Reveal The Deep

Setting up the proper mood for a creepy story is half the battle, because you can then proceed to make the audience feel uneasy without necessarily resorting to disturbing imagery. Just knowing that something awful could happen at any moment is enough to keep the atmosphere going, which is why games like Penumbra and Amnesia worked so well, even if they barely featured any terrible monsters.

Reveal The Deep is an exploration-based platformer that challenges you to figure out the past of a sunken ship while also keeping yourself safe from danger. There is no fighting involved, but there are many moments when you feel like things are about to get ugly. The exploration is the bread and butter, on the other hand, along with the puzzles you have to figure out in order to make your way further into the wreckage.

The story is told using notes and journal pages left behind by the crew of the ship. It’s very much like what Penumbra did, and the gimmick is strong enough to work in this case as well. Many of the writings you find might not make too much sense at first, but things get clearer if you keep going. Not much information is provided about the main character either, but it doesn’t affect the plot in any way, since he is more of a silent observer than anything else.

Exploration occupies most of your time, but your path is often blocked by obstacles and seemingly impassable sections. This is where the puzzle elements come in, because there is always a way to move forward if you put your mind to it. Whether it’s a crate that needs to be pushed to serve as a platform, or a key that’s just out of your reach, you are constantly looking for ways to advance.

One of the more original gimmicks used by the game is the way light works. Your character has a flashlight on his helmet, but it’s not always enough. By tapping the helmet with your hand, you can turn off this light and let the surrounding environment show you the way. In fact, the entire level can change once you switch off the flashlight, which might even reveal new paths that weren’t there before.

From a visual point of view, the game features retro pixelated graphics, but there are some interesting effects going on as well. Shadows and the way light interacts with objects make for a huge atmosphere boost, especially since you are surrounded by darkness most of the time. The sound design is top notch in every regard, making it even easier to go with the flow and really feel like you are underwater.

In the end, Reveal The Deep is maybe not the kind of game that sticks with you for life, but it has that certain something that keeps you playing until the end. Thus, if you are up for some exploration and a bit of puzzle solving, this is one of the better choices you can make.