Submerged: Hidden Depths - An Exploration Game With Heart

thegamer.com:

Stepping into an unfamiliar world to explore and figure things out for yourself, free to slowly uncover the story in teasingly small doses with little to no direction is not something many games do these days. I have fond memories of playing Myst and Riven as a kid and having absolutely no clue what I was doing, but indulging in them anyway in the hopes of uncovering their many hidden secrets.

I failed. I didn’t finish either game, but it never bothered me. Enjoyment came from the exploration and mystery, unlike most other games, where you’re expected to follow a set storyline through to a predictable conclusion. It’s been a long time since I’ve played anything like it, and I thought the idea of trying something similar without any prompts or prods would be off-putting. I spend the majority of my time writing guides or playing games with guides in mind, so the idea of playing something where direction is a moot point, well… it’s unfamiliar.

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A direct sequel to 2015’s Submerged, Hidden Depths focuses on Miku and Taku, a brother and sister duo all alone in a post-apocalyptic world filled with flooded ancient cities. As Miku, you traverse this strange and haunting collection of half-submerged skyscrapers and old ships while using your mysterious curse to save the world from a strange creeping lifeform that threatens it — the Mass.

When playing Submerged: Hidden Depths, I couldn’t help but think back to those childhood memories of Riven & Myst. To be clear, Hidden Depths doesn’t let you loose in its world in the same way, as there is some sense of general guidance, such as icons and indicators of nearby points of interest. You can clearly see which parts of the