Unveiling the Enchanting Depths: A Captivating Review of Under the Waves

Under the Waves is an emotionally charged adventure game developed by Parallel Studio and published by Quantic Dream. It explores the theme of grief and how it can negatively affect individuals who do not properly confront it. The game immediately captivates players with its immersive narrative and breathtaking underwater world. Throughout its approximately seven-hour playtime, Under the Waves delivers a deeply moving experience, revealing the emotional and physical isolation faced by its protagonist. However, the overall experience is hindered by technical issues and the inclusion of some forced messaging.

The story of Under the Waves revolves around Stan, a professional diver who unexpectedly takes on a job for Unitrench, a deep-sea mining corporation. As players progress, they discover that Stan is haunted by the tragic loss of his daughter, Pearl, and the aftermath this event has had on his and his wife Emma's lives. Stan's suppression of his grief and his isolated circumstances gradually take a toll on him, causing disturbing visions to intrude upon his waking hours. Eventually, these visions merge with the reality of his daily tasks, compelling Stan to make life-altering decisions that will profoundly impact his loved ones and the places he holds dear.

Under the Waves showcases an unprecedented level of stunning underwater visuals, surpassing anything previously witnessed in the medium. Each aspect of the North Sea location within the game brims with vitality, thanks to its vibrant flora and fauna. Players are generously granted the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in this mesmerizing environment. As they embark on Stan's numerous Daily Tasks, they navigate through the dark expanses of the sea, exploring caves, trenches, and remnants of sunken ships. In addition to these tasks, players can also indulge in optional photography objectives, allowing them to intimately capture the denizens of the ocean. Some of these encounters even lead Stan to discover rare collectibles and unravel his gripping backstory.

To explore the underwater environment of Under the Waves, Stan relies on the Moon, a solo deep-sea vehicle. The controls are user-friendly, including basic options for moving forward, backward, drifting, and boosting. The control scheme follows the standard inverted-vertical mechanic commonly used in gaming. To effectively plan their exploration, players must keep track of the Moon's fuel. This can be replenished during the journey by finding fuel tanks or by crafting them before leaving Stan's base, known as the Life Module. When space becomes too confined, Stan can utilize his diving skills to personally explore every nook and cranny of Under the Waves' 1970s setting, although this method is slower, it proves to be effective.

Once players reach their objective, Stan must proceed on foot into Unitrench's extensive facilities. Within each facility, players face the challenge of maintaining Stan's oxygen level while solving a series of puzzles. Although these puzzles are not overly difficult, typically requiring players to perform specific actions or time button presses correctly, Under the Waves provides minimal guidance. This leaves players to work out the solutions on their own, while Stan's oxygen continues to deplete relentlessly. Successfully preparing enough fuel and oxygen to reach each objective, completing maintenance tasks, and then returning to the Life Module becomes a crucial aspect of Under the Waves' gameplay loop. However, the deep sea holds unexpected surprises, and Stan's mental well-being begins to pose a threat to his ability to handle these mechanics and fulfill his tasks.

Regrettably, the close-quarters segments in Under the Waves suffer from technical issues. In contrast to the game's expansive exploration of the open sea, the on-foot sequences lack technical refinement, leading to occasional animation glitches and the disappearance or clipping of assets. This drawback becomes particularly noticeable at the conclusion of each day, when Stan is bestowed the freedom to enjoy recreational activities, such as strumming a guitar or boxing a punching bag. These activities come with rhythm-based minigames, but the flawed animations make it incredibly challenging to execute precise timing.

Additionally, objects have a tendency to vanish or become misaligned during the close-up animations in Under the Waves. As an example, there is a scene where Stan goes through the motions of picking up and playing the guitar, but the actual asset remains stationary. Despite the instrument being prominently placed beside him, Stan strums at empty space with each successful button press, until the player decides to exit the mini-game. Fortunately, the captivating storyline of Under the Waves ensures that players remain engrossed in witnessing these nighttime adventures through to the end.

Stan establishes a daily routine during his initial days, starting with a cup of coffee, completing his assigned tasks, and then proceeding to the Life Module to have a conversation with his wife. These conversations gradually reveal the suddenness of Stan's departure on his journey, leaving Emma to grieve by herself. Despite Emma's apparent proper grieving process, Stan himself is unable to do so. This is evident through his unsettling and disturbing dreams, where he encounters his daughter's spirit in the form of a jellyfish and endures attacks from a multitude of hostile organisms. As Under the Waves progresses, the emotional weight of Stan's dreams and reality merge, leading to a series of catastrophes.

The meeting point of Stan's dreams and reality gives rise to the most powerful moments in Under the Waves. As Stan's desire to see Pearl grows, his struggle to distinguish what is real introduces a secondary storyline in the game. The ocean depicted in the game is polluted with waste and debris, which Stan repurposes to create useful items. However, his continued work for Unitrench, despite his deteriorating mental health, ultimately leads to an ecological catastrophe.

To develop these aspects, Parallel Studios collaborated with The Surfrider Foundation, a legitimate environmental organization focused on preserving the world's oceans. By cleaning the virtual ocean and recycling their own waste in the game, players can earn Trophies or Achievements that showcase the Surfrider Foundation's involvement. The major events in the game's narrative overshadow any positive actions done by Stan and the player to help the ocean, allowing the secondary storyline to convey a haunting tale of humanity's exploitation of the ocean's resources. Regrettably, Under the Waves fails to effectively merge these two disturbing narratives to deliver a cohesive message about humanity's avoidance of harsh realities and its impact on the environment.

Under the Waves provides a poignant exploration of grief and its impact on individuals who try to avoid confronting it. While the main narrative is deeply affecting, the inclusion of an environmentalism theme, driven by a real-world partnership, detracts from the overall emotional impact. Despite technical glitches affecting the visuals and optional tasks, the core gameplay of Under the Waves captivates players with its mandatory objectives. Stan's story resonates with many, capturing the complex emotions tied to grief. Regrettably, Under the Waves falls short of delivering a gaming experience that truly does justice to these profound themes.

Parallel Studio's Under the Waves takes players on an immersive journey with Stan, a submarine diver exploring the mysterious depths of the North Sea. As the story unfolds, Stan's psychological state is mirrored by the strange phenomena encountered along the way. With an emphasis on exploration, this adventure game delves into the theme of grief, delivering a deeply personal tale.

Under the Waves is now available on various platforms, including PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. This review is based on our experience with the PS5 version of the game, which was provided to us by the developers.