‘Still Wakes the Deep’ Review (PS5)
Stranded on the oil rig Beira D, “leccy” man, Cameron “Caz” McCleary must survive the nightmarish horrors that have been released after a catastrophic drilling exercise goes wrong.
Experienced from a first-person perspective, the player assumes the role of Caz, a Glaswegian electrician working a stint on the rig to avoid imprisonment after being involved in a violent altercation on the mainland and ensuring his family do not lose their home.
Of course, things do not go according to plan when Caz’s boss, Rennick, finds out about his misdeeds and summarily dismisses him. Just before Caz boards the chopper home, a drilling attempt goes awry causing an ancient evil to surface and invade the Beira D. It is now up to Caz to navigate the oil rig, find whatever survivors he can, and escape.
Still Wakes the Deep is a psychological horror game that tells a rich linear story with truly fleshed out characters which had been expertly cast and the roles brilliantly performed. A special mention must go out to all of the cast members whose performances really hook me into caring about the characters making the ending a gut-wrenching finale.
Another standout element of the game has to its intriguing setting: the Beria D. It was industrious, monolithic, and ugly. Clearly, the Devs had ensure that each segment of Beira D was painstakingly perfected which amplified the authenticity of the gaming experience.
For example, a common NPC complaint about Beira D is just how “shitely” built it is. How oil company Cadal and its “boss man” Rennick cut corners in order to boost profits. As the player, you really do the get the sense that this rig could fall apart at any second.
Throughout the game, the player experiences truly brilliant level design as it the configuration of the rig is structured in such a way that feels of isolation, vertigo, and claustrophobia are evoked. In fact, during the levels where the player must navigate the rig’s exterior, this does afford some respite considering what the player must contend with on the inside.
As the player progresses through the campaign, Caz discovers that the horrors unleashed have now started to infect his fellow crew mates. One by one they mutate into these nightmarish creatures that the player must outwit in order to survive.
Still Wakes the Deep has no combat system, and the player must rely solely on their strategic thinking to outmanoeuvre the adversaries until Caz comes face-to-face with a heartbreaking decision to ultimately defeat the creature.
It is appropriate that Still Wakes the Deep was set in the mid-70s considering its incorporation of the many supernatural horror films that were released. One such film that Still Wakes the Deep is reminiscent of is John Carpenter’s The Thing. But, more than that, it leans into the Lovecraftian horror sub-genre of an unintelligible and inexplicable entity that cannot be comprehended and renders the minds of mortal men insane which is demonstrated whenever Caz comes into close contact with the creature.
In terms of actual gameplay, I think it’s fair to say that we are left wanting. After a while, the actions and boss levels do someone repetitive, and it does not take long to identify how to overcome the bosses you encounter. It would have been terrific to have seen some variety. At times it felt like playing Alien: Isolation or Outlast but Still Wakes the Deep sadly didn’t reach that same level of satisfaction when coming head-to-head with enemies.
For that reason, it felt more of an immersive experience rather than a true game. Many different players have many different play styles so those who do not like stealth, this is not the game for you.
Nevertheless, Still Wakes the Deep is another fantastic entry into developer The Chinese Room’s portfolio (following earlier releases of Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs and Everybody’s Gone to Rapture) and I look forward to seeing what further contributions this studio will make to the survival horror genre.
**** 4/5
Still Wakes the Deep is out now.
