In Other Waters

 PC
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 15 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 15
  3. Negative: 6 out of 15

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  1. otm
    Jun 3, 2020
    4
    I was drawn in by the promising reviews but this game is a painfully shallow experience. A superficially elegant but immediately frustrating UI paired with what is genuinely basic and unimpressive sound design. As the writing / world-building has been held up as a strength of the game, I should also say that it was in no way intriguing to me with banal exposition and so in my view, evenI was drawn in by the promising reviews but this game is a painfully shallow experience. A superficially elegant but immediately frustrating UI paired with what is genuinely basic and unimpressive sound design. As the writing / world-building has been held up as a strength of the game, I should also say that it was in no way intriguing to me with banal exposition and so in my view, even fails on the level of visual / interactive novel. To contrast, Disco Elysium is lightyears ahead.

    This is my first rating on here but felt compelled to respond to what led me to buying this game: the favourable reviews. Unfortunately the critical reaction speaks more of a culture begging to be considered more thoughtful and, here I go again, deep rather than accepting that video games are a medium that requires a bit more effort towards immersion with engaging tactility to be effective (or in some cases, to break with immersion for narrative purpose).

    If you like this game, then by all means enjoy it but have you also tried reading a good book?    … Expand
  2. notherone
    Apr 14, 2020
    4
    It's possible that, at some point after the first 30 minutes, this game gets really interesting, but it would have to be a truly impressive pivot. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what's going wrong, but it's fair to say that nothing is quite going right. For all the lovely sound design and eye-catching aesthetic, there's precious little (if any) reward in exchange for your curiosity. Collapse
  3. mavey98855
    Apr 14, 2020
    0
    An intriguing interface belies the fact that this game is a text adventure in which the text lacks any sense of adventure.
  4. sidip
    Apr 14, 2020
    1
    There are worse games out there. I think that's the highest praise I can give.
  5. billspcplay
    Apr 14, 2020
    2
    If Subnautica was a text adventure . . . it'd be a much less enjoyable game. I don't think anyone needed a case study proving that fact, but thanks to In Other Waters, we now have hard evidence.
  6. Mangraz
    Jul 5, 2020
    9
    A wonderful, unique game.

    If you are looking for a classic videogame, In Other Waters is certainly not for you. If you are open for an unusual experience tho, I can recommend it without hesitation. The game is all about curiosity, What happened to this planet? What happened to the lost friend of the protagonist? What are those alien lifeforms roaming every nook and cranny of this great    A wonderful, unique game.

    If you are looking for a classic videogame, In Other Waters is certainly not for you. If you are open for an unusual experience tho, I can recommend it without hesitation. The game is all about curiosity, What happened to this planet? What happened to the lost friend of the protagonist? What are those alien lifeforms roaming every nook and cranny of this great ocean?

    Despite on first glance looking very open and sandboxy, this is a narrative game. While I had great fun completing my encyclopedia, there is no real (as in game-changing) reward to it, other than detailled sketches and descriptions of the lifeforms. I greatly enjoyed reading every entry tho, and do not miss the lack of progression mechanics.

    This means, while classifying the alien ecosystems is a big part of the game, you can easily focus on the narrative, without the story losing it's appeal. Greatly recommended.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. Riot Pixels
    Jun 22, 2020
    66
    In Other Waters is an experimental crossbreed between a simple-hearted adventure game and an equally straightforward simulator of a futuristic ocean scientist. The adventure part is constrained by narrative conventions and oversimplified design, but the sim part is almost a meditative experience that might enthrall you for a few hours.
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  2. Gamer Escape
    Jun 10, 2020
    60
    This is a unique and sometimes even a wondrous experience. In Other Waters is a perfect example of why independent game development is so important to the ecosystem. The ideas these developers have are fantastic and important to gaming and this is an experience I wasn’t going to get anywhere else. That being said, it is impossible to ignore some of In Other Waters’ most glaring flaws. As much as I’m willing to sacrifice depth in gameplay for a satisfying story, I should never feel frustrated as much as I did while playing this.
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  3. Adventure Gamers
    Jun 5, 2020
    90
    In Other Waters guides players through the visualization of an alien oceanic ecosystem and invites them to share in the exhilaration of discovering new life, all while telling a complex, original story with memorable characters through the medium of a diving suit’s display monitor.
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