Review: Under the Waves is an emotional adventure with some rough edges
Although it’s generally known for a specific type of game, Quantic Dream is keen to make sure its new indie label Spotlight isn’t similarly typecast.
Under the Waves is the first of the French publishers’ indie titles to see a release, and while it’s still very much a narrative-driven experience, it’s clearly different to the type of game you would typically expect from Quantic’s internal team.
The work of fellow French developer Parallel Studio, Under the Waves puts you in the role of Stan, a professional deep sea diver working for an oil company from an underwater base.
Stan has suffered a horrendous incident in his life – to say more would spoil things – and has decided that an extended period of self-imposed solitude will help him get away from it all (quite literally) and come to terms with what’s happened.
Naturally, it wouldn’t be much of a game if Stan finds the peace he seeks without incident, and so hallucinations, nightmares and other strange goings-on are to be expected.
The general structure of Under the Waves sees players controlling Stan over a set number of days. This involves waking up in the morning, having a radio chat with his employer and getting his tasks for the day, which at first involve maintenance work on the company’s various underwater constructions.
The game does a good job of portraying the isolation of being alone underwater. Stan is able to explore the water and its surrounding caves in Moon, his small one-man submarine, but is otherwise completely on his own.
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The only other humans seen in the game are a reporter on TV and a handful of scenes near the end of the game (which, again, we won’t go into) –
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