Game Review: Still Wakes the Deep (Xbox Series X)

One of the most immersive horror games in recent times, Still Wakes the Deep can be simply summed up as John Carpenter’s The Thing but set on an oil rig. Yet, as exciting as that is, a simple summation does little to explain the emotional heft that the story has, nor does it truly convey the depressive terror that the environment creates.

Focusing on story and characters over action, developer The Chinese Room blends walking simulator style gameplay with ‘hide and run’ elements. Aspects that will be familiar to many, especially from a first-person perspective, but rarely do these kinds of games impress like this.

Set in 1975, players take on the role of Caz McLeary, an electrician whose problems with the law has seen him take an electrician job on an oil rig off the coast of Scotland. A decision he didn’t take lightly, as it meant leaving his wife and kids for an extended period of time. His wife, Suze, was not happy, and not just because an oil rig is a dangerous place. Something the game does a great job of showcasing early on. Forget monsters, the rig is terrifying by itself.

Then the drill hits something and all hell breaks loose. It’s no longer about keeping a rundown rig with a skeleton crew running now, it’s about surviving and finding a way off before it’s too late.

One of the most exceptional things about Still Wakes the Deep is how it builds tension and dread, paying off its long teases in spectacular fashion. Even after it all goes to hell on the rig, the true horror isn’t revealed for some time later. Which might sound frustrating, except the story masterfully builds to your first shocking experience and then just keeps ramping it up from there. Numerous times, I gasped out loud and spent most of my four-ish hour playthrough sitting on the edge of my seat.

The crashing of the waves, the pounding of the rain, an alarm screaming some way off in the distance, a thud that could be a piece of a crane collapsing on deck or something much worse, Caz’s shivery breath, the cries of a badly hurt colleague, Still Wakes the Deep is designed to make you feel on edge. Yet, it’s the silence that really does it. Entire sections of the game are so oppressively silent, the smallest, unexpected noise will have you jumping out of your skin.

Of course, this kind of horror isn’t for everyone, and many may want a more visceral style, which Still Wakes the Deep is also capable of delivering on. The drill hit something… living and it’s transforming many of the workers on the rig. Horrible things now skitter, crawl, and crash throughout the environment.

Horrible things that force Still Wakes the Deep to behave like a more recognisable horror game. Asking that you crouch and hide in darkened spots, planning your route forward, and as quietly as possible. There are no weapons, so sneaking is a necessity, although running for your life is always an option (and part of some scripted segments). Normally, this type of horror game, where you have hide and sneak around is quite off-putting. Many games fail to do it well, resulting in constant backtracking and trial and error gamplay. Still Wakes the Deep does it well, not only by keeping it simple, but by actively encouraging forward movement. That some spindly beast screaming my name was right behind me was often the best motivator.

I don’t want to spoil the monsters, but rest assured, this is the stuff of nightmares and lives up to the promise set by the core concept.

The whole game is nightmarish from beginning to end, and there is no waking up from it. The deeper into the dream you go, the worse it gets, resulting in some genuinely emotional moments characterized by an exceptional voice cast who bring this rig load of everyday people to life.

It’s also not just the ‘hide and run’ interactions with beasties that make up gameplay though, and actually a large portion of the game is made up of light puzzles and light platforming. Never anything too taxing, and the platforming is often designed to be more about creating environmental tension than anything else. Yet, it does make for a more varied experience and keeps the pace of the game ticking along nicely.

All of this results in one of the most satisfying modern horror games I’ve played in a while. Its length felt right, its story culminates in spectacular style, the blend of horror and action is nailed, and I never experienced bugs (aside from a death that jumped me forward in the game following a respawn). I love it. It’s as simple as that, and I think you will too.