Under the Waves review: A deep dive into the soul

Under the Waves begins as it means to go on; a quiet, intimate experience that will have you slowly sinking into a state of relaxation. As you breeze through the ocean in your submersible, taking photos of sharks, and seals and repairing broken oil pipes, you'll find yourself grappling with the crushing weight of the waves and the human soul.

As I made my way through the briny blue, I, more often than not, found myself going off the beaten path to take in the scale of the environment and embrace the world that had been built.

Using surreal sequences, visually striking imagery, and a focus on ocean conservation, Under the Waves attempts to convey some very serious messages. However, some technical hiccups and an underwhelming protagonist also test the resolve of their delivery.

The life aquatic

In Under the Waves, you play Stan, a man who is reeling from a traumatic event that has changed the trajectory of his life and, as such, has fled to the bottom of the ocean to escape his gruelling reality on the surface. In his spare time, he calls his employer and estranged wife, experiences intense (and visually striking) hallucinations and grapples with the moral ambiguity of working to help maintain an oil corporation.

The story itself is quite affecting. While I was fully prepared for some monstrous sea creature to rear its head and attempt to take a bite out of me, the real horror lies in the forces from the surface that have taken the dive with you. The burden of grief that is weighing Stan down and the impact of corporations that seldom bat an eyelid at the pollution they cause.

Under the Waves very much feels like the lovechild of Subnautica and Firewatch. Through oceanic exploration, you quickly learn about a great many ocean animals and intricate ecosystems while also keeping the ocean clean by picking up litter and recycling to craft essential items. This is then mixed in with a narrative that wanders the depths of the human psyche and our approaches to grief in its most extreme form.

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A sea of tranquillity

Under the Waves is certainly one of the most relaxing games I’ve played this year. When you’re not thrown into the melancholy of the overarching story, you’re exploring the depths of the ocean, picking up litter, repairing faulty equipment and exploring various wrecks, all to a wonderfully ambient soundtrack.

At its best, the game feels like being plunged into a sensory deprivation tank. With the right headset to encapsulate the sound of water beating against the submersible, the cries of huge whales in the distance and the soundtrack, you’re in for a wonderfully meditative experience.

One of the best things to do in Under the Waves is to allow yourself to get lost. Take detours away from your objectives, spend time exploring the vast ocean, and acquaint yourself with the environment at your leisure. While there is little to do outside of the main story besides picking up various collectables, this is made up for in its presentation and the freedom for the player to explore to their heart’s content.

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Say it don’t spray it

Where Under the Waves sinks, however, is in its protagonist and technical hiccups. Stan can be quite monotone, even in the most intense situations you find yourself in. Despite the game presenting some incredible spectacles, with whales swimming overhead and surreal dream sequences that delve into his backstory and why he is down in the deep to begin with, Stan seldom displays a lick of emotion. It also doesn’t help things when the lip-syncing for the character model barely hits the right timing.

Additionally, several technical hitches would quickly snap me back into reality. While they would only ever be a minor annoyance (except in one instance where I lost some progress) I still enjoyed my time in the sea. With a couple of patches to buff out the dents, this could reach the fathoms of its full potential.

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The Verdict

While far from shallow, Under the Waves doesn’t quite reach the depths that it could have. Its ambient score, gorgeous stylised visuals and emphasis on tackling issues such as mental wellbeing, ocean conservation and how we deal with grief illustrate just how much love has been put into the game. However, some of its more striking moments quickly come undone as a result of a lacklustre protagonist, whose monotone line delivery and poor lip-syncing can break you out of the seafaring spell, as well as the occasional bug.

Nonetheless, despite Stan and some technical hiccups here and there, Under the Waves shines when you are roaming around the ocean, taking photos of the various ecosystems and cleaning up the environment to later put to use for crafting materials. Spending your days exploring the ocean may seem like a quiet task, and it is, but it is a meditative one that you should allow to wash over you.

3.5/5

Reviewed on PlayStation 5. Code provided by the publisher.