Depths of Sanity
- November 1, 2022
- Bomb Shelter Games
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Depths of Sanity" is a psychological horror game set in a mysterious bomb shelter. Players must uncover the dark secrets of the shelter while surviving against supernatural enemies and solving puzzles. With a focus on narrative and exploration, the game offers a chilling and immersive experience.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Reviews
- Depths of Sanity features a compelling and well-written story that keeps players engaged as they explore the underwater world.
- The game offers a unique 360-degree movement mechanic that enhances exploration and combat, providing a fresh take on the Metroidvania genre.
- The atmosphere is haunting and immersive, effectively utilizing lighting and sound design to create a sense of dread as players delve deeper into the ocean.
- Combat can feel clunky and frustrating at times, with enemies being damage sponges and the controls requiring adjustment to master.
- Backtracking can be tedious due to the lack of fast travel options until late in the game, which can disrupt the flow of exploration.
- Some players have noted that the visual acuity could be improved, as objects sometimes blend too much into the backgrounds, making navigation challenging.
- story59 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of the game is highly praised for its depth and engagement, centering on submarine pilot Abe's quest to uncover the fate of his crew and son after a mysterious incident. Players appreciate the atmospheric and haunting narrative, which is enriched by diary entries and audio logs, making exploration feel rewarding. Overall, the storytelling is considered a standout feature, elevating the game beyond typical metroidvanias with its compelling, Lovecraftian themes and well-developed characters.
“The story is gripping, the music and sound design are incredible, the art is great.”
“I found myself playing to find out what happens next in the story as much as for the gameplay itself.”
“The story is told through Abe's tales to a navy therapist who is trying to help him piece together the black holes in our fair captain's memory.”
“In this game, most of the story is told through diary entries or audio logs, which adds diversity to the pool of rewards for exploration.”
“The story all around is a highlight that kept me treading deeper and deeper waters to get one of the several endings on offer.”
- atmosphere21 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its Lovecraftian and underwater themes, creating a creepy and immersive experience that enhances the storytelling and exploration. Reviewers highlight the effective use of lighting and sound to build tension and dread, with the atmosphere becoming increasingly unsettling as players progress deeper into the game. While some aspects of the visuals may be less impressive, the overall ambiance, combined with a well-crafted narrative, makes it a standout feature of the game.
“It's Lovecraftian and underwater themed, really giving it this creepy atmosphere as you progress.”
“Excellent metroidvania with a well-written story and characters and a captivating, haunting atmosphere.”
“This one won't blow your socks off aesthetically (obviously), but if you're looking for a metroidvania where the atmosphere, story, and exploration aspects are the focus, you should check it out.”
“But the atmosphere is well-paced, getting creepier the deeper you go, and the writing helps to sell it.”
“The music is at times foreboding and eerie, and the usage of light and dark really works to build on the atmosphere.”
- gameplay21 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a unique 360-degree underwater movement system that sets it apart from other metroidvanias, offering a smooth and innovative experience despite some initial control adjustments. While the combat can feel floaty and the pacing is slower than traditional platformers, the integration of mechanics with the story and atmosphere creates an engaging experience. Overall, players appreciate the compelling gameplay, though some minor flaws and health mechanics have drawn criticism.
“A great underwater metroidvania, with awesome atmosphere and good gameplay.”
“The gameplay is a little slower/weightier than your traditional platforming metroidvania, but that's absolutely by design.”
“Innovative gameplay: the 360-degree underwater movement is a unique gameplay mechanic, and really sets this game apart from others in the genre.”
“The gameplay has a few flaws that hold it back a bit.”
“In terms of combat, this game is okay; it suffers all the same cons as Aquaria and similar games: floaty combat, rigid feeling control, and slower, more methodical gameplay.”
“I can't emphasize enough how much it irks me when indie metroidvanias mess with the health mechanics—giving you less health overall, fewer health pickups, or some other more specific gimmick like a souls-like, limited healing mechanic.”
- music13 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its ability to enhance the cosmic eldritch horror atmosphere, with a perfect blend of foreboding and eerie tones that complement the gripping story and detailed pixel art. Reviewers note the soundtrack's memorable tunes and unique retro feel, reminiscent of the DOS era, which effectively supports the game's immersive experience. Overall, the sound design is considered superb, contributing significantly to the game's overall impact.
“The music is perfect for the mood.”
“The atmosphere, story, music, everything is just superb.”
“The presentation is wrapped up by an excellent chip soundtrack with several memorable tunes that will stick with you long after you're done playing.”
“The music is at times foreboding and eerie and the usage of light and dark really work to build on the atmosphere.”
“It also has an audio-visual aesthetic that evokes what my friend termed a 'different retro feel' from the type seen in many indie games, more closely resembling the DOS era, especially in some of the boss music tracks.”
“This is better than aquatic adventures but slightly worse than Song of the Deep.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed feedback, with some reviewers noting a lack of visual polish that detracts from the overall experience, while others appreciate the detailed pixel art style and atmospheric design. Although the aesthetics may not be groundbreaking, they effectively complement the game's focus on story and exploration. Overall, the graphics are described as a highlight for some, particularly in how they evoke a retro feel reminiscent of the DOS era.
“It has a nice, detailed pixel art style graphics and atmospheric soundtrack to match.”
“The graphics throughout are a highlight.”
“It also has an audio-visual aesthetic that evokes what my friend termed a 'different retro feel' from the type seen in many indie games, more closely resembling the DOS era, especially in some of the boss music tracks.”
“The storyline was pretty good, although probably held back a bit by the graphics.”
“The aesthetics are a bit weak, as one can see from the pics/videos, but the gameplay is deliciously smooth.”
“Depths is beginning to remind me of a robot named fight, if only superficially, in that it presents a darker take on the metroidvania formula whose low-res graphics contrast sharply with its content.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious due to the lack of fast travel until late in the game, making backtracking cumbersome. While the enemy variety is praised, their poor AI leads to repetitive combat, as many can be easily defeated from a distance, prolonging battles due to their high health pools.
“Exploration is fun, but the game decides not to give the player access to fast travel until the last quarter, which makes backtracking very tedious and time-consuming.”
“Enemies have terrific variety and are wonderfully diverse, and yet hampered by poor AI that makes them tedious to fight. That is to say, 90% of them, you can just hang outside their attack zone and shoot them, although they take a long time to kill due to their huge health pools.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 200 % positive mentions
- -400 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the replayability due to the presence of multiple endings, which encourages them to revisit the game for different experiences.
“The game offers a variety of choices that lead to different outcomes, making each playthrough feel unique.”
“With its branching storylines and diverse character paths, I find myself wanting to replay it to explore every possibility.”
“There's replay value in the form of multiple endings, and I will go back for another dive sometime in the future.”
“After completing the game once, I found little incentive to play through it again.”
“The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the emotional depth of the game, praising the strong character writing that fosters an immediate connection with the protagonist, Abe, and his poignant quest to find his missing coworkers. This coherence in storytelling enhances the overall emotional experience.
“The overall experience is more coherent, with a quality of character writing that made me feel for protagonist Abe and his search for his missing coworkers right away.”
