Exploring the Depths of Sadness in ‘Under the Waves’ – A Relaxing Oceanic Journey

Under the Waves by Parallel Studio is a calming game that I played while surrounded by the sounds of Crash Team Rumble players, potentially employees. As I dove deeper into the dark blue waters, pursuing a shipping container that had been thrown off course and scattered stuffed animals, I stumbled upon an abandoned submarine that was concealed even further below. Despite feeling relaxed, I couldn’t shake off a slight sense of unease.

First announced at last year’s Gamescom, Under the Waves has you playing as Stan. And he doesn’t seem to be in a good place. The demon started on the third day when he was placed in an underwater living pod, but I know (from the game summary) that he is literally there to get rid of everything. He seems to be grieving the loss of his daughter, but it’s only lightly touched upon in these early parts of the game. Stan looks restless and twitchy in bed (and facially twitchy in general – hopefully his face will calm down with more development).

At the start of the demo, Stan wakes up with a pounding headache and picks up a call from an offshore colleague named Tim. He reveals that the oxygen mixture of the live fire is not right, which probably explains the sore head. Tim even added that the previous worker failed to point to his headache, and by the time the rest of the dive team had begun to hallucinate. (And of course Stan has his own hallucinatory moments very soon after that.

While you can walk around your oxygenated living quarters, most of the game is spent in the ocean, either diving with a limited amount of oxygen (which can be topped up with oxygen sticks) or piloting your own deep-sea vehicle, which covers land faster and helps conserve oxygen.

In a nod to the reality of ocean waste, the used oxygen sticks float wherever you leave them. They can be collected and turned into plastic. There are machines and crafting blueprints throughout the game so you can make your own items (like more oxygen sticks) from plastic, metal, and other materials found floating or left on the seabed. (Parallel Studio has partnered with Surfrider Foundation Europe to support its ocean conservation goals.)

While the seabed is attractive and interesting, the man-made features have a retro-futuristic design, like an alternate future that is… in the past. Like Prey or the more recent Deathloop, the anachronistic combination somehow works.

Stan is equipped with a scanner, which makes deciphering instructions for Tim and other items infinitely easier. You still have to pay attention, a bit like Firewatch. When Stan goes to fix the oxygen problems, you have to trace the route of several pipes and note the broken pipes by their red lights. The scanner doesn’t just do everything, but it makes sure you’re at least going in the right direction.

In a lot of ways, whether it’s the yet-to-be-revealed story or the uneasy tension that’s touched on regularly, it reminds me of Firewatch, even if it’s all set under the sea. Although this is developed by Parallel Studio, it will be published in Quantic Dream’s new Spotlight branch, which will focus on the new developer IP. Quantic Dream has created several games, including Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human, that focused heavily on narrative and storytelling. For developer Parallel Studios, it looks good.

Under the Waves starts on August 29, 2023.