Beneath

About

Beneath is a single player survival shooter game with a horror theme. It was developed by Camel 101 and was released on October 27, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Plunge into a treacherous and enigmatic underwater world and brace yourself to confront the heart-stopping horrors that await as you fight against all odds.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 150 reviews

story36 positive mentions

stability20 negative mentions

The game features a captivating atmosphere and engaging story, drawing players into a Lovecraftian horror experience.
The combat is intense and satisfying, with a variety of weapons and enemy types that keep gameplay interesting.
The developers are responsive to player feedback, quickly addressing bugs and issues, which enhances the overall experience.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues, including stuttering performance and game-breaking glitches that can hinder progress.
Level design can be confusing and repetitive, leading to tedious backtracking and a lack of clear objectives.
Enemy behavior is inconsistent, with some enemies being overly resilient or unresponsive, which detracts from the combat experience.

story
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its engaging atmosphere and Lovecraftian themes, while others find it derivative and predictable. Many highlight the intriguing premise of a father trying to save his daughter from a sinister underwater lab, but note that the pacing can be slow and the delivery lacks urgency. Overall, while the narrative has its merits, it often struggles to stand out amidst comparisons to more established horror titles.
- “The story is fast-paced and the gunplay is average for an FPS game.”
- “The story, I mean, it has a plot (Lovecraftian one), it can be easily understood, has explanations, more details and stuff along the way where you find out how and why these things are happening.”
- “The story is huge and goes through several bases with soldiers and monsters, NPCs with their own agendas, weapon modifications, and jumpscares.”
- “The story of Noah Quinn doing whatever he can to save his ailing daughter from the depths of an underwater lab where bad experiments are being conducted by Omnium (a 'trademarked evil corporation name' if I've ever heard one) is derivative, but serviceable.”
- “A bland story with a nonsensical premise, detailed but low-quality surroundings and, worst of all, awful gameplay.”
- “The story could give so much more right off the bat, but it's just so stale that I am not even interested in the rest.”
graphics
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
63%
9%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the retro aesthetic and atmospheric visuals that evoke nostalgia for older titles, while others criticize certain elements for being rough or poorly optimized. Players appreciate the unique designs of enemies and environments, but some have noted issues with performance and limited graphical options. Overall, the visuals are seen as decent but not groundbreaking, appealing primarily to those who enjoy a classic style.
- “I love the graphics, and the story so far is really interesting.”
- “The graphics and the levels look great.”
- “The story and visuals are nice, there's exploring to do between ambushes and gunfights, and generally feels like a rewarding adventure.”
- “This game is making my graphics card run at like 90 degrees, which is weird considering how basic the graphics are.”
- “On top of that, the graphics and optimization are not very good.”
- “The visuals are unimpressive at best and terrible at worst.”
gameplay
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
58%
10%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising its engaging mechanics and solid gunplay reminiscent of classic titles, while others criticize the lack of variety and repetitive gameplay loops. Players noted that while the core mechanics and weapon variety are strong, the experience can become stale, and bugs may hinder progress. Overall, the game offers a nostalgic feel with a Lovecraftian atmosphere, but it suffers from inconsistencies in quality and pacing.
- “Summary: highly engaging survival horror gameplay with solid balance and replayability.”
- “I really enjoyed this; it wasn't super polished, but the gameplay was challenging, and the gunplay was pretty tight, almost like a tactical shooter, but set in an underwater Cthulhu-esque hellscape.”
- “The graphics aren't next gen, and some things are a bit rough, but the narrative is engaging and the gameplay is just fun.”
- “No variety in gameplay; you either play as the developers wanted you to or you die.”
- “The strangest thing about the game is that the burden of gameplay-hindering bugs seems to increase the further into the game you get, and at a certain point, it felt like the game itself was trying to prevent me from finishing.”
- “A bland story with a nonsensical premise, detailed but low-quality surroundings, and, worst of all, awful gameplay.”
atmosphere
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
33%
10%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its moody, immersive qualities, drawing comparisons to titles like Dead Space and Resident Evil. Reviewers highlight the detailed environments, sound design, and lighting that contribute to a tense and engaging experience, although some note that certain settings can feel repetitive. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, effectively enhancing the horror and exploration elements.
- “The atmosphere is terrifying, and the locations are stunning.”
- “The atmosphere is god-level, like a mix between Bioshock, Dead Space, and your worst underwater nightmare.”
- “It's an atmospheric and intense game.”
- “While the mostly deserted hallways, airlocks, and lab spaces drip with atmosphere, they can get repetitive.”
- “I don't mind a dark game, in fact it can add to the atmosphere, but without having a way to see things, it's just poor design.”
- “Voice acting is decent, story is okay so far but the overall atmosphere and exploration is where this game really shines.”
stability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is notably problematic, with numerous glitches and bugs reported, including freezing issues, low-quality textures, and performance drops, particularly in later levels. While some players have experienced quick fixes and patches, many still encounter game-breaking issues that hinder progress and enjoyment. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess," requiring caution for those considering a purchase.
- “The final section levels of Necrovision, however, bring the experience down and introduce softlocks and glitches that can prevent some players from ever completing the game.”
- “By far, the worst was the game always freezing in the hallway after you meet Nicole.”
- “Encountered a lot of glitches, including that I can't reload or switch weapons during a fight, causing me to die. The textures are muddy and ugly, the environment sucks, and dead bodies go full Parkinson's if they are killed while in a door.”
optimization
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
15%
62%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting severe stuttering and frame rate drops even on high-end hardware like the RTX 4070 Ti. Many players experience persistent micro-stuttering, particularly in 4K resolution, and performance issues become more pronounced in the latter half of the game. Overall, while some improvements have been noted since the playtest phase, significant optimization fixes are still needed to enhance the gaming experience.
- “Good game, just needs a few more optimizations and fixes; it's much better than it was during the playtest, of course.”
- “Performance and optimization are key aspects that enhance the overall experience.”
- “While there are some performance problems, the game shows significant improvement in optimization compared to earlier versions.”
- “The game is a stuttering mess on an RTX 4070 Ti, no matter what settings you use.”
- “Awful performance; the game stutters and can't go past 40 fps while running on a 4070 Ti.”
- “Persistent micro-stuttering and jitter observed 95% of the time, probably due to 4K resolution which is often not very well supported.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with slow movement mechanics, numerous fetch quests, and frustrating animations that hinder gameplay. Many reviewers noted that the pacing is artificially slowed down, leading to a sense of boredom and a feeling that the game is unnecessarily prolonged, particularly in the final hours before the boss fight. Overall, the grinding elements detract from the enjoyment, making the experience feel more like a chore than an engaging adventure.
- “Enjoyed the previous parts of the game until the last hour before that boss fight because the game became very tedious with too many sections where you move slowly or lose your ability to run.”
- “Slow, tedious, too many fetch quests, way too many instances of artificially slowing down the pace by preventing the player from sprinting, not enough supplies, enemy spam, and the game introduces a villain literally out of nowhere just so it can have a terrible boss fight against a guy who needs to go back to Resident Evil.”
- “It's twice as long as it should be - but after a certain point it just becomes tedious; I found myself playing just to finish what I started.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The music in the game is generally well-received, fitting seamlessly with the overall experience and complemented by strong sound effects and voice acting. However, some users have reported issues with music and voice lines cutting out in specific areas, suggesting a need for dedicated audio sliders to enhance control over the sound settings.
- “The music fits seamlessly.”
- “The music and sound effects were great for the most part.”
- “Music and voice lines cutting out at times.”
- “The sound (music, effects, and voice acting) is generally good, but has issues like cutting out if you enter certain rooms.”
- “Suggestion: add dedicated sliders for master, music, SFX, and dialogue (simple 4-channel).”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players criticize the monetization strategy, noting that intrusive ads significantly hinder gameplay, making it difficult to aim effectively.
- “The monetization system feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without being bombarded by ads.”
- “It's frustrating that you can't progress without spending money; it feels like a paywall at every turn.”
- “The in-game purchases are so expensive that it ruins the overall experience and makes it feel like a cash grab.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
50%
The game offers highly engaging survival horror gameplay with a solid balance that enhances replayability; however, some players feel it lacks sufficient replay value.
- “The gameplay is highly engaging, with a solid balance that enhances replayability.”
- “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more.”
- “But I don't see replay value here.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a heartfelt and passionate design, successfully evoking a sense of fear reminiscent of classic Lovecraftian horror. Despite some technical issues and clunky mechanics, players appreciate the game's ability to create genuine tension and immersive experiences, making it a memorable entry in the horror genre.
- “Instead, what I got was an incredibly janky but heartfelt project with a ton of passion and a lot of detail and quality of life in areas that I didn't expect, including destructible environments straight out of fear.”
- “I have played nearly every horror game from 1995 to 2025, and I can safely say I haven't played a game that so captured the fear and old Lovecraft horror feel in the last 5 years. It is a bit clunky around the edges, and I could have done without the bugs that made me restart the game when it froze on an item pickup. But outside of that issue, which had no effect on gameplay itself, I enjoyed my time with the game greatly. It made me feel like I was shooting Armacham mercs or playing Trepang2, but with actual fear when a zombie surprised me despite expecting it.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by dark and absurd moments, such as a scene involving a maniacal character sawing a body, which elicits laughter even in tense situations. Players appreciate the blend of comedy and horror, though some critique the writing quality. Overall, the humor adds a unique layer to the gameplay experience, balancing fear with unexpected levity.
- “The best example of this is when you have to go to medical to get some antibiotics and there's a dude sawing a body while laughing maniacally, but all we see is the shadow from light that somehow comes through a solid door.”
- “I'm playing on 'I'm so edgy for playing on hard' difficulty, so I'll let you know how the rest of the game works out once I stop laughing and remember I'm supposed to be scared. I'm a bubble-blowing baby when it comes to the ocean; I should not be laughing, but that was also some bad writing [spoiler]green goop fixes all but not that xd[/spoiler].”