Xboxaddict.com Article
Submerged: Hidden Depths Preview
by Kirsten Naughton
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the world you knew suddenly became submerged in water and black mass covering what's left of the buildings you once knew and in the blink of an eye, and everything you knew yesterday was gone? Some would feel devastation, hurt and worry. A brother and sister on this journey together will discover their world once again, one building and landmark at a time.
Submerged: Hidden Depths is a heavy exploration game. You can't jump, but you do have a boat, and a telescope for the siblings. It's your job how you want to explore the world you're in. There are many things for you to collect along the way to keep you more than entertained, constantly encouraging you to keep playing. You'll be wanting to go through every single building and cover every square inch of water you're given to make sure you haven't left anything behind. Not much can be said for voice acting though, as all of the dialogue is done through text boxes. Submerged isn't solely about the story, it's about the adventure you set forth while playing. It's the things you discover along the way that is the bread and butter of Submerged.
You will spend most of the beginning of Submerged: Hidden Depths learning the world you are in. You have very limited help from any form of UI. There's no real tutorial, so it's all on you to explore and figure out along the way, and I don't think I'd want it any other way. I cannot wait to set sail for real and see what this world really has to offer and the secrets it's holding.
Have you ever seen a location that was so beautiful it took your breath away? I mean take-you-off-your-feet breathtaking? Submerged: Hidden Depths is everything you can ever imagine a perfect location to be. From the detail on the buildings, vibrant colors, the water, to the creatures in the ocean. The detail and graphics make you feel like you're getting away from the real world for a while. The camera angles in the right directions so you feel immersed in wherever you step. Submerged: Hidden Depths is the kind of game that you can escape to when you've had a stressful day at work and just want to wind down and explore. You can't hear much but the soothing sound of the breeze in the air and the water hitting the boat as you sail along the ocean. A true destination for anyone seeking relaxation.
You begin your journey upon an abandoned island with a tall stone building. You learn how to move and walk, you climb fences to approach the higher levels and hop across stone pillars to reach across the building. Every building has its secrets such as journal or story entries you can collect along the way to feed any collectathon gamer's desires. To get rid of the black mass covering the vines of what looks like a tree, you need to carry a ball across the building or through narrow walkways to rid the island you're on of the black mass and restore it's beauty.
You then hop aboard your boat with your brother to travel to another island nearby with the help of your telescope to guide you along the way. You can discover sea creatures, ship upgrades and ancient relics hidden beneath the sea. Even when there is an obstacle in your way, sometimes your boat can help you bring it crashing down unlocking a new area. You dock at the pier and embark on the next area and search for the next ball to restore that area's beauty. Your boat only goes forwards and backwards, so you need to be able to steer correctly to ensure you can park and use your boat to its full potential.
Uppercut Games has really thrown me a curveball that I wasn't expecting, as I wasn't expecting much when it came to Submerged at first, but now I'm hooked and I want more. I'm ready, let's do this.
Submerged: Hidden Depths released March 9th, 2022 and this preview is based on the first hour of gameplay.
**Submerged: Hidden Depths was provided by the publisher and previewed on an Xbox Series S**
