Submerged

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 32
  3. Negative: 9 out of 32
  1. Digitally Downloaded
    Aug 7, 2015
    100
    What impressed me most about Submerged is that it never tries to be more than its concept. It set out to be a simple narrative-driven and emotional experience with a strong environmental message, and it achieves just that. With no unnecessary actions to distract those with limited attention spans it might be perceieved as "dull" by some, but in practice it's a reflective, mature, and artful work, and this here is where games should be going.
  2. NZGamer
    Aug 5, 2015
    90
    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.
  3. Brash Games
    Aug 30, 2015
    80
    Different and stunning.
  5. Dealspwn
    Aug 12, 2015
    80
    One of the most relaxing games I've played in ages. Submerged is a game happy to let the player explore, with minimal challenge making for an experience that focuses on player exploration and stopping to enjoy the view. The story of the children and the desolate world around them slowly becomes clearer, leaving just enough room for the player's personal interpretation.
  6. Digital Chumps
    Aug 3, 2015
    80
    It's easy to get lost inside Submerged's desolate seascapes. Its desire for pacifism and drive for hope are worthy talents, but it's the call to adventure—to indulge and explore marine tranquility and conquering vegetation—that you'll keep with you, if only for a little while.
  7. Vandal
    Aug 5, 2015
    75
    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.
  8. GamingTrend
    Aug 3, 2015
    75
    Submerged is a short but impactful experience, crafting sound and sight together to create something unique and different from the mold.
  9. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Oct 16, 2015
    70
    The game’s dystopian, drowned burg a pleasure to explore. It’s just a pity the engine is a little bit of a shambles. [November 2015, p78]
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  10. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Sep 21, 2015
    70
    It's just a pity the engine is a little bit of a shambles. [Oct 2015, p.89]
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  11. PlaySense
    Aug 17, 2015
    70
    A beautiful and relaxing experience that's a bit too short and a bit too technically flawed to be considered a must-play.
  12. PSNStores
    Aug 13, 2015
    70
    If you want a laid-back, relaxing experience full of discovery in a beautiful but haunting world, this game’s for you.
  13. IGN
    Aug 7, 2015
    68
    Submerged attempts to replace tension with curiosity as a motivating force, and largely succeeds even though its environmental storytelling isn’t as dense as it could’ve been.
  14. Worth Playing
    Aug 26, 2015
    60
    Submerged tries to go for the same vibe as Journey but falls short.
  15. Gameplanet
    Aug 14, 2015
    60
    Submerged is underwhelming. It squanders a promising opening, and its slight mechanics will no doubt give ammo to those who question the validity of exploration titles.
  16. PlayStation Universe
    Aug 5, 2015
    60
    Exploration can get very boring when you're just doing the same thing over and over again, but the intriguing game world, soothing soundtrack and unfolding story ensure Submerged keeps its head just above water.
  17. COGconnected
    Aug 17, 2015
    55
    The idea, the story, the world and the team behind it all seemed to point in the right direction and on a number of levels the game succeeds quite well. Despite all of this however, the incredibly basic gameplay hampers the whole experience.
  18. GameCrate
    Aug 11, 2015
    53
    Submerged just ends up being a disappointment. Great ideas in the storytelling and presentation are lost with a poor connection to characters and truly lacking gameplay. All the great intentions in the world don't mean anything if they don't convey into a fun game experience. Go play Journey instead.
  19. Games Master UK
    Oct 15, 2015
    50
    Awkward platforming that feels like being submerged in a sea of treacle. [Oct 2015, p.81]
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  20. Multiplayer.it
    Sep 29, 2015
    50
    Despite good premises, Submerged is a boring and brief game, with a farraginous gameplay and some technical problems, where the only purpose is to find and pick up objects.
  21. Washington Post
    Aug 6, 2015
    50
    Submerged made me wonder just how much you could strip away the incentives that attract people to video games.
  22. Push Square
    Aug 5, 2015
    50
    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.
  23. God is a Geek
    Aug 5, 2015
    50
    Despite its interesting premise, Submerged never achieves more than mediocrity due to its repetitive gameplay, lacklustre execution, and unpolished world design.
  24. PlayStation LifeStyle
    Aug 4, 2015
    50
    It’s a game that, on the surface, seems built for you to ask questions about what it presents, but once you dig a little deeper you realize it was never prepared to give you the answers. It’s not a conversation; it’s a speech.
  25. Kill Screen
    Aug 26, 2015
    48
    Submerged is skeletal and unoiled. It is damned by competence: a short story that checks the boxes, but in doing so leaves no mark.
  26. Everyeye.it
    Aug 3, 2015
    48
    A forgettable experience. It wants to mimic Papo & Yo and Journey, but ends up being way less than the sum of its parts.
  27. IGN Italia
    Aug 17, 2015
    45
    Submerged is a poorly executed adventure game in which you have to climb to the top of a bunch of buildings emerging from a forgotten city swallowed by the ocean, looking for supplies for your wounded little brother.
  28. Edge Magazine
    Sep 15, 2015
    30
    A host of inchoate ideas served with a helping of self-importance, Submerged threatens to plumb the emotional depths, but there's little of value beneath its surface. [Oct 2015, p.121]
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  29. Gameblog.fr
    Aug 6, 2015
    30
    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.
  30. Shacknews
    Aug 5, 2015
    30
    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.
  31. We Got This Covered
    Aug 5, 2015
    30
    Sunk by lacklustre gameplay, cliched storytelling and technical hiccups, Submerged is one of the biggest missed opportunities in recent memory.
  32. TheSixthAxis
    Aug 4, 2015
    30
    As much as I wanted to fall in love with Submerged, it’s standing proof that a game needs more than good looks and a unique angle to win me over. With the ’emotional’ story-driven approach slowly receding from the frontline of gaming, I’m left craving fun and challenging experiences that have us do more than haplessly roam within the confines of a digital sandbox.
  33. The Digital Fix
    Aug 27, 2015
    20
    Submerged can only be described as a huge disappointment that squandered its potential thanks to some terrible design decisions and being let out the door far too early.
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In Progress & Unscored

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  1. The A.V. Club
    Dec 8, 2015
    Submerged doesn’t want to see you fail, but it doesn’t trust you to succeed without its help, either. It bears repeating: Children aren’t morons. Submerged knows this, but it still treats its players like they’re just kids.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 39 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 39
  3. Negative: 13 out of 39
  1. Skirmish
    Aug 5, 2015
    10
    This game is a real gem. My kids found this on PSN and convinced me to download it. After watching my daughter sail around the overgrownThis game is a real gem. My kids found this on PSN and convinced me to download it. After watching my daughter sail around the overgrown urban decay I started playing it myself. Submerged is truly beautiful. Visually of course, but I am finding the combination of the music and the way the story is delivered is really touching.

    I have grown a bit tired of brown hued wastelands. Don't get me wrong, I have been a fan of the Fallout series since the beginning and I find post-apocalyptic worlds really compelling. But Submerged's lush green world, full of life, offers a refreshing alternative.

    I am finding this to be an intriguing experience so far with mystery, and maybe menace, lying behind what seems like tranquility. This game now sits along side Journey as an example for my non-gaming friends of what games can strive for.    … Full Review »
  2. Thirdrail
    Aug 4, 2015
    5
    The basic idea of Submerged is great, especially the combat-free part, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. For starters, it's a $10The basic idea of Submerged is great, especially the combat-free part, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. For starters, it's a $10 game that costs $20. After the first ten minutes of play, you've done and seen the vast majority of everything the game will ever show you or have you do. I don't just mean the wall climbing and boat steering (the game's two main/only activities), I mean everything. Every model. Every texture. Every corroded sea creature. It's just so little actual content. There is one kind of wall to climb. There is one kind of flowered vine to climb. The ledge, the game's real star, comes in two varieties - kind of worn and very worn. Everything is the same colour. Every half submerged building looks like every other half submerged building. None of the animals are very inspired or imaginative, though there are eight total. Or maybe I'm the weirdo, for not getting more excited about seeing a virtual pelican. You know what, I take it back, this isn't a $10 game masquerading as a $20 game, it's an $8 game, masquerading as a $20 game. And not a particularly good one. If you do find yourself curious, despite the many available warnings, I would strongly suggest you wait for Submerged to be half the price it should have launched at in the first place, which would be $4.… Full Review »
  3. mfk04
    Aug 27, 2016
    7
    With an interesting premise, Submerged delivers a beautiful post apocalyptic world with a subtle but intriguing story. But its repetitiveWith an interesting premise, Submerged delivers a beautiful post apocalyptic world with a subtle but intriguing story. But its repetitive minute to minute gameplay makes it hard to go through it.
    Not that I don't like simple, artistic, story focused games, but the constant loop of climbing a building, opening a package and watching a short cutscene (with the same music every time) gets tedious over time.
    I don't say I wouldn't recommend it but if you want to try it, go with measured expectations.    … Full Review »
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