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Review: Submerged

Submerged is a game I recall playing with interest at last year’s PAX Australia. Developer Uppercut Games was founded by three long-term industry professionals, with such credits as Bioshock 1 and 2, XCOM and Fallout Tactics to their names. This indie studio has already produced some gems such as the two EPOCH games on mobile platforms but their latest effort has come to the bigger screen, with support from Screen Australia.

Submerged tells the story of older sister Miku and younger brother Taku, as they sail among the ruins of a world that has been reclaimed by the ocean. Taku is sporting a grievous injury, and Miku sets out to explore the ruins in search of medicine, bandages and other supplies to help her brother heal.

Once you are released into Submerged’s open world map, you’ll set out to the various ruined structures to find supply chests, containing the items you’ll need. The game allows you to explore its world freely, sailing in Miku’s dinghy amongst the wreckage. Using her telescope you are able to spot objectives such as critical supply crates, as well as collectibles and upgrades to the boat. Once you reach a building with one of these supply crates, gameplay shifts to a series of climbing puzzles as you navigate your way up, around and across the various ruins.

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After finding each supply crate you’ll be fed a few drips of Miku and Taku’s story, told through a series of illustrations as Miku rests before seeking out her next objective. In fact, almost the entire game is presented non-verbally. The only speech throughout is Miku stating what she needs to find next, and it was only about halfway through the game that I realised this wasn’t gibberish speech, but rather a form of pidgin English. It’s just foreign enough to not grab your attention, but still gives the feel of what you need next even without the presented subtitles.

On top of Miku and Taku’s narrative, you are able to learn the story of the city around you via the previously-mentioned collectibles. Each one unlocks a single illustration of the 60-part story of the city, slowly filling in how it changed from a once-vibrant metropolis to the waterlogged, algae-covered mystery it has become. In addition, you can catalogue the strange creatures and landmarks around the city as you sail around, providing a bump to the game’s playtime if you’re keen to unlock all its mysteries.

Visually the game may not be the ultra-detailed graphics madness of a current-gen AAA title, but it has enough character and style that it really doesn’t matter. You can see the amount of thought that has gone into both the audio and visual design. It’s clear the team at Uppercut has put some thought into presenting a world that has fallen apart, rather than constructing a series of climbing puzzles and then applying a coat of post-apocalyptic paint. And while the city may be dead, it is never silent. Animal calls, wind and wave fill the game’s soundscape, a nice accompaniment to the mellow music presented at important moments, and the grunts and sighs of Miku as she makes her way around.

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With no combat or looming threats (beyond the ever-present need to help your brother), the game is a relaxing world to make your way around, enjoying the ambience and occasional hints of what the world used to be. There’s enough collectible content to keep you coming back to this game if you’re a gamer who loves narrative, and Submerged helpfully includes an ‘Explore Mode’ after completing the story to go back for anything you might have missed. If you like a game that doesn’t focus exclusively on high-octane action, check this one out – and support a local development team with an excellent pedigree.

Submerged was reviewed using a retail copy on PS4, as purchased by the reviewer.

 

Review: Submerged
7 out of 10

The good

  • Beautiful open world.
  • Mellow play experience.
  • A quality, home-grown indie.

The bad

  • Map can be a little unhelpful, with no zoom function.

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About the author

Matt Gosper

aka Ponk – a Melburnian gay gamer who works with snail mail. Enthusiastically keeping a finger in every pie of the games industry. I'll beat you at Mario Kart, and lose to you in any shooter you can name.