If you were to ask me what playing Submerged: Hidden Depths is like, I would have to compare it to Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, albeit on a much smaller scale. Whether or not that’s a good thing is going to hinge on how much you enjoyed what is my most hated entry in the popular series. The large focus on sailing the high seas didn’t do much for me, nor did the excessive amount of collectibles in various forms – the only saving grace was the tried and true combat, and that’s been omitted in this new indie release. It’s a shame, because I enjoyed their previous game more.

The game follows a pair of siblings, with the sister seeking a way to save her brother in the midst of what appears to be a post-apocalypse within a post-apocalypse. There are remnants of our current culture – sky rises, highways, and condos overtaken by nature and flooded and rebuilt, only to be destroyed again by black ooze that covers all of the foliage. It’s almost like Groot being possessed by Venom. This setting, which looks great in most areas, especially the way the sun bounces off of the water in a natural way, is the one and only highpoint for me. The gameplay is what I could only describe as aggressively boring.

If you choose to take the plunge, you’ll be tasked with using a dinghy to zip around the flooded city in search of specific areas that house seeds. Once you find one of the areas, you’ll have to climb your way up the structure, locate the seed, then carry the gigantic boulder that it is and toss it into what I refer to as Venom’s butthole, curing the small area of the affliction. Once completed, you’ll be zipped back to the beginning of the game for a short cut-scene. You’ll then have to repeat this same action with little variation (outside of occasionally needing to use the boat to remove an obstruction) another nine times, and then the credits roll. There are optional collectibles as well, if you’re so inclined. These include old world relics that do little to enhance the experience; changed wildlife that is quick to rush off at your approach (missed opportunity to add some sort of combat); upgrades to the boost of your boat (which do nothing but shorten the already quick completion time); cosmetic items; and lastly, diaries that convey more of the story than the actual narrative does. If we’re being honest here, I’ve rarely put so much work into getting the story out of a game, and I’ve at least sampled every Souls-like on the market.

Exploration and platforming makes up the entirety of the game, and there is little to no challenge to be found. You cannot die if you wanted to, as our protagonist will only move in directions that she can, and any attempt to veer off on an uncharted course is blocked by an invisible wall.  Even when a giant obstacle appears from the depths, you can run right into it at full speed and nothing happens. The only semblance of a challenge I faced was during one of the towers – I missed a point where I needed to move the seed from one contraption to another and moved further up without it, having to backtrack. Oh, and staying awake while playing, that was difficult as well.

On the plus side, the game runs as it should and does not have anything that outright makes it a broken experience. The only other lingering complaint I have is how the game is displayed in some foreign language and the subtitles only work when they want to, mainly during cut scenes, which left me confused when the pair would banter here and there during exploration. Additionally, there are some transitions that appear to be missing, such as when you pull up on an area from the boat, hit X to throw a grappling hook, cue the black screen, and then you return fully hooked. This applies to a few other actions as well and just comes across as rushed or incomplete to me.

Submerged: Hidden Depths is a hard game for me to score, or recommend for that matter. It’s extremely short, clocking in around two hours and change, with little to offer in that time span. If you find combat or platforming to be difficult, this is the title for you. If you like a little more challenge, I would leave this dead in the water.

3 out of 10

Pros

• Beautiful Backdrops
• It’s Over Quickly
• You Couldn’t Die if You Tried

Cons

• No Variation in Gameplay
• Lack of Content
• Devoid of Any Substantial Challenge

Submerged: Hidden Depths was developed and published by Uppercut Games Pty Ltd. The game is available for GS, PC, PS4, PS5, X1, and XSX. The game was provided to us for review on PS5. If you’d like to see more of Submerged: Hidden Depths, check out the game’s site.

 

Here at GBG we use a rating method that you are more than likely familiar with – a scale of 1 to 10. For clarification, we intend on using the entire scale: 1-4 is something you should probably avoid paying for; 5-7 is something that is worth playing, but probably not at full price; 8-10 is a great title that you can feel confident about buying. If you have any questions or comments about how we rate a game, please let us know.

 

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