Submerged: Hidden Depths Review

Submerged: Hidden Depths is a bit like taking out the set pieces of Uncharted (and all sorts of banter), removing the sexy pixels of old school Tomb Raider, and getting rid of all the deaths in Assassin’s Creed. You might be left with the gaming equivalent of watching paint dry, but this is the benchmark for the relaxaploration genre.

Granted, it’s the only game (perhaps its predecessor too) in the field, but that’s neither here nor there.

The universe blessed me with an early preview of the game, but imagine my surprise to find it was the complete game. Shall I ignore this laser sight pointed at my skull and play past the hour I’m supposed to preview? Hell yeah! I just couldn’t talk about it until now. A few weeks have passed, so the elation has since subsided, or maybe… submerged…or has it? Nope – this game is classy, but it’s not your typical title.

The list of challenges in Submerged: Hidden Depths are minimal:

• Sunburn
• Locating all the hidden items
• Boredom
• Which costume to wear?

Two of those are facetious claims 1) it’s a game, so no sunburn and 2) if you get bored with this game, you need to add some Himalayan salts to your bath to take out all that tension. Why are you so angry? Why can’t you relax? This game is bliss.

Kevin Costner could portend the future, but this water world omits Dennis Hopper (though look out for the DLC), and there are no polar icecap issues. Blame The Mass. Why it happened, nobody rightly knows other than locating the scattered journals. Siblings Miku and Taki have a lot of work to do.

You predominantly play Miku, occasionally had tatted bro when she needs to take a break. Poor Miku has been ostracised by society as she’s been cursed by The Mass and even sports her own tattoo. However, she believes it’s a gift rather than a curse as she can connect with The Mass. Perhaps… heal it? She can even grow flowers on her arm. Take that, Moss Man.

Without any definitive introduction, you must explore ruins looking for the remnants of civilisation in the form of pictographs. Submerged: Hidden Depths is an open world, so it’s up to you where you start and where/when you finish. The narrative thread is about returning life to your new home by collecting seeds and replanting them. Once you’ve succeeded, the story ends, but with collectables (i.e. customisations) on offer, this striking vista needs to be unveiled.

Submerged: Hidden Depths is pretty much on the rails. There are no moves to learn, no unlock skills, or boss battles or enemies. That might sound like arse to Elden Ring fans. On the contrary, taking away these threats allows you to explore at a leisurely pace. Based on the graphics alone, you want to take your time. 

When I wrote the preview and was shaving off 500 words or so that talked past the first hour, I had Miku standing at the top of a lookout point (similar to AC). In the time it took to write a couple of paragraphs, there were a few day cycles, changes in the weather – notably her clothes gliding in the breeze, and then there were these occasional ambient sounds that made this game feel like a holiday. Uppercut Games’ title is simply stunning on so many levels.

There are no puzzles as such, but you might have to figure out the right path for replanting each seed – a large orb that you can’t carry up and down ladders. There are typically contraptions left behind by the previous inhabitants used to transport the seeds. Miku climbs the walls like Ezio, but she’s incapable of jumping or rolling. That said, the game flows gracefully like parkour. 

Like Mirror’s Edge and Far Cry 4 (I haven’t played anything later than that), points of interest are subtle colours with a splash of red, indicating you can climb it. It’s beautifully done. My only real complaint was not being able to swim in the game. Yes, you can travel to each ruin by boat – even upgrading it with collectable parts that allow you to boost about. The boat can also be restyled by locating shells, and the same applies to Miku, as you can unlock new hairstyles and clothing but no new skills.

Despite Submerged: Hidden Depths being an easy game, there are moments where getting lost is inevitable, but there’s no rush, and you should take your time. And for this reason, the game goes down as one of the best experiences of late. A game where you don’t need to excel as such, but instead explore, relax, and gawp at not only some of the best visuals around but a wonderful serene world that begs to be explored.