Still Wakes the Deep

All in all, Still Wakes the Deep has been a fantastic horror experience. It looks and sounds great, the sense of tension and fear is very well handled, and even the few moments that drop the act don’t give us enough time to catch our breath before things go sideways again. Topped of with a touching story and well rounded characters, Still Wakes the Deep is not one to be missed.

Still Wakes the Deep is wonderfully, authentically Scottish – even the carpets on the Beira D oil rig are tartan. It's also a singularly immersive and utterly memorable piece of work that's among The Chinese Room's very best.

Still Wakes the Deep is a linear game, one that will take you roughly six hours or so to complete. It doesn’t have any combat and you won’t be finding out the full answers to all your questions, but what it does do is provide a masterful piece of tight storytelling, full of heart, mystery, and suspense. Still Wakes the Deep has some amazing visuals and a wonderful piece of sound design, especially in the voice work that is both haunting and full of warmth.

Although the first few bars didn't tell me much about the title except that it looked like another walking simulator with scares, it was the complete package that left me excited. The combination of a very powerful visual aspect, an incredible sound fidelity, a rhythm that encourages you to know more and an action that catches you, results in Still Wakes the Deep being one of the best cinematographic style titles you can find. Nowadays.

A short and simple horror game about a man having the worst Christmas ever in quite possibly one of the most claustrophobic and isolated areas imaginable. Fantastic atmosphere, great characters, and some pretty intense moments make Still Wakes the Deep a must play for horror fans. That said, don't go into this expecting some super in-depth story with twists and turns and whatnot. Your journey through the game and the will of the characters to survive is the main story, and it was one I really enjoyed experiencing.

Still Wakes the Deep is a special experience. A brilliant setting for a horror story is matched by quality writing and stellar voice acting.

Still Wakes the Deep nails exploring a unique setting while finding ways to tell a compelling story.

Atmospherically gripping but playfully shallow oil rig horror trip with engaging sound design.

Mysterious things happen on the oil rig you visit in this game, and the result is a captivating adventure characterized by its strong atmosphere, bolstered by good voice-acting and catchy vibe. As a psychological horror game, an excellent title, although the game gives away just a little too many hints with yellow paint. Also, chapter select is missing and that's a shame, but don't let that stop you from playing the game, it's worth it.

The Chinese Room has succeeded brilliantly with their original pitch of The Thing on an oil rig, while infusing the horror with the emotion that characterised a game like Everybody's Gone to the Rapture. It's the kind of game that, with relatively few mechanics, manages to create immersion with great sound design, evocative visuals and believable storytelling.

Still Wakes the Deep is a tight, narrative adventure dripping in atmosphere and oozing in that sweet Scottish personality we've all come to love (shouting and swearing lots, as it turns out). If you're happy with a total lack of combat and more of a focus on story and exploration, then this one is definitely worth playing through on Xbox Game Pass. We found ourselves rather engrossed with Still Wakes the Deep and its personal tale of loss and family, even if more player agency around the game's spooky oil rig wouldn't have gone amiss. If you've played anything from The Chinese Room before you'll know what you're getting into - Still Wakes the Deep is another successful effort for the British developer to add to its growing repertoire.

The Chinese Room returns with its most ambitious game in nearly a decade: a terrifying, lovecraftian experience that shines at the tension moments and setting, but not always delivering in the narrative side.

Still Wakes the Deep is a good narrative adventure that immerses us in the horror of a realistically reproduced oil rig, but it fails to create high levels of tension in the player. Thanks to the good story, the interesting cast of characters and the excellent original voice acting, it remains an excellent first-person adventure that fans of the genre should not miss.

Still Wakes the Deep is somewhat dragged down by repetitive gameplay and a lack of challenge in the stealth sections. However, the developers really knew how to create a great horror atmosphere and the oil rig proved to be the perfect setting for the experience.