Sequel Submerged: Hidden Depths from Uppercut Games is relaxploration adventure you should check out on PlayStation 4. Learn more in our Submerged: Hidden Depths review!
Ceidz and I got to review prequel Submerged – and you can check our double review right here – a hidden gem third-person exploration game on PlayStation 4 that you should definitely check out. It offered a very chill experience, which is why the team at Uppercut Games describes Submerged: Hidden Depths as a third-person relaxploration adventure. After initially releasing as part of the Stadia Pro service back in 2022, it’s now ready to go on PlayStation 4, back where our journey began.
During Submerged, you get to explore a mysterious flooded city as Miku, a young girl who navigated through the city, exploring every corner of it in order to try and find a cure for your wounded brother. She searched for the supplies needed to save him as you tried to survive the black Mass that covered the city. For the sequel, Miku and her brother Taku will try to find the seeds needed to bring back life to the locations that are still standing while finding a way to get rid of the Mass… hopefully for good!
When on the ground, you’ll walk with the left analog stick and can look around with the right one. You can interact with points of interest by pressing the X button. Whenever you’re riding your boat, you’ll drive forward with the R2 button and drive backward with the L2 button. To find new locations to visit around the starting hub island, press the Triangle button to bring up your telescope. The telescope can also be used to locate landmarks or to find boat upgrades. As you collect boat upgrades, you’ll be able to increase the duration of your boat boost, which you can activate with the L1 button.
To learn more about the city’s history, you’ll need to collect the more than 50 journals spread around all of the locations. Speaking of collectibles, for Submerged: Hidden Depths, you’ll also get to meet 20 creatures, check out 10 landmarks, collect 10 seeds in total – with the first one being found during the intro tutorial segment -, 9 flowers, 10 lookouts, 10 relicts, 26 boat upgrades, as well as add all of the story segments to your journal. You can review all of this by opening your journal with the Touchpad.
The game looks way better than Submerged did seven years ago, showcasing what the team has learned along the way – see, City of Brass, which I reviewed back in 2018. You should definitely make good use of the game’s Postcard Mode, which allows you to move the camera around, zoom in and out, move the camera closer, and then hide the text that lets you know what does what so that you can then take a screenshot. The game offers many great vistas and majestic creatures, so there’s definitely a lot you can document during your time with Submerged: Hidden Depths.
While Submerged had a shorter trophy list – as was the case for indie digital releases on PlayStation 4 back in 2015 – Submerged: Hidden Depths has a full trophy list with a Platinum trophy for you to unlock. You’ll first have to get all 5 Silver trophies and 9 Gold trophies that require you to collect all flowers, collect all boat boosts, collect all diaries, collect all styles, all relics, and all creatures, visit all landmarks, use all lookouts, put a flower on your head, change your character’s hairstyle, body style, change the boat style, and then finish the campaign.
I enjoyed my time with Submerged, so I was looking forward to what Submerged: Hidden Depths would offer on PlayStation 4. It improves on everything its prequel did, offering a very chill experience as you explore the areas around the hub dome, trying to piece together what has happened in each area, as you try to get rid of the Mass and bring everything back to life. Submerged: Hidden Depths is out today on PlayStation 4.
Disclaimer
This Submerged: Hidden Depths review is based on a PlayStation 4 copy provided by Uppercut Games.
