The Good
- Mix of Iron Lung and Leviathan story and gameplay wise
- Get to manage crew that can do tasks around the submarine
- Visual novel addition with the sonar where you get to pick actions that have consequences
- Great retro/CTR artstyle that this genre prefers
The Bad
- You might understand the story and atmosphere more if you played Static Dread: The Lighthouse
*We have received a review copy for this game through solarsuit.games. While we played the game via a gifted key, this does not affect our ratings.
Static Dread: The Submarine brings back the great atmosphere of solarsuit.games’ The Lighthouse, the first entry in the Static Dread collection. While they are separate games, my only point about the score not being the full 5 out of 5 is that it might be beneficial to play The Lighthouse before The Submarine to see how well made these games are.
If you like Leviathan stories and have played Static Dread: The Lighthouse, be sure to pick it up (20% launch Discount) over at Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4042160/Static_Dread_The_Submarine/
You instantly get dropped into the story; the mix of Iron Lung and Leviathan really works well with the dialogue and story-rich presence. You are a sonar operator that steps up to first mate in the first attack that doesn’t seem human. You are in the middle of a war and battle other submarines, however; there are other organic lifeforms in the deep.
You get to choose to follow orders to the dot or take a more human approach in the game and manage your crew to have them do tasks and find out what is happening outside… and maybe inside the submarine.
Next to managing the crew, you get to put your sonar skills to use.
Analyze the sound waves after finding them in the deep by rotating the source and see what you are up against. It’s your choice what to do with it.
The sonar will tell you the actions you can take that are available, and you’ll be able to plan out the submarine’s route.
- You're in Command. Assign every crew member by skill and stamina, or do the dirty work yourself. Who you send shapes who survives.
- Every Choice Cuts. A non-linear story where each call reshapes bonds, loyalties, and the ending. Complete the mission, or keep your humanity.
- Keep the Sub Afloat. Send repair drones out into the black to patch the failing hull, while things you'd rather not meet drift past just outside.
- Into the Abyss. Read the sonar to map what's out there. That contact closing in might be another sub, or something that shouldn't exist.
- A World Gone Under. Ancient powers have woken beneath the ocean and the surface has gone silent. A Lovecraftian apocalypse in grainy PSX-era horror.
