Submerged: Hidden Depths Review

pczone.co.uk:

An island paradise, plagued by an evil spirit that is blighting the land and has killed everyone. Everyone, except two siblings.

Submerged: Hidden Depths is a 3D platformer puzzle adventure game. Sequel to Submerged, this game presents itself as a relaxing game that can be a pleasant distraction from many more challenging and stimulating games.

But how relaxing is it? Will it have you falling asleep at your desk? Or all blissed out and ready to face another day with fearless determination?

The story of Hidden Depths is not the most unique and therefore not the most engaging. Lore is kept to a minimum, perhaps to keep the game zen-like and streamlined.

The closest thing to background information to the world the player inhabits is the pieces of the diary, which can be collected throughout the map. The issue is that these are just crude images, which only convey backstory to the world in very abstract terms.

The world is lovingly created, however. A lot of attention has been given to fleshing out the island.

And it is an engaging dichotomy to have two small children who only have each other, in an otherwise deeply lonely yet stunningly beautiful world, devoid of any other human life. It would just be nice if a little more detail was given to the world, in terms of the what, why and where’s for this world to have gone so wrong.

Especially bearing in mind its AA budget, Hidden Depths stuns with its visual style. Right from the opening scene, most players’ jaws will drop as they get their peepers at this utterly gorgeous fantasy world.

Waves roar in great cyan crests as you speed along in your boat, watching dolphins leap out of the water. Whales soar upwards, crashing down in an explosion of pure white sea foam.

This game, along with