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Still Wakes the Deep is a frightening horror game from The Chinese Room, the studio known for Dear Esther, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture. This year the studio is preparing to release Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. In the new game we are sent to a drilling platform, where the creepy events take place. We have already had a chance to dive into this atmospheric world and are ready to share our impressions.
In 1975, our protagonist, Kaz McLeary, works on a drilling platform off the coast of Scotland. He's not a bad worker, but his superiors aren't thrilled with him. Kaz escaped to the platform because of problems on the "big land", leaving his family, which he strongly regrets.
Things were going relatively smoothly until one day disaster struck. On the platform announced the "situation" in the lower part, and then a nightmare happened — from the depths appeared a certain chthonya, which wrapped the platform with its tentacles and turns people into monsters, full of pain and cruelty.
The few survivors attempt to escape, which is complicated by the destruction of the platform, a damaged helicopter and lifeboats, and monsters reminiscent of those fought by R.J. Macready from The Thing.
The game is beautifully staged. The voice of the main character was given to the Scottish actor Alec Newman, known for "Dune" in 2000 and other films and TV series. He perfectly conveys the character of Kaz — a good-natured, but tough man. The rest of the actors are good too, and the localizers added their own touches by adapting the lines into Russian with convincing rudeness that suits the setting.
The interface is minimalistic, with no unnecessary HUD, just a directional point to the target, triggered by pressing Tab. Everything is seen through Kaz's eyes, which enhances the immersion. The player sees his hands and feet, and actions are performed through intuitive commands, like pulling levers with the mouse and keys.
If you're hoping for challenging puzzles, you're in for a disappointment. Like other The Chinese Room games, it's basically a walking simulator with cinematic presentation and a minimum of activities. Basically, you have to turn knobs, pull levers, hide and run away from monsters, and solve simple mindfulness challenges. The game is linear, with visual cues and frequent checkpoints.
Kaz can walk, run, swim, pick up objects and distract monsters, jump and climb ladders. The developers successfully combine episodes of exploration, stealth and action. The only disadvantage is slow movement in water and inconvenient orientation in some areas.
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