TL;DR
Insomniac Games takes a dive into the Metroidvania genre with Song of the Deep, a game featuring a touching fairytale story of a girl searching for her lost father at sea in an upgradeable submarine. While the game boasts a beautiful, child-of-light-esque atmosphere and a charming narrative, its combat is cumbersome and often frustrating, and the protagonist's detachment within her vehicle hinders immersion. Despite its competent presentation and ample playtime, it struggles to compete with genre benchmarks like Ori and the Blind Forest or classic Castlevania titles. Is this underwater quest worth your time? Read on to find out!
Insomniac Games is renowned for its action-oriented shooters and platformers. Song of the Deep, however, represents a departure, venturing into the Metroidvania genre.
The term Metroidvania refers to an unofficial genre inspired by the iconic side-scrolling Metroid and Castlevania games of the 80s and 90s. For long-time gamers, these series represent seminal works, with Castlevania: Symphony of The Night remaining a genre benchmark even after two decades. Moon Studios’ Ori and the Blind Forest delivered a compelling Metroidvania experience a few years ago, recently enhanced by a definitive edition for Xbox One and PC. The question now is whether Insomniac Games, the studio behind Ratchet & Clank, can achieve similar success. The answer lies below.
Song of The Deep presents a poignant narrative about a young girl who loses her sailor father at sea. Determined to find him, she embarks on a quest, utilizing a weathered but highly upgradeable underwater vehicle. Navigating expansive underwater kingdoms, she must battle enemies and solve intricate puzzles, all while collecting treasures to enhance her vessel and improve her chances against the lurking dangers.
The story is good in Song of The Deep
One of the initial impressions of Song of The Deep is its success in establishing a captivating fairytale atmosphere. The visuals are aesthetically pleasing and vibrant, and while perhaps not technically groundbreaking, the color palette, fluid animations, evocative music, and the protagonist’s eloquent Irish narration contribute to a storytelling style reminiscent of Child of Light. However, Insomniac’s decision to confine the protagonist within an underwater vehicle creates a sense of detachment, hindering player identification. The girl’s presence is primarily limited to voice-over work and cutscenes presented in a stylized, comic book-like fashion. Another questionable design choice lies in the combat mechanics. Encounters are frequent and often prove unnecessarily challenging and cumbersome, requiring precise vehicle positioning to effectively engage enemies with its mechanical arm or launch explosive projectiles. While the concept holds potential, the implementation is lacking, leading to frustration and repetitive sequences that are not inherently difficult.
The battles are unfortunately unnecessarily cumbersome
From a technical and presentation standpoint, Song of The Deep delivers a respectable experience, reflecting its “indie” sensibilities and a price point lower than that of a standard full-price release (approximately 150 SEK at the time of writing). The game world is expansive, providing ample playtime even for seasoned Metroidvania enthusiasts. However, Song of The Deep struggles to surpass its genre contemporaries. It fails to reach the technical and emotional depth of Ori, lacks the variety of classic side-scrolling Castlevania titles, and doesn’t capture the old-school charm found in games like Axiom Verge. Ultimately, it is a competent entry in a strong genre, but falls short of achieving true distinction.
Despite its shortcomings, Song of the Deep is not a poor game, nor is it undeserving of your time or investment. Fans of the Metroidvania genre will find elements to appreciate. However, it’s crucial to temper expectations. Song of the Deep is, in many respects, a visually appealing game that ultimately feels somewhat superficial, despite its deep-sea setting.
