My Brother's Keeper
by Edwin Velez
In an industry that tends to follow trends, it is always nice to see both big names and indie developers breaking away from the fray. Uppercut Games has achieved that in their latest title, Submerged. The story follows that of Miku and Taku, siblings aged roughly 14 and 10 respectively. Taku, the younger brother, is injured badly, and the duo seek shelter in a flooded city that’s remains are mostly underwater. Armed with a boat, map, and telescope, players take control of Miku on an explorative adventure to save her brother’s life. This is the beginning of a game that has showcased the term “relaxploration”, which is more than fitting.
The main goal is to recover long forgotten supply drops to find aid for Taku and the side-effects of his wounds. When you do tackle these objectives, they’ll have the protagonist scaling grand buildings and risking it all for her brother. There are not many controls to master, so picking up the game is relatively simple. You use a boat for getting from building to building, and then rely on Miku’s climbing skills when you arrive to your destination. As you scale your first large building in attempts to find something to close up Taku’s wound, the parkour style traversal is in full effect. It is easy to control, as moving in any direction automatically connects Miku to her next traversable or graspable area. All of these main buildings carry secret collectables that often make you stray from the course to find them. These collectables unlock parts of stories related to the city, which appear as drawings, allowing players to interpret the story on their own. It is an interesting take, one that gave me a sense of purpose as I played. After finding the supply drops, you are returned to your brother’s side to treat him. This cycles Miku to sleep, and in turn unlocks a four part story (the drawings) that directly relate to what lead the duo to where they are. This repeats as you find more supply drops, continuing the sleep-story-objective phases.
After the initial loose tutorial, players are free to roam and explore as they see fit. There are many sites to be seen across the many rooftops and waves of the sunken, forgotten city. The leisure of the game allows players to pace it as they want. I spent my initial first hour or so exploring the perimeters of the map, which is a decent size for the scope of the game. When on foot, there is a sense that some of the movements are a bit dated. It is as if the world moves under you, as opposed to you moving across it. It does not halter the gameplay, but tends to distract you from the beauty of everything else. The boat is another story entirely, working like a breeze once you get the hang of it. During my time in the boat, I found a certain appreciation for how quiet the world was. It is ambient on another level, making you feel crushingly alone yet at piece. As you navigate through the soft tides of the water, you can easily take notice of the wild life around you that has adapted and survived whatever natural event that caused the rising waters. Whales, dolphins, and more tread the same waters with you, and never pose a threat. From an observant position, you can sit back and just watch as they pass. Other mysterious creatures watch you, but I will leave that for the players. Using my telescope, I tagged numerous items like broken down boats, collectables, and the aforementioned supply drops. Collecting these not only expands the story as mentioned before, but allows gives players the chance to see the map from many different angles. The broken down boats are used to upgrade your own boat, adding a boost ability that increases in duration with each additional find.
After the initial loose tutorial, players are free to roam and explore as they see fit. There are many sites to be seen across the many rooftops and waves of the sunken, forgotten city. The leisure of the game allows players to pace it as they want. I spent my initial first hour or so exploring the perimeters of the map, which is a decent size for the scope of the game. When on foot, there is a sense that some of the movements are a bit dated. It is as if the world moves under you, as opposed to you moving across it. It does not halter the gameplay, but tends to distract you from the beauty of everything else. The boat is another story entirely, working like a breeze once you get the hang of it. During my time in the boat, I found a certain appreciation for how quiet the world was. It is ambient on another level, making you feel crushingly alone yet at piece. As you navigate through the soft tides of the water, you can easily take notice of the wild life around you that has adapted and survived whatever natural event that caused the rising waters. Whales, dolphins, and more tread the same waters with you, and never pose a threat. From an observant position, you can sit back and just watch as they pass. Other mysterious creatures watch you, but I will leave that for the players. Using my telescope, I tagged numerous items like broken down boats, collectables, and the aforementioned supply drops. Collecting these not only expands the story as mentioned before, but allows gives players the chance to see the map from many different angles. The broken down boats are used to upgrade your own boat, adding a boost ability that increases in duration with each additional find.
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All of these collectables serve as the optional substance opposite the main storyline. To be frank, there is not much to do apart from collecting and observing. It is certainly not for everyone, but I very much enjoyed the breath of fresh air the game gave me. Not to mention it has one of the best original soundtracks in a video game I have heard this year, if not of all time. It is eerily beautiful, and turns the grand scenery into living cinematic moments. Aside from some occasionally bland textures, Submerged is a thrivingly beautiful game. It is a different rendition of a post-apocalyptic game, one that substitutes peril for beauty. As nature reclaimed the world, relics of the past stuck around to serve as ornaments. Statues, overgrown structures, and even a ferris wheel all have managed to stick around. As you circle the city, night and cycles, with even a thunderstorm here and there to show you that the world is still revolving. All of this and more can be captured in the games “Postcard Mode”, which allows you to take a picture at your desired angle complete with a Submerged stamp of approval. |
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Uppercut Games had a clear vision, one that in my personal and professional opinion believe that they certainly succeeded. Though short and offering little replayabilty, I most certainly appreciate the game for what it was. I caught myself wanting to have to survive, to have to struggle, and that is simply why the industry needs more games like this. It has that old-school appeal of taking a game world as it is, and never having to ask for more. We need the change of pace brought on by this and other indie games that recognize how repetitive trends can be. The game serves as a seed to a plant that you control the outcome of. Play it how you want, and decide what the story means to you. The conclusion will always be the same, but how players take their experience is what matters in the long run. Those seeking something different will feel right at home when they take a splash in Submerged.
*Note: A review copy of the game was graciously supplied by Uppercut Games. Special thanks to Charles “Ed” Orman for giving me the opportunity to work with my first ever review copy. Your faith and generosity could not be appreciated more.
*Note: A review copy of the game was graciously supplied by Uppercut Games. Special thanks to Charles “Ed” Orman for giving me the opportunity to work with my first ever review copy. Your faith and generosity could not be appreciated more.
Final Score:7.5/10
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+Amazing Ambiance
+Gorgeous Scenery +Change of Pace |
-Short of offerings
-Some dated aspects |
Developer Uppercut Games
Release Date Available starting August 4, 2015
Platforms PC / PS4 / Xbox One
Website www.uppercut-games.com/submerged