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[orthodoxy1095]

Just updated the OP with a host of new reviews. The most positive review is now the 9/10 from NZGamer, but the scores are generally and overwhelmingly ranging from mixed to poor.

NZGamer - 9/10

Submerged won’t be a game for everyone, in the same way that the likes of Gone Home and Dear Esther aren’t for everyone, but that doesn’t make it any less remarkable. But if you can hear the music that this game is playing - and I’d urge you to give it an earnest go - you’ll find something that may just take your breath away.

Playstation Universe - 6/10

Submerged is definitely not a game for everyone. Its slow pace, repetitiveness and simple gameplay will probably turn off anyone looking for diversity, but it’s this simplicity - coupled with the soundtrack and unfolding story - that I actually rather enjoyed. Submerged puts you in the shoes of a young girl who goes to extremes in the attempt to save her brother in a believable and well-crafted world, but it's a shame that the game doesn't have enough variety in it to help it reach headier heights.

God is a Geek - 5/10

If the game’s general lack of atmospheric direction isn’t enough to confuse you, then the wooden characters will surely succeed in doing so. It has been a long time since I’ve seen such robotic and unrealistic animations, completely detracting from the realism. It feels like you’re controlling a cardboard cutout, and this sense of detachment makes it difficult to become invested in their plight. Even with an enchanting soundtrack, no emotional connection is formed.

Despite promise, Submerged is mediocre. It entices with an interesting premise yet ultimately fails to enchant, falling flat due to a number of graphical bugs and sense of misdirection. While it boasts a wonderful soundtrack and fascinating setting concept, Submerged is a game which has been tainted by shoddy design and lacklustre execution – producing a city devoid of soul and a lifeless protagonist who could play the part of a shop-window mannequin.

Push Square - 5/10

Submerged is a strange game to review. It's never does anything mortally wrong, but at almost every turn you'll feel as if the developer's grand vision hasn't been fully realised. Couple this with slightly shonky controls, and you've got an experience which, while never frustrating, is never truly satisfying either.

The title's biggest downfall, then, is not any one single thing, but rather its overwhelming ambition. And in the grand scheme of things, perhaps that's not the worst problem to have. Indeed, despite its admittedly frequent rough patches, it's very hard to not admire the way this humble indie game so earnestly reaches for the stars.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

More reviews rolled in. Doubt anyone is really interested in this title anymore, but might as well share them as a small word of caution. There are a few positive reviews here and there, but the scores are increasingly lopsided in terms of negativity.

XGN - 8.5/10

Submerged is a great indie-game that proves you don't always need violence in a game for it to be great. Though it's a little on the short side, it's still a great ride.

Vandal Online - 75/100

It's short and it has some technical issues, but we've enjoyed it and we think that it even has some moments to remember. If you understand its flaws, it might surprise you.

Shacknews - 3/10

After only ten minutes in the game you’ve already experienced everything that Submerged has to offer. It’s a rather dull and shallow title in what could have been an exciting and scary world. There is no combat, no urgency, and no chance of failure. The gameplay is boring, the landmarks and scenery are mediocre, and the story is almost nonexistent. Submerged is a rapidly sinking ship that never even left the harbor.

Gameblog.fr - 1.5/5

Submerged offers a charming atmosphere, but it suffers from repetitive gameplay, a limited world and... a lot of bugs. It was promising and we are finally disappointed.

GameStar - 30/100

There is no meaning, no point. It's just a boring game that lasts three hours.

The Jimquisition - 3/10

And that’s it, really. That’s Submerged. You potter around the water, looking for tall buildings, then you climb to the top of them. Imagine a game made up entirely of Ubisoft’s beloved radio towers, and you’ve imagined the sole driving force of this particular adventure.

Submerged is a sad prime example of the vapidity people imagine when they derisively mention “walking simulators” – it’s an unfair bit of elitist sneering, to be sure, but games like this don’t help matters at all. It’s the kind of game that believes plonking players in a brightly lit space is enough audience engagement to satisfy.

I am here to say it isn’t. A game so proud of its lack of combat needs something else. Otherwise it’s simply a game with a great big hole in it.

 

[JP]

There's no real gameplay to speak of here, the characters are non existent just like the story. It's ugly as hell with really repetative music, it often runs badly and I can't think of one good thing about it...and yet, for some reason, I'm really enjoying it but I can't really explain why.

I can quite see myself completing this and getting 100% then I'll probably delete it and never even think of it again.

 

[sleepykyo]

The soundtrack is pleasant, the atmosphere is nice, I like the "sunken metropolis" environment. Driving around in the boat is fun.

But the climbing/platforming, which makes up the core gameplay for a majority of the time, is really really dull. The animations aren't good enough, the transitions aren't good enough, it's not dynamic and there's no thought or strategy to it.

I've only played a little under an hour, but it simply hasn't grabbed me at all. I don't think the hook here is strong enough.

After 20 minutes or so, I'd agree with your assessment.

 

[MrNinjaSquirrel]

Oof, some brutal reviews in here. I thought I was pretty down on it, but some of these are just mean.

That said, yeah, it's not amazing (at least, I was pretty underwhelmed). If there's anyone left who cares, here's my review. Probably too low profile to be worth adding to the OP, but maybe someone cares to read it:

Submerged traps itself under an omnipresent need to control and focus the player’s attention, and in doing so brings the entirety of its artificial existence to the surface. There was nothing more it could do to make me care about its characters or the history of the underwater city I was only glimpsing the top of; I was stuck behind the layers of antagonistic design allowing me no room to breathe as I performed Submerged’s song and dance wishing all the while that it would soon be over.

http://kritiqal.com/2015/08/06/submerged-review/

 

[orthodoxy1095]

Oof, some brutal reviews in here. I thought I was pretty down on it, but some of these are just mean.

I'm not sure what it means to call a review "just mean."

It's not the reviewers' job to be nice to a poor game.

 

[MrNinjaSquirrel]

I'm not sure what it means to call a review "just mean."

It's not the reviewers' job to be nice to a poor game.

No, but at some point criticism stops being constructive and is just someone yelling "look at how much this sucks." Perhaps in some cases that's warranted, but there are ways to get a point across which aren't so needlessly aggressive. It's not really something worth arguing though, everyone has there own style of writing and sense of what's justifiably harsh.

 

[Lima]

Uhm the frame rate is a joke right? This is almost unplayable on Xbox One.

 

[Furyous]

All these reviews are nice but where's the review from the GAF poster that does the excellent Life is Strange reviews? I need his take on this game before I take everyone else reviews serious.

This game looks promising.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

All these reviews are nice but where's the review from the GAF poster that does the excellent Life is Strange reviews? I need his take on this game before I take everyone else reviews serious.

This game looks promising.

Which Gaffer is it?

The trailers make it look promising for sure. I sure thought it might end up to be pretty cool. But it's one of the first games I've played this year to legitimately bore me.

 

[Montresor]

Uhm the frame rate is a joke right? This is almost unplayable on Xbox One.

I've been playing the game on XB1 and I found yes, the frame rate is bad, but the game isn't unplayable. Admittedly I'm very early in the game (I've only found two packages).

The graphics and art style are very nice, but the performance is very poor.

Is the performance better on PS4?

 

[gossi]

I made a review, having finished the game and finding about 3/4 of the collectables. It's here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxv4jpVNtqo

Note I reviewed entirely on Xbox One, so if you want to see performance hit up the video.

By the way, spoiler warn: I liked the game a lot.

 

[jond76]

So, once in the "make a postcard" mode, how do you actually trigger a capture? The legend is no help.

nvmd, just take a normal screenshot, dur.

 

[LordBaztion]

Woah, those reviews.I guess I'll wait a bit.
Ok, it has a discount on X1, I guess I'll buy it anyway.

 

[Lima]

Framerate is so poop that I suggest you should not buy this game. Takes you really out of the moment which is all this game is about.

 

[gossi]

Framerate is so poop that I suggest you should not buy this game. Takes you really out of the moment which is all this game is about.

The framerate was pretty good for me on XB1, which is surprising because Xbox. And I was recording the footage, too, for the video above. I did fall through the world once however.

 

[C.Dark.DN]

Them reviews :/

 

[jond76]

I've been enjoying this. Had some frame rate issues but nothing too problematic.

Some great visuals and a great soundtrack.

Also, some Cronenberg craziness happening too!

 

[bestpersonevar]

this is one of those times that I 100% disagree with the critics and reviews...i really enjoy this game.

 

[wouwie]

After watching a small gameplay segment on youtube which i quite liked, i decided to go ahead and buy this game. I like the idea of a combat free, exploration and discovery driven experience in a beautiful mysterious world. Also, i enjoy games like Proteus, Journey, Rain, Flower,.. so i thought it would definately be something for me (despite the reviews).

However, having played it a bit, i regret buying the game. In fact, i already deleted it from my HD, which rarely happens. I don't like it at all. Or better: i like the basic idea behind this game a lot but the execution is seriously flawed and lacking in many aspects.

First of all, the technical aspect (PS4) feels rough. The framerate is inconsistent and generally doesn't feel smooth. Also, the framerate tends to drop quite a lot in some specific cases. And while the art style in general is nice, the textures (buildings, plants,...) up closer look very rough and without little variation. Visually, there's an overuse of bloom. Animation on main character/animals feels rigid/too simple. Sound effects are generally nice but they cut oddly at times. Day/night and weather is quite nice though.

Also, i don't enjoy the way the story is told with pictures. It's very basic and it doesn't allow for any depth/nuances/emotional involvement. I didn't feel any emotional attachement to my character or my brother, who apparently needed to be saved very urgently...

The gameplay aspect is shallow too: you have the boat part and you have the climbing part, which becomes boring quite fast. To reach collectibles, you basically have to go around each building every time doing the same thing: pushing in the direction you want to go. There isn't anything else to it. You collect some stuff but nothing of particular interest. It feels as if the developers spent so much time getting the world up and running (they are intending to release this on every platform imaginable iirc so that must have taken a lot of work/budget for a small team) that they didn't have any time/budget left for any actual content. They just dotted some items on the map to collect and that's it. You collect special cases to heal the brother after which you are automatically transported to him, there's an animation, you sleep, get up and do the same again. It gets old very fast.

I don't mind games that are simple in gameplay but if you're making such a game, you better make sure that everything that is there is spot on. It would have helped a lot if the game was technically better, for sure. But you also need to have that something special in the gameplay that makes it worthwhile playing. Something i did find in Proteus, Journey, Rain, Flower,... but i didn't find it here.

In short: Submerged is a technically rough game in which you move around in a boat and climb buildings to collect uninteresting items. It could have been so much more though.

 

[kevin1025]

Just completed the game, I'm missing about four boosts and fifteen secret things. I enjoyed my time with it, I can definitely understand that it's a game not everyone can love, but I don't understand the reviews being so harsh on it. It's not a bad game, not to me at least. I had a good time, and will likely seek out the few collectables I missed. I hope it becomes a PS+ game or some discounts get the game into more hands.

 

[jond76]

Finished this yesterday. Only achievement left is the "stay on the boat for a whole day/night cycle".

I really liked it. It was a relaxing, pretty to look at, no pressure game. I'll end up grabbing that last achievement soon.

 

[Stumpokapow]

I bought this in the Steam sale ($6.79 currently) and played through it. I thought it was pretty good, a lot better than the review breakdown suggested.

For those who haven't heard of the game, here's what it is:
The ruined city environment of Enslaved

+

The climbing mechanics and bar-filling collectathon of Assassin's Creed

+

The atmosphere, mood, and wordless storytelling of Shadow of the Colossus

+

The feeling of sailing around a world from Wind Waker

-

Any kind of combat, difficulty, potential for dying, or puzzles.


If you can tolerate that final note, you're going to like this game. You play as a young woman who pulls her boat up to the top of some sort of a temple, sticking out from a mostly submerged city. Skyscrapers around you dot the landscape, of course you can only see their very tops. The woman takes her apparently dying brother into the temple and lays him down. She then sets off in her boat to find things to tend to his wounds and illness. These come in the form of supply drops, typically at the very top of some of the buildings jutting out of the water. You climb the buildings and get the supply drops. You unlock a telescope for the boat to spy other points of interest. You drive around and pick up gear from overturned boats to speed up your boat's motor boost. You discover animals swimming through the ocean. You mark landmarks. You pick up collectible books which help tell the city's story through little hieroglyphic style pictographs. That's it. You can't die or be hurt, there are no puzzles, you have unlimited grip strength, you just have fun climbing overgrown structures.

The game is pretty short, 3-4 hours plus maybe another 1-2 to mop up achievements. And although I connected with the characters, no text means basically no characterization so your imagination needs to fill in their personalities. The game is indie and not super high budget, but very beautiful, and includes a great "postcard mode" that lets you turn off the UI to take beautiful shots of whales breaching, your character climbing an endlessly tall construction crane, the moon hitting the water just right, or whatever else strikes your fancy.

The negative reviews basically focus on "hey, wait, if you can't be hurt or fight things, and there's no dialogue, what's the point?" -- if this is a question you see yourself asking, skip the game. On the other hand if you like exploring and driving around and marking stuff up on a map and filling up bars, then I think you'll like this beautiful little game.

(Note: I played on PC and I have no idea how the game performs on consoles)

 

[orthodoxy1095]

Surprising to see this bumped

The negative reviews basically focus on "hey, wait, if you can't be hurt or fight things, and there's no dialogue, what's the point?" -- if this is a question you see yourself asking, skip the game. On the other hand if you like exploring and driving around and marking stuff up on a map and filling up bars, then I think you'll like this beautiful little game.

I think that's a really unfair and untruthful summary of the reviews.

The general sentiment of the reviews was 1) the exploration was too repetitive and uninteresting and 2) the characters had almost no pull.

Most reviewers are capable of understanding the concept of creating a game without combat or death. In fact, that's something that many would welcome for a change of pace. It's not like we live in a world where quieter, more contemplative games like Journey, Gone Home or Brothers were ill-recieved.

The problem is, as so many games have wrestled with, when you remove that stuff, what's left needs to still be compelling gameplay. That's why so many games lean on killing and action-based gameplay because it's an easy gameplay crutch.

No combat, fine, bring it on! I love games with no combat and quiet atmospheres. The game is ostensibly centered on exploration. What I explored in the first five minutes seemed about the same as what I experienced in the last ten minutes. It's the same, boring monotonous thing, over and over again. And to add insult to injury, the already boring explorable areas are a chore to climb because the game is clunky as hell.

I'm glad you enjoyed it, but it was easily the worst game I played in 2015.

 

[Stumpokapow]

I mean, you said my summary was unfair and then said:

The problem is, as so many games have wrestled with, when you remove that stuff, what's left needs to still be compelling gameplay.

Which is basically like saying "When you remove that stuff, what's the point?", which is how I characterized the reviews.

I agree that the climbing is pretty much the same at the beginning as the end (the game is non-linear), but me just the appeal of marking stuff off on the map and going to the different places was more than enough to keep me interested through the short runtime. There are differences of course--some towers are more vertical and others more horizontal, some have more interior content and some more exterior, one has the the zipline at the top. I felt that was pretty neat. And like Wind Waker I liked the little nugget islands that just had one collectible. I also liked just zooming around in the boat looking at landmarks. And I get that your response is "yeah, but it was boring because you don't actually do anything", which is why that was my summary of the negative reviews.

I don't begrudge someone for not liking it. It's not right or wrong to not like it. I don't think reviewers didn't understand the point, I simply think reviewers didn't like what the game was going for conceptually.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

I mean, you said my summary was unfair and then said:

Which is basically like saying "When you remove that stuff, what's the point?", which is how I characterized the reviews.

I agree that the climbing is pretty much the same at the beginning as the end (the game is non-linear), but me just the appeal of marking stuff off on the map and going to the different places was more than enough to keep me interested through the short runtime. There are differences of course--some towers are more vertical and others more horizontal, some have more interior content and some more exterior, one has the the zipline at the top. I felt that was pretty neat. And like Wind Waker I liked the little nugget islands that just had one collectible. I also liked just zooming around in the boat looking at landmarks. And I get that your response is "yeah, but it was boring because you don't actually do anything", which is why that was my summary of the negative reviews.

I don't begrudge someone for not liking it. It's not right or wrong to not like it. I don't think reviewers didn't understand the point, I simply think reviewers didn't like what the game was going for conceptually.

Huh?

It's "basically like saying this if you contort it."

Yeah, I guess?

When you remove combat, which I acknowledge is an easy and cheap crutch for many developers, the question has to be asked, then what's going to be the focus of your game? Combat is used because it is a relatively easy way to create a compelling gameplay loop. So how do you replace one of the most basic and common gameplay loops? Are you going to focus on exploration? Story? Puzzles? Survival/resource management? Well, here's Submerged and the point appears to be exploration. Sounds cool. I love exploration games.

Except that I found that the exploration absolutely bored me to tears. By the second cache of supplies, I was already sick of the game. And as far as I remember it, there were ten of the damn things to find, let alone all the random collectables everywhere.

Like I said, I'm glad you enjoyed it, I don't take issue with that. But like I said, I don't think it's fair to say that I or the reviewers didn't like what the game was trying to do at a conceptual level. If that were the case, any of the other many highly rated combat-free, exploration based titles would be hurting in the ratings, and yet they aren't. It's just that for most people, the game is a clunky, boring game not worth exploring over other compelling worlds.

 

[stuminus3]

If you can tolerate that final note, you're going to like this game.

You've sold me on this one. I'm an absurdist. I exist despite there being a point in doing so. Same applies to video games! This looks like an interesting world to visit and exist in for a little while.

 

[Lima]

Just don't get the console version. It runs terrible and really detracts from the experience.

 

[metareferential]

Bought it on sale and already played for a couple of hours.

It reminds me of Journey when you're at sea and the sun sets down throwing rays of light through the fog and the sunken city.

There's not much to see or do; but it's worth experiencing those moments, even for a brief time.