Great performances from familiar Scottish voices are the biggest highlight of this stunningly atmospheric walking sim on the North Sea’s unluckiest oil rig
Publisher: Secret Mode Devs: The Chinese Room
Available on: Xbox Series X/ PS5/ Steam
Tested on: Xbox Series X
Growing up in Scotland, most of us will have had a family member or a friend who’s dad had done at least one stint on “the rigs” which made this eerie, outlast-esque, first person horror feel particularly close to home. That, along with the main character being from Denniston and having a Strathclyde police warrant out for his arrest , he could easily been someone I knew growing up, if it wasn’t based in the 1970s, showing the close ties that studio The Chinese Room has to the source material.
These early references to things that are so familiar really goes a long way to immersing you as things start to go awry fairly quickly on this electrician’s off shore gig. However, it isn’t just a game made with Glaswegian’s in mind as it stands on its own in what becomes a supernatural horror story when the rig drill appears to hit something deep underwater that has been long buried. Slowly but surely, all of your endearing cocktail of Scottish, Irish and English crewmates begin to be taken over by this creature of the deep.
This handily brings us into the biggest highlight of the game, which is the performances being expertly delivered by authentic voices. The main protagonist: Caz, portrayed by Alec Newman is always convincing during his descent into madness as the situation on board The Beira continues to worsen. Perhaps the most familiar voice comes from Finlay, portrayed by national treasure Karen Dunbar who just feels like a slice of home, constantly swearing and taking the mick while also delivering really convincing lines during the games’ more emotional scenes. The whole cast just does a phenomenal job, as the opening 10 minutes which sees you walking around the canteen before anything has happened really endears you to all of them, even the pricks, as they all just feel like real people living in this world, which is the highest compliment you can pay.
The graphics are equally stunning, with Unreal Engine 5 really showing its chops here. The fog lingering over the deck first thing in the morning when you step outside, the rain battering interior cabin windows, the steam rising from your gloves as you warm up by a gas heater, the oil mixed with water as the rig begins to flood, the full spectrum of colour as the creature begins to overtake the Biera, the flames dancing in the fog on the exterior flare. Every door you open and corner you turn has something to ogle at as the game always looks crisp, really adding to the sense of immersion that the game does so well.
The sound design is also phenomenal: the rig creaks as it bends out of shape, waves crashing against the frame, the terrifying screams of a monster merged with crewmates voices, the cutting sound of a phone ringing when a fellow survivor wants to talk, fire crackling everywhere as oil seeps into the upper decks, the sound of chopper blades whirring as people try to make their escape, the music always alluding to what could be around the next corner. The game is a masterclass in immersion and the sound does as much heavy lifting as the voices and the graphics.
While the game always looks and sounds good, it is a condensed experience at around 6 hours, but it can feel a little slow at times. It is, by all intents and purposes, a walking/ swimming simulator. While the tension can be ratcheted up as you dangle from ladders and ledges or creep around cabinets and vents to avoid monsters, the entire game is basically walking around. It is a visual delight to walk around in and has a great cast pushing you to keep walking through the story but it is just that, walking through the story. As such it is an acquired taste, if you like these first person tension filled horrors that titles like outlast made popular then it is definitely for you but if you are expecting the final hour to turn into Resident Evil 8, you will be left disappointed.
Overall, this game sticks the landing, with a great voice cast and story carrying you through to the end with the slower pace of the gameplay never feeling so intrusive that you are looking at your watch wondering when the end is coming. It truly feels like a must play for Glaswegians/Scots as I have rarely felt so immersed playing a first person game as I did here. It does however, have enough going for it to be a great horror experience for any other players and offers a real window into Scottish culture and our love of swear words while delivering a memorable experience for the genre. It does have its downsides with the pacing but if you are looking for atmospheric horror, you could do a lot worse than Still Wakes The Deep and with it being available on game pass, it is definitely worth a whirl for subscribers.
RM Recommends
Pros
Great Voicework
Beautiful across the board
Impeccable Sound Design
Immersive Story
Cons
Can feel slowly paced
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