Stirring Abyss
- October 29, 2020
- K-Project
- 16h median play time
Get on Steam"Stirring Abyss" is a tactical RPG set in a Lovecraftian world, where you command the crew of a sunken submarine exploring ancient ruins. Your choices determine the crew's fate and the outcome of the mission; different character traits and skills offer various options in combat and story events. The deeper you delve, the more you confront mysterious and potentially dangerous phenomena.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging Lovecraftian atmosphere with a strong narrative and immersive sound design.
- Tactical gameplay reminiscent of XCOM, with unique mechanics like oxygen management and character mutations.
- Variety in missions and character progression keeps the gameplay fresh and interesting.
- Difficulty spikes can be frustrating, especially early in the game, leading to potential unwinnable situations.
- Limited variety in enemy types and repetitive map designs can detract from long-term engagement.
- Some mechanics, such as the crafting and mutation systems, lack clarity and can feel unbalanced.
- story137 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is engaging, featuring a Lovecraftian atmosphere as players navigate through a series of missions to rescue crew members and uncover deep-sea mysteries. While the main narrative is complemented by optional side quests, some players noted a frustrating difficulty curve and repetitive mission structure that can detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, many found the storytelling and character development to be enjoyable, with a strong sense of atmosphere enhancing the gameplay.
“The atmosphere, story, and art design are superb.”
“The story is great too.”
“You progress through a series of missions to find members of your crew and uncover the mysteries of the deep in time-honored turn-based fashion.”
“The story is simple - repair the sub, get what you can, and get out.”
“But even on easy, sailors get torn apart by entirely too many enemies with too many hit points, and replaying the same 2-3 missions over and over again trying to find the secret strategy that lets you actually proceed in the story is pretty much the scientific opposite of fun.”
“Not interested in roguelike endless mode, but the story mode isn't very well balanced and it spoils the game.”
- gameplay53 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is reminiscent of classic XCOM titles, featuring a mix of turn-based strategy, resource management, and RPG elements, with a strong Lovecraftian atmosphere. While the mechanics are generally solid and easy to learn, players noted issues with repetitiveness, limited depth, and a lack of variety in enemies and weapons, which can hinder replayability. The game offers interesting mechanics like sanity and corruption management, but some players found the interface and explanations lacking, leading to potential frustration during gameplay.
“Game mechanics are easy to learn and are interesting to use on the higher difficulty runs.”
“The atmosphere is very well done and the mechanics are enjoyable.”
“A fantastic, aesthetically quirky turn-based strategy game with tight and interlocking tactical, RPG, and resource management mechanics.”
“The game runs out of mechanics pretty fast if you want to complete the campaign instead of just rushing through.”
“The interface and poor explanation of several game mechanics drive me up the wall sometimes; I've loved games that have done even worse on both those subjects, but they're not serving this one.”
“While gameplay is similar to XCOM, the very limited base and research options, along with a restricted weapon selection, kill any urge to replay the game for me.”
- graphics32 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many praising its unique Lovecraftian art style and atmospheric presentation that enhances the creepy ambiance. While some players noted that the visuals may seem simple or dated, they ultimately contribute to the game's charm and effectively evoke a sense of cosmic horror. Overall, the distinct aesthetic and solid execution of the graphics are highlighted as key strengths, despite some criticisms regarding animation quality.
“The artwork, unpleasant organic sound effects, and music all play into the unnaturally creepy ambiance.”
“The devs do an amazing job of putting you in the 'unknowable deep' with the art style and sounds that both add up to a slow burn of weird/horrifying revelations that do the source material justice.”
“The art style and writing have a nice pulp feel that suits the sense of cosmic horror and dread well.”
“It's a scripted adventure RPG with a sloppy art style, and everything looks like it plays.”
“Game play and graphic design would have been dated 20 years ago, so quality and execution were crucial, but sadly the devs deliver on neither.”
“Cons: not totally sold on the graphics and animation, but they are solid.”
- atmosphere30 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its captivating, eerie, and Lovecraftian qualities, enhanced by artsy presentation, a strong soundtrack, and effective worldbuilding. Reviewers note that the atmosphere contributes significantly to the overall experience, making it engaging and immersive, despite some critiques of gameplay simplicity. Overall, the combination of visual and auditory elements creates a dense and memorable atmosphere that resonates with players.
“Extremely atmospheric, decently tactical, and amazingly well written.”
“Amazing Lovecraftian atmosphere and simple but satisfying mechanics reminding of old Fallout.”
“The soundtrack, art, and text-based content create a tense Lovecraftian atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is ominous, tense, and claustrophobic.”
“Solid underwater XCOM with an unsettling atmosphere.”
- music18 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its ability to enhance the dark and creepy atmosphere, reminiscent of classic titles like X-COM. While some praise the soundtrack for its quality and contribution to the overall experience, others criticize it for being limited in variety and not particularly memorable. Overall, the music is seen as a supportive element that complements the game's visuals and ambiance, though opinions on its effectiveness vary.
“I really enjoyed the music and sound effects, plus the voice acting of the introduction and ending are great.”
“The art style and soundtrack are what really push 'Stirring Abyss' through.”
“Let me start with a big 'this game is a blast!!', it feels good, the music adds to the dark atmosphere, the story is there, the graphics are pretty good.”
“Music is not very dominant; it is there to support the above described feelings.”
“And to top it off, the music stinks.”
“You can forget about getting stoned and bugging out to underwater immersion, unless you bring your own music because the music is crap.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game offers an endless mode that enhances replayability after completing the main campaign, which consists of a limited number of story and side missions. While the core gameplay may feel simplistic and lacks extensive replay value, the addition of an endless rogue-like mode provides a significant incentive for players to revisit the game.
“The game also features an endless mode for replayability after you've completed the main campaign.”
“There is an endless mode I am trying out, and it seems like a good way to add extra replay value to the game.”
“It's not super long and has very little replay value, as well as being quite simplistic in some ways. Additionally, the tutorial misses some key information like cover.”
“The game features an endless mode for replayability after you've completed the main campaign.”
“There is an endless rogue-like mode that adds a lot of replay value to this game; I plan on checking that out once I finish the story mode.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted as a strong point, featuring a blend of funny and grotesque elements within the RPG character build system. Players appreciate the polished execution and immersive experience, drawing parallels to classic titles like X-COM while incorporating Lovecraftian themes. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
“Three winning elements all together in a nice package, along with a decent - and sometimes funny and grotesque - RPG character build system.”
“Props to the developers for such a polished, funny, immersive game that brought me back the feeling of old X-COM while playing along with my favorite Lovecraft moods.”
“Funny and not too difficult to beat the game with it.”
- character development2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development is significantly influenced by player choices, creating an emergent experience; however, the limited progression system, capped at five levels, restricts the depth of character development.
“Player choice plays a huge role in progression and character development, making it feel emergent.”
“The character development is engaging and allows for meaningful choices that impact the story.”
“The game offers a unique approach to character development, allowing players to shape their characters in diverse ways.”
“Character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
“The choices I made didn't seem to impact my character's growth in any significant way.”
“I expected more depth in character arcs, but they felt predictable and uninspired.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally appreciate that the game avoids excessive grinding, finding it lightweight and enjoyable, especially for those who prefer more complex gameplay.
“I appreciated that it was not grindy at all.”
“I don't like very grindy games, but it felt a bit lightweight overall; I do like complex games.”
“However, I appreciated that it was not grindy at all.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 200 % positive mentions
- -400 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is influenced by the health, sanity, and buffs/debuffs systems, which significantly impact character performance and overall gameplay experience.
“Optimizing health and sanity levels, along with managing buffs and debuffs, can dramatically enhance your character's effectiveness in the game.”
“Understanding how health, sanity, and status effects interact allows players to fine-tune their strategies for optimal performance.”
“The health, sanity, and buffs/debuffs systems significantly impact character performance, making optimization crucial for success.”
“The game's optimization is severely lacking, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.”
“I found the optimization of character stats to be poorly implemented, resulting in unbalanced gameplay.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its stability, being relatively bug-free and featuring good pacing, which contributes to a smooth overall experience.
“The game is relatively bug-free, providing a smooth and enjoyable experience.”
“The pacing of the game is pretty good, contributing to its overall stability.”
“I appreciate how stable the game feels; it rarely crashes or glitches.”
