecosystem that is the seabed while we discover the ins and outs of Stan's past, the protagonist. An adventure that, although it can easily take us 6-7 hours to complete, constantly invites us to savor and savor it by getting lost and exploring new places, since there will always be something to see and some reward to collect. A game that, personally, I recommend playing without rushing, dim light and headphones, since its wonderful atmosphere and soundtrack will make us live wonderful moments while we soak up the emotional charge that the story of its characters has. A highly recommended game whose only Achilles heel lies in the fact that it has come to us with voices in English, its lack of V-Sync and that it is not suitable for adrenaline lovers.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
It is impressive that the game combines the exploration of the meticulously crafted underwater world with a message of environmental protection. But, it's a bit disappointing that the main story was not easy to immerse due to bugs scattered everywhere, even though it is the core content of this game.
Review in Korean | Read full review