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Under The Waves
Released On: Aug 29, 2023
70
6.0
Where to Buy
Where to Buy
All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 27 Critic Reviews
70
33% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
67% Mixed
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 27 Critic Reviews
70
33% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
67% Mixed
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Under The Waves is an incredible journey of memories. Developed by Parallel Studio and Quantic Dream, the work combines the environmental theme with a moving and engaging story, also strong in a well-implemented play structure. Must have absolutely.
The emerging narrative of Under the Waves will accompany you while you are underwater and then will make you desire to re-embrace the surface: Stan is a man who hides his past, he wanted to bury it, but he has to deal with it, especially at night . The title of Parallel Studio certainly does not offer a layered playful component, but its engaging story - linked to a credible and multifaceted protagonist - will certainly push you to fully experience this journey consisting of 7 chapters.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 39 User Ratings
6.0
28% Positive
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
49% Mixed
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
23% Negative
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 39 User Ratings
6.0
28% Positive
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
49% Mixed
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
23% Negative
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
If you are looking for a fast-paced, feel-good action game, then this isn't for you. I really enjoyed "under the waves" because it is slow and very atmospheric. I recommend turning off the music completely. Without the music it feels like you are really down there, alone with your thoughts and the sounds of the ocean. Being a big fan of the Abyss movie, I really liked the game a lot.
After a few hours, I encountered an extremely annoying bug: PS5 error CE-100028-1 pop-ups constantly (“no free space for save” but I had over 160 gb free space). Rebooting my ps5 did the trick but unfortunately the error did come back after some time.
The swimming controls are a bit weird, but the little submarine you are in feels great to maneuver. Even with the flaws and some glitches (I was stuck 3 times while swimming and collecting stuff and had to reload) I highly recommend the game. Get down there and see for yourself. Very good and chill story game, and it looks absolutely fantastic! (And yeah, the lip sync was totally off - but that didn't bother me at all.)
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PlayStation 5
Refreshing game for people who loved Firewatch. Beautiful underwater environment with plenty of features. Pretty nice indie work.
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PlayStation 5
If its gameplay can feel common and somewhat frustrating, Under The Waves shines through the serious themes addressed with great respect and maturity, that should leave a mark on you.
Under the Waves is an impressive first game from Parallel Studio that tells an emotionally charged story of protagonist Stan overcoming his grief. The writing and performances are quality stuff, and while the gameplay doesn't feature any notable mechanics, it is a surprisingly solid experience that's worth playing through to the end.
Under the Waves is a flawed but impactful deep-sea denizen. The immersive gameplay, contemplative themes and powerful eco-conscious flare make the game a uniquely wonderful narrative adventure. Some of the finer details are uneven and taint the big picture, but you will come away moved in spite of its problems.
Under the Waves delivers an incredibly emotional story about grief and its ability to manifest in the realities of those who attempt to evade it. While the title's main narrative is powerfully effective, its secondary focus on environmentalism, fueled by a real-world partnership, diminishes the overall impact of the experience. Though its close-up visuals and optional objectives are marred by technical issues, the core of Under the Waves' gameplay is enough to keep players engaged in its mandatory tasks. The story of Stan is one many fans will resonate with, as it captures the difficult thoughts that accompany grief. Unfortunately, Under the Waves doesn't quite deliver a gaming experience deserving of such meaningful concepts.
Stan’s journey into the depths of the sea and his psyche is the last of a long series of video games dedicated to mourning, but fails to make a truly significant contribution. With a message watered down by mechanics completely avoidable in a context that would put at the center of the psyche of a tormented man and a sometimes forced insertion of basic information related to the (although interesting and commendable) theme of environmentalism, Under The Waves is a product that suffers from a clear lack of focus, as well as for the inclusion of elements taken from open world video games, with the probable aim of igniting the interest of a public accustomed to this kind and ferrying them in the depths of the North Sea. Unfortunately, however, these choices bring confusion and an unpleasant feeling of unhappy mixing in a product that struggles to find its own identity.
A really enjoyable and well crafted game!
On the narrative level - the guy is working through some family trauma, I don't want to reveal the details, it's not particularly sophisticated, but it's good that it's there.
In terms of gameplay - it is a simplified open world (the world is not very large), with given tasks but with the possibility of exploring on your own. The narrative is divided into "days" and the missions are assigned to days. Coolest missions are of course at the end of the game.
The biggest advantage is the area where the game takes place. It's an underwater oil platform of which you are the sole operator. There is a simple base that you can walk around but the key is to go on free expeditions in a submarine. This element is implemented in the best way - the boat is super sensitive and responsive in handling and can squeeze through narrow passages. The graphic filter is great, you can really see what is in your immediate surroundings, and from a distance you can only see the outlines of rocks or the glow of distant lights. This feeling of navigating through the emptiness of the ocean floor, discovering things, additionally intensified by the hero's dialogues with himself were magnets that kept me playing the game until the very end.
On the downside - it's a indie game. Voice acting is out of sync with mouth movements, swimming (once you leave the boat) is a bit numb, the area could be bigger.
Oh, in the reviews people complain about the technical layer, that the game falls apart, crashes, missions don't load, etc. It's possible that it was like that at the premiere, and now they put everything back together because I didn't have any single problem though all the 10 hours.
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PlayStation 5
لعبة "تحت الامواج" خلقت جو البحر الازرق العميق بشكل جميل و جيد , احببت الغموض خلف القصة و البناء القصصي بأسلوب الهدوء ما قبل العاصفه
لكن سرعان ما تخلل القصة الكثير من اللا منطق و المبالغة المفرطه في بعض قرارات الشخصية الرئيسية اللي وجدتها تائهه بشكل مستفز في كثير من الاحيان
بناء العالم كان رائع و لكن كانت الكثير من امكانيات اللعبة غير مستغله كفايه و ذلك بسبب ميول القصة الرئيسيه اللي و جدتها كذلك نوعاً ما بروبغندية في دفع فكرة التخلي عن "البترول" بشكل مزعج في اكثر من مرة
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PlayStation 5
Good-
Great writing and voice acting; well-directed cutscenes with great art direction; the length of the game is appropriate for its simplistic mechanics.
Bad-
Audio and video sync issues; heavy movement mechanics; puzzles could have been better.
Thoughts-
All in all, Under The Waves tells an emotionally packed narrative about overcoming grief and the importance of underwater wildlife preservation. While the story beats may not always hit the mark, it’s a narrative that’s well worth seeing through to the end. The gameplay doesn’t break any new ground in terms of mechanics or interesting features, but it works well for the rather short duration of the adventure. Under The Waves is a great first step for Parallel Studio, and might be worth a try if this review manages to pique your interest – but also know that you wouldn’t be missing out on much if you end up skipping this one.
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PlayStation 5
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PlayStation 5
I have played close to 7 hrs of this game and the the whole time I’ve played all I’ve gotten are error codes everytime it tries to save, crashes for no discernible reason and corrupted saves because of those crashes. The very few times I’ve been able to play for any length of time without these issues the game is incredible, amazing even. But the technical issues that I have been experiencing makes this game boarder line unplayable. And in 2023 errors and crashing when auto saving shouldn’t happen. They need to patch this immediately. I scored it a 4 in its current state. But if the issues were fixed I’d give it a solid 8.
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PlayStation 5
Summary Under The Waves is a narrative-driven adventure game about the engulfing power of grief. Set in the depths of the North Sea in a techno-futuristic 1970s, professional diver Stan is struggling to overcome a life-changing loss and embrace a new future. The isolation of the deep sea is a fitting manifestation of his state of mind, and as...
Rated M
for Mature
Platforms:
- PC
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox Series X
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox One
Initial Release Date: Aug 29, 2023
Developer:
- Parallel Studio
Publisher: Quantic Dream
Genres:
