A recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz is giving fans of The Chinese Room’s new horror title Still Wakes the Deep more insight into how the game came to be.
Art director and project creative director John McCormack, associate art director Laura Dodds, lead designer Rob McLachlan, project technical director Louis Larsson-De Wet, and audio director Daan Hendriks sat down to give their thoughts on the bizarre first-person game, set on an oil rig that slowly becomes a living entity.
“We were always trying to skirt the line of making the player feel uncomfortable, but then also trying to find that perfect balance where it’s not too overwhelming,” said Hendricks.
“I’m not sure if we found it, but I definitely remember in earlier versions of Still Wakes the Deep it was more intense. When we were mixing the game, I had to reign it in a little bit because there were times when the game was so loud it was literally hurting my ears. Which in a way I liked because I thought, ‘Well, that’s how it should really feel’.”
The game features no combat and no weapons, and players must simply investigate their surroundings with no way to defend themselves from the terrifying beings that seems to lurk around every corner in the form of the main character’s possessed crewmates.
“The player’s imagination is so powerful, so having space for them to contemplate was really important in bringing in the pacing and moments of reflection,” said Dodds.
“You have this entity that comes on board and is such an unassailable thing,” he says. “It’s essentially transforming not only the crew, but also the oil rig itself and even the weather around it, exerting its influence over time,” explained Larsson-De Wet.
Still Wakes the Deep is available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Released in June 2024, the game has seen positive reviews for its story, atmosphere, and sound design.
