Under the Wavesis a narrative-driven adventure game from developer Parallel Studio,published by Quantic Dream, about the overwhelming power of grief and its effect on those who fail to face it properly. The title quickly gets to work emotionally investing players in its story and setting, introducing them to a vast and beautiful undersea world. Over the course of its nearly seven-hour playtime,Under the Wavesdelivers a stunningly emotional experience, with gameplay that immerses fans in both the emotional and physical isolation of its lead. While the title is worthy of players’ time, technical issues and some forced messaging marUnder the Waves’overall experience.
Under the Wavesfollows Stan, a professional diver who has suddenly undertaken a job for Unitrench, a deep-sea mining corporation. The job sees him travel between a series of techno-futuristic sites, making adjustments to equipment according to a daily list of tasks. Early on, players learn that Stan is running from the ramifications of a traumatic event, the death of his daughter Pearl, which has thrown the lives of him and his wife, Emma, into turmoil. As time goes on, the suppression of his grief and the isolated nature of his situation begin to take their toll on Stan, leading to a series of nightmarish visions to creep their way into his waking hours. Soon, the reality of these visions and the true nature of his daily tasks combine, forcing Stan to make a series of life-altering decisions that will have a profound impact on the people and places he holds dear.
Under the Wavesboasts some of the most beautiful underwater visualsthat the medium has ever seen. Every inch of the title’s North Sea setting is given life by its flora and fauna, which the title grants players ample time to experience. Players spend a considerable amount of time traversing the dark vastness of the sea, as Stan is tasked with venturing through caves, trenches, and undersea wreckage throughout his various Daily Tasks. Alongside these tasks, Stan can satisfy optional photography objectives by getting up close and personal with the ocean’s occupants, some of which lead him to rare collectibles and deepen his backstory.
To navigateUnder the Waves’ undersea setting, Stan utilizes the Moon, a single-occupant deepsea craft. The controls are rather intuitive, with simple forward, reverse, drift, and boost settings, and featuring gaming’s standard inverted-vertical control mechanic. In order to effectively plan their exploration, players must manage the Moon’s fuel, which can be refilled mid-journey by finding fuel tanks or crafting them before leaving the Life Module, Stan’s base. When space gets too tight, Stan can use his diving skills to venture forward himself, offering a slow, but effective means of exploring every nook and cranny ofUnder the Waves’ 1970s setting.
Once players reach their objective, Stan is forced to venture on foot into Unitrench’s massive facilities. In each facility, players are tasked with maintaining Stan’s oxygen level while solving a series of puzzles. While none of the puzzles are particularly challenging, requiring players to simply perform or properly time a button press,Under the Wavesoffers very little guidance, leaving players to work out their solution as Stan’s oxygen relentlessly depletes. Managing to prepare enough fuel and oxygen to get to each objective, satisfy their maintenance tasks, and then make it back to the Life Module is an important part ofUnder the Waves’core gameplay loop. However, all is not what it seems in the deep sea, and Stan’s mental health soon threatens his ability to manage these mechanics and satisfy his tasks.
Unfortunately,Under the Waves' close-quarters sequences aremarred by technical issues. Unlike the title’s open-sea exploration, on-foot sequences lack technical polish, with animations occasionally causing assets to clip or disappear. This is particularly evident at the end of each day, as Stan is given free rein to engage in recreational activities, like playing a guitar and hitting a punching bag. Each is accompanied bya rhythm-based minigame, but the animations make them very difficult to time properly.
Additionally, objects tend to disappear or become unaligned duringUnder the Waves' close-up animations. One example sees Stan go through the animation of picking up and playing the guitar without the asset ever moving. With the instrument still propped up next to him, Stan strums dead air with each successful button press, until the player exits the mini-game altogether. Luckily,Under the Waves' story keeps players invested in seeing these nights through.
During his first few days, Stan establishes a routine, grabbing a cup of coffee, fulfilling his tasks, then heading to the Life Module to speak to his wife. These discussions begin to inform the player of just how suddenly Stan departed on his journey, with Emma feeling abandoned to grieve alone. WhileEmma appears to be grieving properly, Stan is not - a truth that manifests through nightmarish dreams in which he encounters the spirit of his daughter, in the form of a jellyfish, before being attacked by a mass of hostile organisms. Near the midpoint ofUnder the Waves, the emotional toll of Stan’s dreams and reality combine, ushering in a series of disasters.
The intersection of Stan’s dreams and reality leads toUnder the Waves’most impactful moments. As his will to see Pearl increases, Stan’s inability to discern reality ushers inUnder the Waves’secondary narrative. The title’s ocean is filled with waste and debris, which Stan recycles to craft items. However, his continued work for Unitrench, amidst a mental health crisis, soon leads to an ecological disaster.
In creating these elements,Parallel Studios partnered with The Surfrider Foundation, a real environmentalist group that focuses on preserving the world’s oceans. Should players clean the ocean and recycle their own waste, they can earn Trophies or Achievements, which feature the Surfrider designation. The major events ofUnder the Waves' narrative greatly overshadow any good that Stan, and the player, have done for the ocean, allowing the title’ssecondary narrative, focused on humanity’s exploitation of the ocean’s natural resources, to portray a traumatic tale of its own. Unfortunately,Under the Wavessees its two traumatic narratives duel for players' emotions, rather than combining to present a singular message about humanity’s inability to face harsh truths, and its impact on the environment.
Under the Wavesdelivers 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 ofUnder 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 Wavesdoesn’t quite deliver a gaming experience deserving of such meaningful concepts.
Under the Waves
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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 Stan retreads further into his self-imposed solitude, he starts to experience strange events far beneath the waves. He will eventually have to make a difficult choice…A love letter to the oceans, Under The Waves invites you to dive into a gorgeous underwater world, brought to life in a poetic blend of cinematic visuals and poignant storytelling. Live a gripping story through Stan’s eyes and guide him through an unforeseen series of events that will bring him deeper and deeper into the abyss, the reflection of his own psyche.Wander the vast seabed piloting Stan’s submarine and encounter the beautiful wildlife, Stan’s only company while he’s trapped in his own mind. Explore caves, wrecks, and underwater plants with Stan’s special wetsuit, following the mysterious manifestations of his memories, to find a way back to the surface and save his life. Collect materials and craft equipment that will help Stan navigate further on this self-discovery expedition. You will have to dare get off the beaten track to experience mesmerizing moments and reveal more about the tragic past he is trying to escape…
Under the Wavesis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant was provided a PS5 code for this review.
