NOTE: This episode contains mild spoilers to the game, listener discretion is advised.
In this episode, Satsunami discusses the latest horror game to take the internet by storm: Still Wakes the Deep. Set in a Scottish oil rig during the 1970s, you must survive after a drilling accident unleashes a dormant creature. But what is happening on this oil rig? Can we survive? And what was that noise?! All this and more in this short form review of Still Wakes the Deep!
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*Intro plays* When you think about Scotland, chances are you'll think of the verdant Highland Hills, the sprawling course, or that one angle of Edinburgh Castle that they keep slapping on shortbread tins. But one thing I don't think many people really stop to consider, outside of the country, is our plentiful amount of seaside towns. At the beginning of the year, I took a trip with my partner to St Andrews, where we ended up walking down the 5th coastal path from LA to Anstrothermback. And while I could go on about the scenic beauty of Scotland's course, that feeling of peaceful contemplation turned at the mercy of our unpredictable weather. By the time we reached Anstrother, we were soaked by lashings of rain, which forced us to seek shelter for a while. Our gaze fell onto the North Sea, as complacent waves now thrashing in fury, as the winds howled before us. And while it passed in the blink of an eye, I couldn't imagine what it would have been like to those who may have been out there sailing already. I must say, I've been on my fair share of rough boat crossings. My farthest Scottish journey taken me to the island of Orkney. But at least then I knew once I arrived, I would be in firm land. But what if you were trapped out in the sea, stuck aboard a man-made structure of steel that groaned and creaked, as the waves of the North Sea crashed against it, looking down at a mass of water, with God knows what working below the oil rigs. One's mind may begin to run away with itself. In reality, I'm sure this must be a silly notion to those that work there, but it was these thoughts I had while playing the latest horror game to take the internet by storm, still wakes the deep. Set during the 1970s around Christmas time, you play as Kaz McLeary, who, after assaulting someone for insulting his wife, leaves the comfort of his home in the east end of Glasgow to the isolated oil rigs of the North Sea, after a drilling operation unleashes an unknown horror from the depths below. The race is on for him to flee before he is caught by the creature, now stalking the halls. But what makes this game stand out amongst its contemporaries? Why have so many praised the game? And, oh, what was that noise? With mild spoilers ahead, welcome to this episode of Chatsu Shorts. Developed by the Chinese Room, who also made indie hits such as The Rester and Amnesia a machine for pigs. The game was essentially pitched as the thing, but on a Scottish oil rig, and it certainly shows. While I mentioned the idea of being isolated as a core factor which would make players uneasy, creative director John McCormick goes one step further, in an interview with the gaming publication Eurogamer, McCormick, states the following. Fair to go, drowning, costophobia, all the classic fears are on an oil rig, and the distance from land, if communication drops, you're cut off. The truth of the matter is that you don't have to be an oil rig worker to find this setting terrifying. As a cold and callous place at times, where safety is paramount. This helps build a sense of looming danger, even before the monsters arrive. But surprisingly, my pick is praised for the game isn't in its horror aspect, but instead the voice acting. For long-term listeners, you'll know my disdain for games that put in a Scottish character, only to have them talk like the love child of Shrek and ground skipper Willy. It's that a high the new speak, that would at best raise an eyebrow and at worst lead to a Glasgow kiss. And before you ask, that isn't an ideal outcome either. But the coarse Scottish cast are phenomenal, with people from all over the country such as Glasgow, Sky, Dundee, Edinburgh, and even Aberdeen representing Scotland, Liverpool and Burnley for the North of England, and Belfast, for an earthly Irish character. Even Slagworth's throw then took me by surprise, although I have to say I did laugh at some of the moments, where it looked as if even the subtitle writer had issues trying to transcribe what they were trying to say at some points. Above all though, Alec Newman does a phenomenal job as Kaz, and on writing this, I was actually surprised to see that it was him who did the voice, whether he was taking the micky out of his colleagues, or genuinely fearing for his life. Newman kills it every time. Even his wife, played by Neve McIntosh, is only in it briefly, but does a brilliant job in conveying how strained their relationship has become after the altercation. And last but not least, I cannot believe it is Karen Dunbar, who plays Finlay, a stellar cast all round. So beyond the great voice acting and setting, does the horror aspect hold up? Well, yes and no. As silly as it sounds, I feel like the horror works best when the creatures themselves are hidden. Throughout the game, your colleagues are unwillingly transformed into body horror abominations, chasing after you as their own voices call out for help. That's the personal touches, you know? But after seeing the same blob crawl its way through the hallways, and the initial shock subsides, it becomes less the thing and more another Tuesday. But I think that speaks more to my sensibilities as a player than it does the game, which builds such a tense atmosphere in the shadows. What I find really neat as well, was that the creatures themselves still retain the personalities of the hosts. What I also love is how we never truly find out what this creature is. I myself have a slight fear of the unknown, so to have something so simultaneously beautiful, unique rotates consume everything in its way like a tumour is haunting. Even this caged grows closer to the creatures, you can see visually how his mind is degrading with a distorted celluloid effect. And while it does make it hard to see sometimes, I do think it's a unique way to still panic in the player. Still wakes the deep as a unique horror experience that does everything right, from its time capsule of a setting, to the uneasiness that is sparks in the player. I must admit, I heard of this game when passing a while ago, and just assumed that it would be another walking sim. But with the inclusion of interactive sections, it provides the player with that much more autonomy. And with the creatures themselves being twisted abominations that cause mental hallucinations, it can be justified that you will not be able to fight back. While maybe not the most complex of horror tales, the heart of still wakes the deep beats from its characters, which could have easily been mismanaged. Nevertheless, the characters feel real, and I even laughed when hearing cars argue with the others about having to go into perilous situations, which is something I don't think we see as often as we should. One last thing I want to praise the game for is not only its accessibility options, but also surprisingly its translation into other languages. Not only do you have your heavy hitters like Mandarin, Spanish and French, but also Scottish Gallic, which was a lovely surprise. It wasn't a mandatory thing for them to include, and yet they did it anyway, so tap a wave. If you're a horror fan, then you should definitely check this out, especially if you have a game pass switch. As of this episode, it's currently on. But what did you think of still wakes the deep? Was it everything you hoped for in a horror game? Could it have done more? And has it put you off going on an oil rig for the rest of your life? Let me know in the comments. But as always, thank you all so much for listening to this episode. If you want to catch more reviews from yourselves, as well as for other episodes, then you can check it out on our website, Chatsanami.com, as well as all good podcast apps. But until next time, stay safe, stay awesome, and most importantly, maybe hold off in this staying hydrated part for this one. Welcome to Chatsanami, a variety podcast that discusses topics from gaming and films to that anime in general interest. Previously on Chatsanami, we've analysed what makes a good horror game, conducted a retrospective on Pierce Brosnan's runs James Bond, and listened to us take deep dives into both the Sonic and Halo franchises. Also if you're an anime fan, then don't forget to check us out on our sub series Chatsunani, where we dive into the world of anime, so far we've reviewed things like Death Note, Princess Mononoke, and the hit Bayblade series. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then you can check us out on Spotify, iTunes, and all good podcast apps. As always, stay safe, stay awesome, and most importantly, stay hydrated.
