‘Song of the Deep’ Is a Gorgeous Underwater ‘Metroid’
Under the sea, under the sea… (Photo: Insomniac Games)
What happens when a big game studio goes small? We’ll find out later this year with Song of the Deep, a newly announced game from Insomniac Games, purveyors of huge franchises like Ratchet & Clank and the Resistance shooters.
Song of the Deep is significantly smaller in scope than those massive, 3D series. It puts you in the shoes — and submarine — of Merryn, a plucky tween whose beloved fisherman father fails to come home from work one night. Merryn does what any loving daughter would do in these circumstances: She cobbles together a homemade submersible and ventures forth into the deep to seek her departed dad.
Merryn’s quest will take her through gorgeous coral reefs, underwater caves, a vast Atlantis-like sunken empire, and other lovingly rendered locations. Technically speaking, it’s a “Metroidvania” (a portmanteau of Metroid and Castlevania, classic NES games that defined the genre) — a 2D scrolling action-adventure that emphasizes exploration.
Concept art of plucky protagonist Merryn. (Photo: Insomniac Games)
We got some hands-on time with Song of the Deep. Equal parts puzzle solving, raw exploration, and undersea combat, it’s easy to like. The art direction creates a compelling atmosphere with old-school parallax scrolling, subtle lighting effects, and handcrafted, watercolor-esque backdrops. As any game in this genre should do, it urges you forward with promises of new zones to unlock and hidden nooks and crannies to uncover.
Song of the Deep also marks a new direction for brick-and-mortar game retailer GameStop, which has signed on as a publisher. The deal will give Song of the Deep an opportunity to get some valuable shelf space in the real world, in addition to being for sale via download services like Steam and PSN. Also in the pipeline are merchandising tie-ins, including a storybook that will further elaborate on the adventures of Merryn and her sub. (A GameStop spokesperson insisted it’s “a very hands-off” partner, leaving all creative matters to Insomniac alone.)
Song of the Deep will launch in the second quarter of 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
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