Submerged Review: Flooded City Beauty Masks a Middle Stretch That Drags

Submerged asks players to do something rare in games: sit still and look around. Developed and published by Uppercut Games, the 2015 game puts players in control of Miku, a young girl who rows through a flooded city in search of supplies to save her injured brother, Taku. There is no combat, no enemies, no way to die. The goal is simple: find enough crates to heal Taku, and keep moving.

Trailer, via IGN.

Miku and Taku

The story opens with Miku and Taku drifting into a city partially submerged beneath ocean water. Only the tallest buildings protrude from the sea. Their father has descended into alcoholism since the death of their mother, and his violent actions toward the children have left Taku badly hurt. The siblings flee their home, take refuge in the top of a clock tower, and set out across the sunken cityscape in a small motorized boat.

Miku’s task is to find relief crates that were parachuted in during the crisis. She rows between half-submerged towers, climbs crumbling facades, and uses a telescope to scour the city for supplies. The game is built entirely around this loop of exploration, and it holds up for stretches before the repetition starts to show.

The City and Its Creatures

The flooded city is the star of Submerged. Tall buildings rise from the water like islands, connected by bridges and narrow passages. Aquatic creatures swim below, and later in the game, Miku discovers that these beings are survivors of the city who have mutated to live in the new environment. She also realizes, to her shock, that she herself is now mutating in a similar way.

The city is rendered with a painterly quality that suits the story. Colors shift from bright blues to muted grays as Miku moves from open water to ruined streets. The lighting changes with the time of day, and the water reflects the buildings in ways that feel deliberate rather than random.

Combat-Free Exploration

There is no combat in Submerged. Miku cannot be killed, and nothing can harm her. That design choice forces the game to rely entirely on atmosphere and discovery to hold attention. The result is a game that rewards patience and curiosity, but also one that can feel thin when there is nothing left to find.

The pacing suffers in the middle stretch, when the city repeats itself and the crates grow harder to spot. Players will spend minutes searching for a single crate hidden behind a building, and the lack of combat means there is no pressure to hurry. Some players will find that patience rewarding; others will find it tedious.

The Telescope and the Crates

The telescope is Miku’s main tool. She uses it to scan the city for supplies, and the game often directs players to look at specific points on a building before revealing the crate’s location. This creates a rhythm of scanning, rowing, and climbing that defines the experience.

The crates themselves contain healing items for Taku. Finding them all is optional, but the game strongly encourages completionism. Players who want to see every hidden object will spend far more time than those who simply want to finish the story.

The Mutation Twist

The twist comes near the end, when Miku locates the final crate and Taku recovers. The mutants who have been observing her throughout the game then perform a ritual that purges Miku of her mutation, making her human again. The siblings then take their leave and move on from the city.

This ending is abrupt, and it leaves several questions unanswered about the world and its inhabitants. The game does not explain why the mutants performed the ritual, or what became of the city after the siblings left. These gaps are frustrating, but they also give the story a sense of mystery that some players will appreciate.

Platforms and Ports

Submerged launched on PS4, PC (Microsoft Windows), and Xbox One in 2015, with an iOS port following in 2016. The sequel, Submerged: Hidden Depths, released on Stadia on 3 December 2020, with Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S versions following on 10 March 2022.

What Works

The art direction is the strongest element of Submerged. The flooded city is a striking visual concept, and the game executes it with care. The music complements the visuals without overpowering them, and the sound design adds weight to the empty streets.

The story, while thin, is effective at conveying emotion through image rather than dialogue. Miku’s journey to save her brother is touching, even if the plot is predictable. The game’s ability to make players feel dread in an empty city is a genuine achievement.

What Doesn’t Work

The lack of combat means there is no risk attached to failure. Players can wander off course, miss a crate, or get lost without consequence. This freedom is liberating at times, but it also means the game lacks tension.

The middle stretch drags. Once the initial novelty of the flooded city wears off, the repetition of searching for crates becomes tiresome. The game does not offer any systems to break up the monotony, and the difficulty curve is flat rather than challenging.

Final Score

Submerged is a quiet, beautiful game that asks for patience. It succeeds when it lets the player breathe and observe, and it fails when it asks for sustained focus. The art direction is excellent, the story is touching, and the concept is original. But the lack of combat, the repetitive middle stretch, and the unresolved ending keep it from greatness.

We score Submerged 5.7 of 10.

game review · Indie Games · PS4 · Submerged · Uppercut Games