Escape From The Depth

About

Escape From the Depth is a cosmic horror game that takes place in a submarine under the dark, cold, and desolate oceans of Europa. The player must survive while trying to collect the necessary items to safely evacuate the sinking submarine.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 22 reviews

graphics3 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

The sound design and atmosphere effectively create a sense of paranoia and creepiness, enhancing the horror experience.
The game is a well-made, short indie horror experience that is enjoyable for its free price point.
The voice acting is commendable and adds to the overall immersion of the game.

The game is very short, with a lack of depth in gameplay and objectives, leaving players wanting more.
The monster's AI is inconsistent, making it less threatening and reducing the overall tension.
Subtitles are buggy and contain grammatical errors, which can detract from the experience and make the story hard to follow.

atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The atmosphere of the game is described as spooky and chilling, particularly in the context of being alone in a submarine, which enhances immersion. However, some players feel that the atmosphere is undermined by a lack of narrative depth and explanation, particularly regarding the game's setting and events, leading to a sense of disappointment. Overall, while the game successfully creates a creepy ambiance, it could benefit from more contextual storytelling to fully engage players.
- “I enjoyed the spooky, chilling atmosphere of being alone in a submarine.”
- “Let's start off with the atmosphere, one of the most important things to get players immersed in the world.”
- “Let's start off with the atmosphere, one of the most important things to get players immersed in the world: it's not really there.”
- “The first ending is when you just use the exit door and it cuts to credits screen, no cutscene, no new dialogue, not even a wall of text explaining what happened to the protagonist, just the credits, which is extra disappointing considering how the AI mentioned there is a lack of atmosphere and it's apparently irradiated outside, which would be interesting if it was explained more.”
- “Creepy atmosphere.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with users noting that it functions well and is not overly buggy. However, there are minor issues, particularly with subtitle functionality and the absence of on-screen objectives, which can detract from the experience.
- “I only have two critique points: objectives on screen would be nice to see, and the subtitles are a little buggy.”
- “Really small horror experience, kind of buggy with the subtitles, and you really need them due to the lack of checklists or objectives.”
- “Pros: it works and isn't very buggy.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story is criticized for its lack of clarity, particularly during key moments when the AI voice becomes unintelligible due to effects and missing subtitles. Grammatical errors in the subtitles further detract from the experience, potentially undermining the horror atmosphere and leading to confusion. Additionally, the ending is deemed unsatisfactory and fails to provide a coherent resolution to the minimal plot presented.
- “But still the ending sucks and it doesn't really explain what little plot there is.”
- “Also, when the AI voice starts turning evil, the combination of 'scary' effects on his voice and the voice actually being one of those AI voices makes it really hard to understand him. This wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't for the fact that those are the only times the subtitles do not show up. Additionally, the subtitles have a few grammatical errors which, while not that bad, are still distracting and can turn your horror game into a comedy. If the developer decided to make a game with a more complicated plot or gameplay, these grammatical errors make it hard to understand, so please get someone to proofread your game to prevent this.”
graphics
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The graphics of the game are praised for effectively enhancing the overall atmosphere, contributing to a sense of paranoia and creepiness. Players appreciate how the visual elements play a crucial role in the gameplay experience, especially given the game's smaller scale.
- “The graphics are stunning, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
- “The visual design is incredibly detailed, making every environment feel alive and engaging.”
- “The art style is unique and captivating, drawing players into the game's world.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The chase music in the game is criticized for being generic and lacking in intensity, failing to create a sense of fear or urgency during encounters. Additionally, the ease of outrunning the character diminishes the overall impact of the music in enhancing the game's tension.
- “The chase music sounds so generic and not scary, making it hard to feel any tension during the gameplay.”
- “Even if the character was intimidating, the music fails to enhance the atmosphere, as it lacks originality and impact.”
- “The overall soundtrack feels uninspired and does not contribute to the game's immersion or emotional engagement.”
gameplay
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Gameplay is hindered by unclear AI voice acting, particularly during tense moments when the voice becomes distorted and lacks accompanying subtitles. Additionally, grammatical errors in the subtitles can detract from the horror experience, potentially turning serious scenes into comedic ones, and may complicate understanding in a more intricate plot. Overall, these issues suggest a need for better proofreading and audio clarity to enhance the gaming experience.
- “The AI voice becomes unintelligible when it turns evil due to the combination of 'scary' effects and the use of a generic AI voice, making it difficult to follow the story. This issue is compounded by the fact that subtitles are absent during these moments, and the existing subtitles contain grammatical errors that can detract from the horror experience, turning it into something unintentionally comedic. If the developers aim for a more complex plot or gameplay, they should consider having someone proofread the text to avoid confusion.”
- “The gameplay suffers from a lack of clarity, especially during critical moments when the AI voice is altered. The absence of subtitles during these sequences makes it hard to grasp the narrative, and the grammatical mistakes in the subtitles that do appear can be distracting. This could easily undermine the intended horror atmosphere and lead to misunderstandings in a game that could benefit from a more polished presentation.”
- “It's frustrating that the AI voice effects make it hard to understand the dialogue, especially when the subtitles are missing. The few subtitles that do exist are riddled with grammatical errors, which can turn tense moments into unintentional humor. For a game that aims for a deeper narrative, these issues can significantly detract from the overall experience.”