Under The Waves

70%
Game Brain Score Based on 662 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Under The Waves Game Cover
Under the Waves on Xbox Series X is a beautifully moving and haunting game
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"Under the Waves" is a narrative-driven adventure game set in the North Sea's depths, where professional diver Stan deals with grief while exploring a techno-futuristic 1970s underwater world. The game features stunning cinematic visuals, poignant storytelling, and an immersive atmosphere, as players guide Stan through a series of events that will challenge him to confront his inner turmoil while discovering the mysteries of the deep sea.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 662 reviews
story226 positive mentions
grinding30 negative mentions
  • The game features beautiful graphics and an immersive underwater environment that captivates players.
  • The story is emotionally resonant, exploring themes of grief and environmentalism, which many players found touching and thought-provoking.
  • The voice acting and sound design enhance the overall experience, making the narrative engaging and impactful.
  • Gameplay can feel slow and repetitive, with many players finding the tasks monotonous and lacking challenge.
  • The controls, especially for the submarine, are often criticized as clunky and unintuitive, leading to frustration during gameplay.
  • There are several bugs and technical issues, including crashes and graphical glitches, which detract from the overall experience.
  • story679 mentions

    The story of "Under the Waves" is a poignant exploration of grief and environmental themes, often described as touching yet heavy and sometimes predictable. While some players appreciate its emotional depth and atmospheric storytelling, others find it slow-paced and lacking in engaging gameplay, with a linear narrative that offers little player choice. Overall, the game is noted for its beautiful visuals and sound design, but opinions vary on the effectiveness and execution of its story.

    • “The story is so touching, the atmosphere is something to get lost in, and the music is incredible.”
    • “This game drew me in, immersed me in curiosity and wonder, chilled my bones with the consequences of human indifference to our environment, and then crushed my heart with the progression of the story at the center of it all.”
    • “The storytelling is captivating, drawing players into the protagonist's journey with a mix of poignant moments and introspective dialogues.”
    • “The writing (especially towards the rushed ending) and the lack of actual puzzles left such a bad taste in the mouth that I almost gave it a negative review, but honestly, it's a simple cute little chill exploration game with a cool vibe, marred by some pretense in the story department and weak direction.”
    • “But the big deal breaker, considering it's barely more than a walking sim, is that the story is weak and the characters aren't written well enough to make you care, and none of it is fleshed out enough to do so even if it were decently written.”
    • “The story just kinda feels like you understand it within 5 minutes and just doesn't really go anywhere and is very predictable.”
  • graphics191 mentions

    The graphics in the game are widely praised for their beauty and immersive underwater environments, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals and art style. However, there are significant complaints about limited graphical options, particularly regarding film grain and other effects that cannot be disabled, which detracts from the overall experience for some players. While the visuals are generally considered exceptional, issues like graphical glitches and poor character animations have also been noted.

    • “The underwater environment is beautifully rendered, with stunning graphics that bring the ocean's mysteries to life.”
    • “Brilliant game, the story makes you feel the emotions of Stan and the situation he is in, the graphics are breathtaking in my opinion making you truly feel like you are in the 'deep blue' as Stan likes to call it.”
    • “The graphics are amazing and it's very well optimized with my 4090.”
    • “The animations and graphics in general aren't really good either.”
    • “If you don't like film grain, depth of field options and chromatic aberration, graphics will be a constant assault on your eyeballs because you can't turn any of it off.”
    • “Subnautica was beautiful and it was easy to get lost in the game just swimming around and looking at things... but this game's graphics and strange film grain make Roblox look like a masterpiece in comparison.”
  • gameplay170 mentions

    The gameplay of "Under the Waves" is characterized by slow-paced exploration and basic tasks, often described as tedious and lacking challenge, which may appeal to players seeking a meditative experience. While the game features beautiful graphics and a compelling narrative, many reviewers noted that the gameplay mechanics feel underdeveloped and repetitive, with some even comparing it to a walking simulator. Overall, it offers a unique atmosphere but may not satisfy those looking for engaging or dynamic gameplay.

    • “A great game for someone wanting a slow-paced, simplistic & semi-relaxing gameplay style.”
    • “One of the standout features is the incorporation of tasks and adventure elements that add layers of complexity to the gameplay.”
    • “The combination of a well-crafted storyline, atmospheric environment, and diverse gameplay elements makes it a standout choice for anyone seeking a gaming experience that transcends the ordinary.”
    • “However, I must be honest and say that the gameplay is extremely slow and honestly quite boring at times, which is a shame to say because the developers did such a good job graphically; storytelling, animations, and scenery were phenomenal.”
    • “The gameplay is slow and dull.”
    • “But gameplay is slow, repetitive, and not really fun.”
  • emotional117 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Under the Waves" is characterized by its exploration of heavy themes such as loss, grief, and self-discovery, often resonating deeply with players. While many appreciate the touching narrative and immersive atmosphere, some critiques highlight issues with pacing, character attachment, and execution of emotional moments, which can detract from the overall impact. Despite these criticisms, the game is recognized for its beautiful storytelling and ability to evoke strong feelings, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of narrative-driven adventures.

    • “Under the Waves is an emotionally charged narrative-driven game that dives deep into complex themes of loss, grief, and self-discovery.”
    • “This is special, as in one of those games that leave me emotional and in awe.”
    • “A beautiful, touching story and meditative gameplay.”
  • music86 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its emotional depth and ability to enhance the storytelling, creating a captivating and immersive atmosphere. However, some players noted issues with the implementation, such as abrupt cuts in the music and volume inconsistencies, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's aesthetic and emotional impact.

    • “✔️ The soundtrack and score are excellent - an absolute highlight to the whole experience.”
    • “Under the waves features some fantastic music, especially after the big story moments.”
    • “Its definitely emotional with the plot being what it is, but the music in the game is also perfectly chosen where it's melancholy, but also provides a feeling of hope, being so deep underwater and in the dark.”
    • “Ambient music sometimes suddenly cuts out before scene transitions.”
    • “Try to reduce music sound in settings since most of the time when it plays you can't properly hear other stuff.”
    • “Second issue for me was constant playing and stopping music when you enter a new area.”
  • atmosphere68 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and emotional qualities, enhanced by stunning visuals, sound design, and a compelling narrative. Players feel a strong connection to the oceanic environment, which evokes a range of emotions from melancholy to intrigue, making it a standout feature despite some criticisms of gameplay. Overall, the atmosphere is described as captivating and beautifully crafted, drawing players into a unique and thought-provoking experience.

    • “This game oozes atmosphere, and I am fully onboard with the protagonist and the story.”
    • “Tons of atmosphere and great sound design makes it a very moody and immersive experience.”
    • “Incredible and subtle storytelling: the visual direction, music, and voice acting compete to create such a unique atmosphere and the plot itself is one to shed some tears.”
    • “It barely gets a positive rating from me because it feels like the developers were genuinely passionate about the story they wanted to tell and the game can occasionally have a really ominous atmosphere, but I desperately wanted this game to be more fun to play.”
    • “However, the atmosphere, the between-the-lines metaphors and a tender approach to dialogue brings it together into a game with a clear identity, a story-focused game which takes you through a well laid out rollercoaster; at times a pleasing diorama which can nicely segue into either anxiety, melancholy or gemütlichkeit.”
    • “The only issue was a few UE4 crashes which unfortunately interrupted the atmosphere that was set up so well.”
  • grinding30 mentions

    Reviews consistently highlight the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and slow, with many players expressing frustration over lengthy dialogues, repetitive tasks, and a lack of engaging gameplay. While some elements like looting and crafting are noted to be well-designed, they ultimately contribute to an overall experience that feels drawn out and monotonous, leading to a desire for a more concise and streamlined game.

    • “Slow tedious gameplay.”
    • “I was excited for a creepy undersea story and instead I got a boring, tedious to control, sob story about a dead girl.”
    • “Would be a recommendation if the game was like 4-5 hours and all the tedious button pushing gameplay removed and a bit lower price.”
  • stability14 mentions

    The game's stability is generally described as a bit buggy, with users reporting various graphical glitches, audio bugs, and occasional black screen freezes. While it runs well on platforms like the Steam Deck, issues such as clunky animations and character mouth movements detract from the experience. Despite these problems, many players still find enjoyment in the gameplay, often resolving minor issues with a quick reboot.

    • “It runs great on Steam Deck; at first I wasn't sure, but it turns out it was more of a connection issue. It actually runs perfectly.”
    • “A bit buggy - boarding the 'moon' or the submarine is clunky and careless in terms of the animation.”
    • “There are also black screen freezes which cause the same issues.”
    • “Various graphical glitches and audio bugs too.”
  • optimization14 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization receives mixed feedback; while some users report good performance with high-end hardware like the 4090, others experience occasional stutters and note that the game lacks extensive graphical options. Additionally, there are mentions of animation issues that detract from the overall experience.

    • “Performance is good although the game doesn't provide many graphical options, but overall had good performance with 3090, 12900k at 1440p resolution.”
    • “The graphics are amazing and it's very well optimized with my 4090.”
    • “The optimization is very good though I have a 4090 kit.”
    • “The game seems to suffer from significant optimization issues.”
    • “The setting is the star of the show, but the performance of the main character is lacking; sadly, his animations do not match up.”
    • “Performance and bugs are a major concern, rating the experience at 3/5.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is considered limited, with a linear story and a lack of varied gameplay, earning a low rating of 2/5. However, many players still find the immersive and story-driven experience worthwhile, despite the lack of incentives to replay.

    • “Although there are areas where the gameplay could be more varied, the replayability could be improved.”
    • “Limited replayability and a linear story, but as long as you're in for an immersive and story-driven experience, then I think this game is apt.”
    • “Although there are areas where the gameplay could be more varied and replayability could be improved.”
    • “Replayability (2/5): Limited replayability and linear story, but as long as you're in for an immersive and story-driven experience, then I think this game is apt.”
    • “Limited replayability and linear story, but as long as you're in for an immersive and story-driven experience, then I think this game is apt.”
  • character development6 mentions

    Character development is highlighted as a strong point, with users noting its emotional depth and engaging nature. The backstory of the main character is revealed in a unique way, contributing to a richer understanding of their motivations and experiences, even amidst a somewhat predictable plot.

    • “While the plot can be somewhat predictable, the emotional depth and character development more than make up for it.”
    • “Engaging character development.”
    • “The character development happens while you 'sleep', where you find out about the main character's backstory.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players enjoying quirky interactions like making faces in the mirror and engaging in playful activities such as playing guitar and punching a punching bag. However, some graphical glitches, particularly with character mouth movements, detract slightly from the overall comedic experience.

    • “You can play the guitar, punch a punching bag, take pictures, and it's funny that you can make faces in the mirror.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

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Play time

12hMedian play time
12hAverage play time
11-16hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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