Reveal the Deep
- December 4, 2015
- Lazy Monday Games
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Reveal the Deep" is an underwater exploration and survival game. The player controls a submersible vehicle, navigating the ocean depths, discovering wrecks, and encountering marine life. Resources must be managed carefully to maintain the sub's power and life support. The game features a dynamic day-night cycle and weather system, adding another layer of challenge to the immersive underwater experience.
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Reviews
- Great atmosphere and sound design that creates a creepy and immersive experience.
- Interesting story revealed through notes and diary entries, keeping players engaged.
- Unique light mechanic that alters the environment and adds depth to puzzles.
- No save feature during chapters, requiring players to complete them in one sitting.
- Controls can be clunky and unresponsive at times, particularly with ladders and jumping.
- Short length of the game (around 1.5 to 2 hours) may leave players wanting more.
- atmosphere346 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, enhanced by excellent sound design and minimalistic visuals that effectively convey a sense of dread and isolation. Many players appreciate the game's ability to create tension without relying on jump scares, instead using ambient noises and lighting to build a haunting experience. However, some reviews note that the repetitive sound effects and lack of diverse gameplay elements can detract from the overall experience.
“The atmosphere in this game is fantastic with the sound deserving special mention.”
“The sound design is also fantastic and is probably the real star of the show, it builds the atmosphere perfectly and really makes you feel like you are in an undersea wreck.”
“This game is beautifully atmospheric and scary as all hell.”
“With all due respect, this isn't the type of game I want to spend time exploring and sinking in the atmosphere for too long.”
“The map is completely made up of ninety-degree angles, and while it likely expedited the time requirement to make the game, it massively detracts from the atmosphere because it feels like a rushed indie developer-created map and not a real ship.”
“If darkness and a handful of underwater sound effects constitute 'atmosphere,' I suppose a game needs more than atmosphere to be worth owning.”
- story320 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally described as intriguing and atmospheric, often drawing on Lovecraftian themes, with players uncovering the narrative through scattered notes and diary entries. While some find the storytelling engaging and well-paced, others criticize it for being vague or underdeveloped, leading to mixed feelings about the overall execution and resolution. Despite its simplicity, many players appreciate the depth and mystery of the story, which enhances the exploration experience.
“The story was really great with a Lovecraftian flavor.”
“The story is surprisingly dark and interesting.”
“The story is progressively revealed through the discovery of diary entries left behind by various of the ship's past passengers and, to my surprise, it was actually very interesting and disturbing.”
“The story is vague and somewhat bland; there's no save system, and the game has to be run on an outdated version of Java.”
“The game has a story, but it is telegraphed to the player very oddly, and the journey to reaching this general concept was very awkward as the notes did not feel like they were telling a properly flowing story.”
“The first chapter leads you to believe the mystery is something really interesting, and then you read the two sentences explaining the story at the finale and you're like 'that's it?'”
- gameplay189 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a unique light manipulation mechanic that alters the environment, allowing for exploration and puzzle-solving. However, many players find the overall experience to be simplistic and occasionally frustrating, with issues such as janky controls and repetitive mechanics detracting from the enjoyment. While the atmosphere and story elements are praised, the gameplay often lacks depth and polish, leading to mixed reviews regarding its engagement and replay value.
“The main gameplay mechanics consist of some light platforming, using the direction you're facing to light the room, and turning on and off your light, which alters the available platforms and passive story content.”
“With great atmosphere, fluid gameplay, and an intriguing story, this two-hour-long deep-sea expedition is one of the most unique and memorable gaming experiences I've had on PC.”
“The gameplay consists of simple platformer and puzzle elements, with nice mechanics, good but not too difficult puzzles, and an amazing atmosphere.”
“It's janky and unsatisfying to play... and any experienced gamer will tell you, the handling, responsiveness, and general gameplay feel of the control scheme must be well polished for this kind of game to succeed.”
“Unfortunately, this is something the developer seems to have phoned in, with little to no apparent gameplay testing or polish done.”
“The gameplay is extremely boring, and the puzzles are super easy.”
- graphics107 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a retro pixel art style that effectively contributes to its atmospheric and immersive experience, despite not being technically advanced. While some players appreciate the simplicity and charm of the visuals, others note the lack of resolution options and polish, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as functional and fitting for the game's eerie tone, enhancing the storytelling and sound design.
“Very haunting experience with excellent sound and graphical design that manages to evoke a feeling of desolation from exploring a deep sea wreck, all with careful and subtle pixel art.”
“The atmosphere is great, the graphics are simple but do a good job of making you believe you are trapped in an old ship at the bottom of the ocean.”
“Love the graphics style and it's just dripping with atmosphere from the incredible sound work.”
“A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
“There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
“The greatest weakness of the game itself is the visuals, which are what really holds it back and drains from the overall feel of the game.”
- music40 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's music aspect is characterized by a complete absence of a traditional soundtrack, relying instead on atmospheric sound effects that enhance the eerie underwater exploration experience. While many players appreciate the unnerving quality this creates, some feel that a soundtrack could have added depth and emotional resonance to the gameplay. Overall, the ambient sounds effectively contribute to the game's creepy atmosphere, though they can become repetitive over time.
“The music, random noises, not knowing what's going on all adds up to a thrilling experience.”
“Creepy atmosphere, darkness illuminated only by your narrow light beam, a sparse ambient soundtrack fitting for a wreck submerged miles underwater... what's not to like?”
“The music and sound effects will wreck your nerves as you slowly progress through the sunk ship, playing with light and shadows.”
“There is no music and the only main sound effects are your footsteps and the creaking/moaning of the ship.”
“I loved the art style and the atmosphere, however the ambient music and sounds did get a little repetitive.”
“Lack of music makes the underwater sounds all the more unnerving.”
- stability11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- -18 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting various glitches and bugs that can hinder gameplay, particularly in later chapters. While some players experienced no significant issues, others faced game-breaking problems, especially related to platforming mechanics and animations. Overall, the game is described as "buggy but cheap," indicating that while it may have stability issues, its low price point may still appeal to some players.
“I encountered no glitches or crashes whatsoever, and the game launched without issue.”
“The game runs smoothly without any hiccups, making for a seamless experience.”
“I appreciate how stable the game is; it never froze or crashed during my playtime.”
“The game is a bit finicky; platforming (fitting to the environment, given it's underwater) is slow and floaty, and the game can be a little buggy on occasion. I can recall an instance of getting soft locked in the second chapter.”
“There are a few glitches and bugs, but nothing game-breaking. Jumping in a tight corridor and on top of some rising blocks will keep you in the jumping animation, forcing you to jump again in a larger room in the case of the former or land on solid ground in the case of the latter to resume your usual animations. I had one case where trying to walk underneath a rising block with spikes underneath it killed me out of the blue.”
“But as it stands, there are glitches in chapter 2 that make progress impossible.”
- grinding11 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often describing it as slow and frustrating, particularly in puzzle sequences and movement mechanics. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and storyline, many feel that the grinding detracts from the overall experience, leading to mixed reviews.
“3/10 - basically the game has a setting that pulls you in but does nothing with the gameplay, it is boring, tedious, repetitive and lacks any unique and fun mechanics.”
“Seemed... tedious.”
“its all slow and tedious - like running under water ... ;-) matches the theme of the game, but the slow movement, delay when switching the light on/off, etc. started to get boring soon.”
- replayability9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has minimal replayability, with many players noting that once the story is completed and achievements are unlocked, there is little incentive to play again. While it may provide an entertaining experience during the first playthrough, the lack of engaging gameplay and a cliche story contribute to its low replay value.
“There is not a lot of replay value, gameplay itself is nothing special, and the story is cliche; but it made me laugh and spooked me out.”
“No replay value unless you missed an achievement.”
“The only downside is that it has no replay value whatsoever and that the final puzzle isn't explained very well.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor, with players enjoying the funny story and amusing elements that elicit laughter rather than fear. While the gameplay and story may be considered cliché and lacking in replay value, the comedic aspects elevate the overall experience, making it a recommended choice for fans of simple, retro, and humorous games.
“I found myself chuckling at them more than cowering or fearing their presence.”
“Over my expectations... I recommend it to everyone who likes simple puzzles, retro, funny games.”
“It's a good game, very good, and it's a funny game.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a range of emotional experiences, from heart-wrenching moments that evoke empathy to feelings of claustrophobia and paranoia due to the game's atmosphere. The minimalistic art style and haunting ambience enhance the emotional impact, making players feel beautifully lost and engaged with the story, despite some critiques regarding the depth of emotional connection. Overall, the game successfully elicits a spectrum of emotions, from intrigue to fear.
“Even a few heart-wrenching moments (poor Mr. Crab) made me highly recommend this one!”
“The basic theme of silence and darkness made me feel beautifully lost and afraid.”
“Although this is an 8-bit horror game, the minimalistic art style pulled me in instead of distracting from the story. The ambience was incredible: the hisses, creaks, and groans of the ship made me feel claustrophobic and very, very paranoid.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is praised for its depth and unpredictability, with players noting that the storyline culminates in an unexpected ending that enhances the overall experience.
“Character development was pretty good, and you really don't see the ending coming!”
“The depth of the characters and their growth throughout the story is truly impressive.”
“I loved how each character evolved based on the choices I made, making the experience feel personal.”
