We got a chance to review Submerged: Hidden Depths, so I got in touch with Uppercut Games to talk a bit about the game. Come check it out!
PS4Blog: Good morning! Thank you for joining us at PS4Blog.net. Could you please help us get started by introducing yourself to our readers?
My name is Ed Orman, and I am one of the founders of Uppercut Games. On Submerged: Hidden Depths, I was in charge of game design.
PS4Blog: We had a great time playing Submerged for our review, and now Submerged: Hidden Depths is ready to go on PlayStation 4. What can you tell us about this sequel?
Submerged: Hidden Depths is for people who are looking for a game where you can take the time to just stop and appreciate beauty. Players can boat, climb, solve and explore in the beautiful ruins of a sunken world. Each building that you can explore is a maze-like puzzle, covered with the remnants of villages that used to cling to the structure. Players will gather diaries that tell the story of the past, dredge up relics from beneath the ocean, or even just pick flowers for your collection. And you do all of this at your own pace, with no combat and no failure.
PS4: How long did it take to develop Submerged: Hidden Depths? Were there any hurdles or challenges you had to overcome along the way?
It took around 19 months from start to finish, and we faced some interesting challenges.
One was growing the team – we knew we wanted to improve significantly on the first game, which we made with 7-8 full-time staff. For Submerged: Hidden Depths, we had to grow to 16 full-time people, plus another 10 or so contractors and outsourcers. Controlling that growth carefully could be difficult, but we were lucky to work with amazing people that smoothed that over.
Second, just the world! We had extreme bushfires and then, of course, COVID. But to Google’s credit, they acknowledged both of those events and were always asking if we needed more time or support – and when we said yes, they gave it to us!
PS4: Once someone starts to play Submerged: Hidden Depths, how long would it take on average before the credits roll?
We reckon playtime is 6-12 hours – 6 hours for a straight run through the campaign and 12 hours for the completionist that collects everything. But we’ve also created a place that players will want to just hang out in.
PS4: And now it’s time for us to go. Is there something else you’d like to add before we end this one?
We hope that players find Submerged: Hidden Depths to be a relaxing, chill experience, where they feel like they can take a break. And after the last couple of years, we all deserve it.
