Giant ships, abandoned stations, mines on lost moons, remote colonies. Outer space is perfect for unleashing unspeakable horrors, but we have something just as powerful here on Earth… the sea. Still Wakes the Deep is the latest creation from The Chinese Room, and it puts us in the shoes of a Scottish electrician who must escape an oil rig. Something is loose in the structure… and if we add the hostility of the environment, let's say his chances aren't good…
Sometimes, all a horror story needs is the wrong person in the exact right place. Ellen Ripley (Alien) was a kind of chief petty officer (warrant officer) aboard the Nostromo, but the available information reveals no prior military training (in fact, it's Hicks who teaches her to use the M41A rifle). We can say something similar about MacReady and Childs (The Thing), helicopter pilot and mechanic respectively (although MacReady flew in Vietnam).
And with that in mind, we come to Still Wakes the Deep. Christmas week, 1975. Cameron "Caz" McLeary, electrician. Stationed on the Beira D oil rig in the North Sea. Trouble with the law. An insufferable boss. Fired from his job. And when it seems things can't get worse…
Still Wakes the Deep: "The Thing at Sea"
The name The Chinese Room is certainly familiar to us. Dear Esther, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs… let's say they know a thing or two about horror. However, Still Wakes the Deep doesn't follow the psychological route, instead fitting perfectly into the survival category. Caz is not a secret agent, nor does he have special powers. You have to close gas leaks, break padlocks, and avoid falling into the void. Every jump feels exhausting. They call them "environmental puzzles", but they're pure torture.
And on top of all that, the rig isn't the only thing trying to kill Caz. No spoilers, no details. "The Thing at Sea" was the developers' original idea. At least half a dozen films and novels (from Annihilation to Midsommar) are mentioned as inspiration. If you have experience in the genre, you'll probably finish Still Wakes the Deep in about three hours. Otherwise… the game will make you suffer a bit more.
Still Wakes the Deep is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
