In Still awakens the depthsHorror comes in multiple forms. Supernatural creatures stalk the Beira D oil platform with thin, overly long limbs that extend from their bodies like snapping bungee cords. Human-sized pustules and bloody ribbons grow along the hallways, emitting a sickly cosmic glow. The North Sea is an implacable threat that groans at every step. And then there is the platform itself, a maze-like industrial platform supported by thin, taut legs in the middle of a raging ocean, groaning as it is torn apart from the inside.
Gameplay in Still awakens the depths is a traditional first-person horror film, executed with elegance and expertise by The Chinese Room. Your action involves jumping over broken platforms, balancing on ledges, running through hallways, climbing ladders, swimming through claustrophobic holes, and hiding from monsters in vents and lockers. There are no weapons on the Beira D, and the protagonist only has a screwdriver to help him open locks and metal panels, focusing on pure survival rather than combat. The game is completely voice-acted and your team members, most of them Scottish, are incredibly charming, which only makes the carnage more disturbing once the monsters take to the platform.
Still awakens the deep is an instant horror classic. It's full of fast-paced horror and laugh-out-loud dialogue, and it all takes place in a setting rarely explored in interactive media. In the midst of sneaking, swimming, running and climbing, Still awakens the depths manages to tell a heartfelt story about relationships and sacrifice. —J.C.
