Submerged is a third-person combat-free game in which you explore a mysterious flooded city and discover the beauty of desolation in vast outdoor environments. You take on the role of Miku, a young girl who has brought her wounded brother to the city in their small fishing boat. Navigate the flooded city streets by boat, scale the drowned buildings, and use your telescope to scour the city for the supplies needed to save your dying sibling. As you explore the city at your own pace, you encounter the habitat that flourishes in this colorful place and discover hidden objects that piece together the story of a broken world and a broken family.
Uppercut Games’ first foray into the post-apocalypse exhibits two rare qualities: a vibrant world and strict adherence to non-combative exploration. What that – unfortunately – translates to is pretty vistas lacking substance and intrigue. Rather ironic for a title named Submerged to have the depth of a wading pool.
As broken as the world is, it's also incredibly beautiful. The unfortunate part however, is that it isn't all that varied.
Submerged is not a bad game, but most certainly not an outstanding one. I enjoyed what it did for the time it took me to finish the story, but for players looking for more substance, there are other games out there that offer more.
Submerged attempts to replace tension with curiosity as a motivating force, and largely succeeds even though its environmental storytelling isn't as dense as it could've been. It's an unchallenging, occasionally beautiful experience that caters to our instinct to see what's on the other side of the mountain. In the moments where Submerged rewarded inquisitiveness,...
Set in a drowned city, this game of exploration lacks the substance or conviction to hold your attention.
