Aphotic Descent

About

In Aphotic Descent, you play as a diver whose submarine crashed at the bottom of the ocean. With no other option for survival, you must make your way to a nearby underwater research facility facing terrifying creatures, all while descending deeper and deeper...

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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67%

Audience ScoreBased on 46 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features a unique underwater aesthetic and atmosphere that is engaging and visually appealing.
The lore and storytelling elements are well-integrated, providing depth to the gameplay experience.
It's a free game that showcases impressive effort from a small development team, with potential for future improvements.

The controls and combat mechanics are clunky and unintuitive, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The graphics and overall polish are lacking, making the game feel amateurish and unrefined.
Players have reported bugs and issues, such as getting stuck in the environment and unclear objectives, which detract from the overall experience.

graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
37%
27%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting the low-resolution pixel art and lack of polish as significant drawbacks. While some appreciate the unique aesthetic and nostalgic vibes reminiscent of older games, others feel that the overall execution is mediocre and contributes to a janky gameplay experience. The visuals, though occasionally praised for their charm, often come across as amateurish, leading to a perception of the game as a student project rather than a polished title.
- “Cool aesthetic.”
- “The game is structured in a loose chapter system and each one is prefaced with some nice artwork and some pleasantly pulpy narration.”
- “The artwork was beautiful!”
- “The low-fi graphics are also a bit of a letdown, but the real killer is just the lack of polish and professional standards in the build... the game is janky and unpleasant to play, and that's one of the most important aspects of game development overlooked by amateur developers.”
- “Graphics-wise, this has some fairly mediocre/dated looking graphics that will understandably be a turn off for a lot of gamers, and it's a big contributor to the failure of the game to attract gamers despite having no up-front cost.”
- “While the ideas, gameplay, and direction in art are pretty unique - the graphics, animation, and general feel of the game are a bit lacking.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
14%
29%
The story is generally well-received, with players appreciating its interesting plot and attention to detail, which enhances the overall experience. While some found the mechanics frustrating and challenging to navigate, the rich lore and environmental storytelling kept them engaged and eager to explore further. Overall, the narrative adds depth to the gameplay, making it a notable aspect of the game.
- “The story was interesting, and I liked the ending!”
- “Really enjoyed the game and the attention to detail in the story.”
- “The gameplay is simple yet engaging, and there's a surprising amount of lore/backstory that enriches the player experience.”
- “Speaking of things that don't go well for our protagonist, let's talk about the story.”
- “The story was interesting but scattered throughout the environment.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The atmosphere is widely praised for its stylized underwater setting and effective level design, creating a visually stunning and immersive experience. Reviewers note that it successfully evokes a range of emotions, from beauty to creepiness, enhancing the overall gameplay.
- “I am a big fan of the stylized underwater atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere was great, and the level design was well made.”
- “The atmosphere is picture perfect.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The gameplay is characterized by simple mechanics that are engaging, set in a unique underwater environment with an interesting story and rich lore. However, players have reported frustrations with certain mechanics not functioning properly and a lack of clarity in understanding how to progress, which can lead to a trial-and-error approach. Overall, while the gameplay offers a unique experience, it is hindered by some technical shortcomings and a need for better guidance.
- “The gameplay is simple yet engaging, and there's a surprising amount of lore/backstory that enriches the player experience.”
- “The story is fairly interesting, and has fairly unique mechanics.”
- “While the ideas, gameplay, and direction in art are pretty unique.”
- “While the ideas, gameplay, and direction in art are pretty unique, the graphics, animation, and general feel of the game are a bit lacking.”
- “The mechanics of the game are pretty simple; you are in a diving suit at the bottom of the ocean. You're lucky to not be meat paste, so it is understandable that you may be lacking in versatility.”
- “The story is interesting and keeps you looking for more, but I did get frustrated with some mechanics not working or a lack of input being received. Figuring out how the game mechanics worked for different areas was challenging, and I ended up brute forcing my way through until it 'worked.'”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is derived from a mix of scripted sequences and player interactions, with moments of comedic absurdity, such as fumbling in the dark or encountering quirky bugs. While some players find the scenarios amusing, others question whether the developers intentionally designed these moments for comedic effect. Overall, the humor is subtle and situational, often emerging from the player's experiences rather than overt jokes.
- “On other occasions, it is a strictly scripted sequence of walking around an abandoned house as doors slam behind me and small ghost children laugh in the distance - I mean, I get it, I imagine it would be quite funny to watch someone bumble around in the dark groping for a light switch.”
- “Are they holding out on me, or do they think it is funny to see me hide from the crustacean on the mossy knoll.”
- “I had a couple of funny bugs, nothing too disruptive.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to the lack of manual saves or checkpoints, requiring them to redo entire levels upon dying. While the game has its merits, the repetitive nature of this mechanic detracts from the overall experience.
- “If you die in a level, you have to redo everything, repeating every single step, making it very tedious since there are no manual saves or checkpoints as far as I know.”
- “The game itself isn't terrible, but it gets terribly tedious.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game received positive feedback, with users highlighting its quality and noting that both the music and voice acting were well executed.
- “The music was also well done!”
- “Pros: The music and voice acting were good.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to performance issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “The game is not optimized.”
- “Performance issues make it hard to enjoy the gameplay.”
- “Frequent frame drops and long loading times indicate poor optimization.”

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