In Other Waters

 Switch
In Other Waters Image
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 23 Ratings

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  • Summary: Play as an Artificial Intelligence guiding a stranded xenobiologist through a beautiful and mysterious alien ocean. A non-violent sci-fi story, enter a world of wonder, fear and vulnerability, unraveling the history and ecology of an impossible planet. What will you discover together?Play as an Artificial Intelligence guiding a stranded xenobiologist through a beautiful and mysterious alien ocean. A non-violent sci-fi story, enter a world of wonder, fear and vulnerability, unraveling the history and ecology of an impossible planet. What will you discover together?

    EXPLORE AN ALIEN OCEAN: Freely dive into an expansive section of seafloor, from shimmering reefs to inky depths. Unlock upgrades and make discoveries that allow you to open up new paths, uncovering strange creatures and environments as you do.

    SEE THE WORLD THROUGH AN AI LENS: Navigate an elegant, intuitive UI via touch or mouse controls. Interpret signals, set headings, and map the ocean through experimentation and intuition.

    BECOME AN XENOBIOLOGIST: Discover and catalogue species through observation, scanning, taking samples, and interacting with alien life. Read Ellery’s notes, look at her sketches, and help her classify an entirely new ecosystem.

    PLAN YOUR DIVES: Choose whether to study creatures, investigate secrets or dive new areas, then come back to your base to study samples in the lab, chat to Ellery or read her journals to understand more about this world.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. NintendoWorldReport
    Apr 15, 2020
    95
    While the action of playing the game is threadbare, the tone being set between the repetitive motions of exploration, your doctoral companion’s calm demeanor, a serene and mysterious accompaniment, and the satisfaction of each new discovery makes for a divine experience. If you’re looking for an interactive balm for your spare time or something to sate a sense of discovery without needing action-packed stimulation, sink into these waters and let them wash over you.
  2. The Games Machine
    Apr 9, 2020
    90
    In Other Waters caresses the senses, stimulates curiosity and hits hard with an extremely deep story. An alien ocean to explore, discovering an incredibly fascinating ecosystem, to be protected at all costs.
  3. TheSixthAxis
    Apr 27, 2020
    80
    With an engaging sci-fi story and its minimalist style, In Other Waters manages to draw you into its mysterious story and brings the alien environments to life through your imagination. There are some performance issues that can detract from the experience, but overall, In Other Waters is a journey worth taking.
  4. GameCritics
    Apr 15, 2020
    75
    Few developers would have the resources to portray this undersea world in all of its glory, but while Martin’s approach might have begun as a compromise, it’s executed with such confidence that In Other Waters feels like the only game he ever would have wanted to make. For those who like their sci-fi on the sophisticated side, it’s one of the year’s hidden gems.
  5. FNintendo
    Apr 17, 2020
    70
    In Other Waters is a text-based adventure that may not catch everyone's attention at first but the game creates a space for itself with its stunning visual environment, relaxing and immersive soundtrack, and ways of spending long hours exploring and analyzing the bottom of the seas. An enveloping experience with a pedagogical component and which can be played using the Nintendo Switch touch screen is without any doubt a very welcome addition to the console's catalogue.
  6. SpazioGames
    Apr 16, 2020
    70
    In Other Waters is a pretty unique experience, characterized by an amazingly crafted art direction, but plagued by some flaws in the gameplay flow. We recommend playing it on your TV, because in handheld mode the UI and the text size can become pretty painful.
  7. Gamers' Temple
    Apr 16, 2020
    69
    If you enjoy a good story in your games, In Other Waters will deliver that to you, but you'll need to be patient with its slow-pacing and the fact that you'll be spending so much time looking at little icons and lining them up with other icons and lines. It's not that far off from a walking simulator, but the interesting visuals of those types of games will only come from your mind's eye. In Other Waters is a niche game, and by now you should know whether or not you fit in that niche. If you're intrigued, by all means give the game a try, you won't be disappointed by the story that it delivers. If it all seems like a lot of effort to slowly read a book on your Switch, though, you're best off spending your time in other games.

See all 26 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 6 out of 11
  1. swanben
    Oct 22, 2020
    10
    I really enjoyed this game. Music is wonderful and something I go back to and listen to often. This is the perfect game when you are notI really enjoyed this game. Music is wonderful and something I go back to and listen to often. This is the perfect game when you are not wanting something with stakes or stress. It was really nice to play this game after work and between other more intense games. It is a great change of pace, with a nice SciFi plot. The only complaint is that it was short, but honestly, I think any longer some of the repetitive tasks might have gotten old. Would recommend it to anyone looking for something simple, nice, and calming.… Expand
  2. MadDan
    Apr 8, 2020
    9
    A minimalistic adventure full of mystery, intrigue and adventure. You play as an AI helping a stranded scientist; you sort her inventory,A minimalistic adventure full of mystery, intrigue and adventure. You play as an AI helping a stranded scientist; you sort her inventory, manage her fuel supply, take samples of unfamiliar species, and improve your relationship with her on the journey. Recommend for anyone looking for an engaging sci-fi, story driven experience with great mechanics and gameplay.… Expand
  4. Tems92
    Oct 29, 2020
    9
    Amazing game! Intriguing mystery, great soundtrack, something to play to unwind and keep your mind working. Some of the controls can be a bitAmazing game! Intriguing mystery, great soundtrack, something to play to unwind and keep your mind working. Some of the controls can be a bit janky but overall, great fun… Expand
  5. 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 impressiveIt'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.… Expand
  6. sidip
    Apr 14, 2020
    2
    There are worse games out there. I think that's the highest praise I can give.
  7. 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, butIf 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.… Expand
  8. 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.

See all 11 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

91
#91 Best Switch Game of 2020

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