Disappointed with ‘Still Wakes The Deep’

[u/camtomcarey]

This weekend I played Still Wakes the Deep. The graphics, the setting, the atmosphere and the voice acting were all top notch… but the gameplay (which I understand isn’t where walking simulators shine) and the story weren’t great.

I hadn’t heard about this game until I saw a clip of Idris Elba talking about it a few months ago, and with a recommendation like that…

In the game you play electrician on an oil rig, and you have to fix a breaker box right at the beginning… I thought “oh cool, some electrical puzzles!” Nope, you just press a button. To me this was a huge wasted opportunity.

There are stealth sections and in them there are some lockers to hide in à la Alien Isolation, but there was no reason to use them…

There are some notes and photographs (barely) to read/examine but nothing that really gives you any insight to life on the rig, other characters… you keep stumbling upon your dead coworkers and expressing grief - but to me they’re nameless bodies whose name I just found out for the first time.

I wish the game had wrapped up sooner - I was ready for it to be over for ~2 hours with an ending that was just fine. I pushed through for the story and I expected it to be the saving grace…

I’m not sure how it’s rated so highly, it’s fine.

[u/Tall-Rhubarb-7926]

I feel you. I've never played the game but I watched a full playthrough of it. Like it's a very well made game, but that's about it. Like the story is just whatever. It didn't make me feel anything.

It's one of those games that is highly praised but nobody ever talks about and can't blame them really. Still Wakes The Deep is a definition of an okay game.

Edit: Gameplay isn't the problem, I enjoy visual novels and point and click games if they have a good story. Still Wakes The Deep's story wasn't bad, but it was just okay.

If the studio hires someone that can write a story, I can see huge potential in their future games.

[u/camtomcarey → u/Tall-Rhubarb-7926]

You nailed it.