It’s always a good sign when a horror game has a dedicated button for looking behind you. Just the idea that there could be something skulking out of your line of sight is enough to have you scanning over your shoulder, whether or not anything is really there. And in Still Wakes the Deep, the narrative horror title from British developer The Chinese Room, someone or something is invariably hot on your heels.
Chaos on the High Seas
Set in December 1975, Still Wakes the Deep plunges players into the turbulent life of Cameron “Caz” McCleary, an electrician on the North Sea oil rig Beira. With the wind and water battering the windows of his tinsel-decked bedroom, McCleary is already running from a troubled mainland life — police, a looming divorce, and an unhappy workforce talking of industrial action. His wife’s letter starkly reminds him, “You cannae run forever,” but for now, he has little choice.
An Unexpected Terror
The mainland soon pales in comparison to the horrors lurking on the Beira rig. After an ill-fated drilling strikes an ominous entity, a phosphorescent biological terror begins to wreak havoc, possessing crew members and damaging the rig. The management’s contingency plans falter, and their main concern becomes distancing themselves from the unfolding nightmare.
Survival Over Heroism
Playing as McCleary, you are not the hero sent to resolve the chaos; rather, your main objective is survival. The game’s environment — a maze of slippery ladders, unstable gantries, and temperamental steam valves — adds to the sense of vulnerability. Posters and signs provide a facade of order in a world already crumbling before the nightmare began. Locked doors and complex navigation amplify the tension as you try to evade the lurking horrors.
Narrative and Immersion
Still Wakes the Deep excels in its narrative and character portrayal. The dialogue is sharp, vividly bringing the rig’s workers to life over the game’s brief six-hour duration. The setting’s authenticity, combined with McCleary’s personal struggles, deepens the immersion, making the player feel the weight of responsibility and fear.
A Few Flaws
Despite its strengths, the game has occasional flaws. Enemies can be erratic, sometimes glitching and failing to attack when they catch you. While this might be generously interpreted as remnants of humanity in the possessed victims, it more likely represents a minor oversight that detracts from the game’s otherwise carefully crafted balance of tension and evasion.
Facing Fears
Ultimately, Still Wakes the Deep is a story about facing one’s fears. As the rig succumbs to its demons and McCleary’s past catches up with him, the game challenges both the character and the player to confront their problems head-on, even if there’s a button for looking over your shoulder.
