Where to get it

2023 · Parallel Studio · Adventure · Indie

Under the Waves

Under the Waves is a narrative-driven adventure game about the engulfing power of grief. Set in the depths of the North Sea in a techno-futuristic 1970s, professional diver Stan is struggling to overcome a life-changing loss and embrace a new future. The isolation of the deep sea is a fitting manifestation of his state of mind, and as Stan retreads further into his self-imposed solitude, he starts to experience strange events far beneath the waves. Stuck between life and death, Stan will have to make the most significant choice of his existence.

Released: 29 August 2023
Platforms: PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Windows Xbox One Xbox Series X/S
Genres: Adventure Indie
Developers: Parallel Studio
Publishers: Quantic Dream
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Third person
Themes: Action Science fiction
Country: France
Age ratings: CLASS_IND 12 USK 12 ESRB M GRAC 15+CERO B
Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean and 8 more
Time to beat: 7.5hmain story14hcompletionist

About

Under the Waves is a 2023 adventure video game developed by Parallel Studio and published by Quantic Dream. Players control a professional diver who attempts to deal with personal trauma and a job that may compromise his principles.

Players say

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

After a traumatic event, deep sea diver Stanley goes to Atlantic Ocean with a robot companion under the auspices of the corporation UniTrench. Players control Stanley as he explores the open world and performs tasks for UniTrench. They can also gather collectibles and craft items. As players progress through each days' tasks, they learn more about Stanley's past and UniTrench's intentions.

Development

Parallel Studio developed Under the Waves in France. Quantic Dream released it for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, and Windows on August 29, 2023.

Reception

On Metacritic, Under the Waves received positive reviews on Windows and mixed reviews on PlayStation 5. Reviewers said they encountered many bugs and technical issues. Though GamesRadar called it "emotionally resonant, thematically intriguing, and visually striking", they thought the environmentalist narrative was occasionally too blunt. Commenting on the bugs, Video Games Chronicle said it has "plenty of rough edges", but they said it is a memorable game that "handles distressing subject matter in a touching way". The Guardian and Push Square said they continued playing through the technical issues because of the game's immersion and soundtrack.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

Platform	Released	Regions
Windows	29 August 2023	Worldwide
PlayStation 4	29 August 2023	Worldwide
PlayStation 5	29 August 2023	Worldwide
Xbox Series X/S	29 August 2023	Worldwide
Xbox One	29 August 2023	Worldwide