Under The Waves

 PlayStation 5
User Score
5.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 18 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 18
  3. Negative: 6 out of 18
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  1. TrevorTommyGun
    Aug 31, 2023
    9
    Refreshing game for people who loved Firewatch. Beautiful underwater environment with plenty of features. Pretty nice indie work.
  2. Redneb
    Sep 3, 2023
    9
    If you are looking for a fast-paced, feel-good action game, then this isn't for you. I really enjoyed "under the waves" because it is slow and very atmospheric. I recommend turning off the music completely. Without the music it feels like you are really down there, alone with your thoughts and the sounds of the ocean. Being a big fan of the Abyss movie, I really liked the game a lot.If you are looking for a fast-paced, feel-good action game, then this isn't for you. I really enjoyed "under the waves" because it is slow and very atmospheric. I recommend turning off the music completely. Without the music it feels like you are really down there, alone with your thoughts and the sounds of the ocean. Being a big fan of the Abyss movie, I really liked the game a lot.

    After a few hours, I encountered an extremely annoying bug: PS5 error CE-100028-1 pop-ups constantly (“no free space for save” but I had over 160 gb free space). Rebooting my ps5 did the trick but unfortunately the error did come back after some time.

    The swimming controls are a bit weird, but the little submarine you are in feels great to maneuver. Even with the flaws and some glitches (I was stuck 3 times while swimming and collecting stuff and had to reload) I highly recommend the game. Get down there and see for yourself. Very good and chill story game, and it looks absolutely fantastic! (And yeah, the lip sync was totally off - but that didn't bother me at all.)    … Expand
  3. malkymain
    Sep 7, 2023
    0
    Would’ve given game a higher score if the trophies weren’t entirely misleading and had missable collectibles. I supported and purchased the game day 1 and have little to zero time to replay the entire game again just to get these last few trophies
  4. Daniel0809
    Sep 7, 2023
    7
    being a small dev studio I like what they made. I would of gave it a 8 but there is a bug that pops up EVERY TIME the game saves! probably 7-8 times a hour! breaks immersion big time. The peaceful calm game play and sounds are exactly what i need after a day of work and the story is heart breaking.
  5. Jt0429
    Sep 11, 2023
    7
    Good-
    Great writing and voice acting; well-directed cutscenes with great art direction; the length of the game is appropriate for its simplistic mechanics.
    Bad- Audio and video sync issues; heavy movement mechanics; puzzles could have been better. Thoughts- All in all, Under The Waves tells an emotionally packed narrative about overcoming grief and the importance of underwater    Good-
    Great writing and voice acting; well-directed cutscenes with great art direction; the length of the game is appropriate for its simplistic mechanics.

    Bad-
    Audio and video sync issues; heavy movement mechanics; puzzles could have been better.

    Thoughts-
    All in all, Under The Waves tells an emotionally packed narrative about overcoming grief and the importance of underwater wildlife preservation. While the story beats may not always hit the mark, it’s a narrative that’s well worth seeing through to the end. The gameplay doesn’t break any new ground in terms of mechanics or interesting features, but it works well for the rather short duration of the adventure. Under The Waves is a great first step for Parallel Studio, and might be worth a try if this review manages to pique your interest – but also know that you wouldn’t be missing out on much if you end up skipping this one.    … Expand
  6. IamExiledPotato
    Sep 5, 2023
    4
    I have played close to 7 hrs of this game and the the whole time I’ve played all I’ve gotten are error codes everytime it tries to save, crashes for no discernible reason and corrupted saves because of those crashes. The very few times I’ve been able to play for any length of time without these issues the game is incredible, amazing even. But the technical issues that I have beenI have played close to 7 hrs of this game and the the whole time I’ve played all I’ve gotten are error codes everytime it tries to save, crashes for no discernible reason and corrupted saves because of those crashes. The very few times I’ve been able to play for any length of time without these issues the game is incredible, amazing even. But the technical issues that I have been experiencing makes this game boarder line unplayable. And in 2023 errors and crashing when auto saving shouldn’t happen. They need to patch this immediately. I scored it a 4 in its current state. But if the issues were fixed I’d give it a solid 8.… Expand
  7. Dkell
    Sep 5, 2023
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Would’ve given game a higher score if the trophies weren’t entirely misleading and had missable collectibles. I supported and purchased the game day 1 and have little to zero time to replay the entire game again just to get these last few trophies. Ridiculous.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

72
#72 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2023

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. PLAY
    Nov 23, 2023
    60
    Infuriating. Fun sea exploration, but we can’t help wondering if Quantic Dream published this to make its own horrible writing look better by comparison. [Issue#33, p.92]
  2. Adventure Game Hotspot
    Oct 4, 2023
    84
    The otherwise moving narrative of Under the Waves misses out on some lost opportunities, but if you have an affinity for collecting, exploration and ocean preservation, you’ll effortlessly immerse yourself for hours in this enchanting, beautiful underwater adventure.
    Read full review
  3. IGN France
    Oct 1, 2023
    70
    If its gameplay can feel common and somewhat frustrating, Under The Waves shines through the serious themes addressed with great respect and maturity, that should leave a mark on you.
    Read full review
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