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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. 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.
  2. 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

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
See all critic reviews »