Hidden Deep – Spotlight

In order to entice players, Hidden Deep presents itself as an atmospheric 2D horror game that takes place in an abandoned research facility deep under the ocean. They were influenced by films like Alien and The Thing, say the developers. However, despite the game’s apparent and effective use of horror, it isn’t what makes Hidden Deep interesting. Underneath the gothic and macabre exterior lies a game about deciphering delightfully physical logistical puzzles, the solutions to which frequently result in your character dying in hilarious ways.

All the action takes place in a setting reminiscent of Alien. After about two years of operation, a completely normal research laboratory has gone dark. This time around, you’re in charge of a group tasked with delving into the facility and finding out what’s causing the radio silence. I won’t ruin the surprise by telling you that the scientists didn’t just go for an extended nap.

Hidden Deep is a straightforward platformer with a strong focus on the player’s sense of touch. A lone soldier with a pistol is your only companion in the first level of the game, which has you exploring a cave network. It is a physics-driven system, so your character gains momentum as they move and each action has a distinct weight. A drop of more than a few feet will cause your soldier to splatter across the ground like Bolognese sauce.

Because of this, the facility’s tunnels and shafts must be navigated using a grappling hook, which aids in navigating drops, climbing to higher platforms, and constructing ziplines to cross otherwise inaccessible gaps. The grappling hook is a taste of what’s to come as Hidden Deep opens up. Additionally, a terrain scanner and explosive charges are introduced in the second mission, which let you explore tighter caverns. You’ll also have to switch between two characters at the same time.

It’s only on the third level that Hidden Deep’s concept is fully revealed. In this game, you play as three different characters tasked with clearing a tunnel so that you can get to another part of the facility. As a result, a heavy-duty boring machine must be lowered via crane through a transport shaft. The various creatures lurking in the tunnels will make it necessary for you to alternate between engineers and soldiers to operate the machinery and deal with the monsters, so proceed with caution.

Playdead’s Inside and the industrial horror of Dead Space are both present in this physics-based puzzle, but the result is a wonderful combination of the two. That’s exactly what I like most about Hidden Deep: how it allows you to get your hands dirty with tools and machinery in a way that Dead Space never had the opportunity to do.

In a nutshell, my specialty is uncovering the mysteries of the Hidden Deep. However, the current Early Access build has room for improvement. Everything about it looks drab. Grey and brown caverns are the primary setting for the majority of the game. In rare cases, you’ll find a more expansive and interesting location like a giant underwater machine that turns your character into mush if they remain too close to it for any length of time. Your cave’s walls are the only place where you’ll find visual variety.

I’m not a fan of the enemy designs either. Fucking fleshbirds that give birth to parasitic leeches mid-flight take up most of the early game. The leeches and the worms, despite being disgusting, are more of a nuisance than a threat to deal with. When it comes to the giant worm that lurks in the ceilings, the encounters with it are always fatal. Initially, it may cause you to jump, but it’s a simple task to get rid of once you know it’s there. The enemy roster diversifies as the game progresses, and the handful of weapons at your disposal all feel good to shoot, but it’s still several hours before combat becomes anything other than basic.

Fortunately, I much prefer Hidden Deep’s puzzles. When it comes to solving complex puzzles, I’d like to use more complex machinery while being pursued by strange things, like a cursed episode of Thunderbirds. There are ten levels in the current Early Access build, which can be completed in 5-7 hours of gameplay, but the roadmap indicates that more missions, weapons, and, most importantly, gadgets will be added in the future. I don’t think you’ll be sorry if you dive into Hidden Deep now, but you should keep an eye on it for the remainder of 2022.