Shinsekai: Into the Depths Reviews
Shinsekai: Into The Depths is a bracingly fresh Metroidvania with a memorable underwater setting and compelling movement mechanics. If you're after a platformer that values exploration and navigation over arcade action – and that isn't afraid to try something a little different with the format – then we wholeheartedly recommend dipping your toes into Shinsekai's exotic waters.
Even if you notice its "humble" mobile origins and it's not really very spectacular, Capcom has helmed and interesting view on the metroidvania genre, with nice ideas, a not very explored setting and a style that maybe can result repetitive, but it's fun and will hook up the genre fans. Special mention for the sound: play it with headphones.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Shinsekai: Into the Depths falters from time to time, but it more than makes up for its shortcomings with an original premise, immersive sound design, and expert worldbuilding. If you end up playing this game – and I strongly recommend that you do – just make sure to wear headphones.
Fans of whimsical, artful indie titles will find much to love about Shinsekai Into the Depths, and ardent Metroidvania purists will get a kick out of its aquatic take on the genre. It's not going to be everyone's favorite game for the Nintendo Switch, but I'll be damned if it doesn't top at least one person's list.
It’s not hard to recommend Shinsekai: Into The Depths as a very good Metroidvania.
Shinsekai: Into the Depths is a game worth playing. Its large world is addictive to explore, its oxygen mechanics are innovative and create dramatic gameplay moments, and its audio is a real delight.
Shinsekai: Into the Depths is an pretty interesting indie like metroidvania game developed by Capcom. It has a lot of personality and new ideas based on underwater exploration.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
If you subscribe to Apple Arcade and can play Shinsekai Into the Depths on any of your Apple devices, there's little to be gained by moving it to the Switch. But if the Switch is your only access to this undersea wonderland, Shinsekai is an intriguing, engaging, and beautiful adventure worth exploring.
Dripping with atmosphere and filled with replayablility, Shinsekai: Into The Depths is possibly the best thing to come out of Apple Arcade yet.
Shinsekai: Into the Depths may have started as a mobile title, but has found a new home on the Nintendo Switch. The sound design is simply incredible and immersive, and the game even recommends you playing while wearing headphones. Its an atmospheric side-scrolling adventure game that'll roughly last 8-9 hours on the standard difficulty.
Combat is cumbersome and resource gathering tedious at times, but successes in environmental storytelling, ambient sound, survival gameplay, and character progression help mask those flaws.
Despite the look and feel, Capcom's Shinseaki: Into the Depths is less focused than desired on metroidvania gameplay and more on pure exploration; world's size is a bit too little for that purpose, but still quite satisfying
Review in Italian | Read full review
Shinsekai: Into the Depths is a beautiful game of exploration and discovery. The standout mobile game is right at home on the Nintendo Switch, and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone looking for their next adventure.
Regardless of how it came to be, Shinsekai is absolutely worth your time. For its price, it is a decently lengthy adventure with indelible alien vistas and unique 2D gameplay that relies on realistic physics to navigate.
How Shinsekai: Into the Depths breezed under the radar isn't really a mystery, given it released around the launch of Animal Crossing, but let it be said: this is truly an underrated classic. With a fantastic gameplay loop, intriguing world design, and silent but compelling plot, this proves to be an absolute powerhouse of a title on the Switch. It deserves a hearty recommendation and then some! Capcom once again proves that it makes games of an incredible quality, and can provide a truly unique and wondrous experience.
The best compliment that we can give to Shinsekai: Into The Depths is that it feels like a well-done indie game. Exploration is the game's big hook, since the environments, secrets, and floaty movement encourage looking around, while combat works most of the time but isn't the main focus of the experience. There's a good balance between exploring at your leisure, maintaining your stats for survival, the boss fights, and the dwindling resources in the late game. Although the extras aren't enough to entice Apple Arcade subscribers to double-dip, everyone else will enjoy this adventure from beginning to end.
Shinsekai: Into the Depths really shows that you can't assume a mobile port will be a subpar experience. Even with the tedious resource gathering and rough fall damage, this is a great Metroidvania that will surprise with how well it presents underwater platforming and exploration for a 2D experience.
Surviving underwater sure is a grueling affair and Shinsekai Into the Depths portrays it in a thoroughly immersive and enjoyable way.
In a sea of Metroidvanias on Switch, Shinsekai provides an underwater-focused experience that is well worth your time.