Into The Abyss: My First Two Hours in Deepest Trench
After diving into the first two hours of Deepest Trench, I can confidently say this isn’t your typical underwater thriller… not that there's many of those around. It’s not survival horror, but it does feel a little like it in its isolated sit’s something different, something quieter and more deliberate. Deepest Trench blends eerie atmosphere, character-driven storytelling, and classic exploration-based gameplay that reminds me of the PlayStation 3 era. It has that unmistakable early-2010s feel: slightly rough around the edges but rich in mood and intent.
Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this product from https://www.keymailer.co
The Pressure of Isolation
When I began the game I was dropped into a research facility deep beneath the ocean surface on a classified mission to figure out what happened down below the deep, blue sea. And it's a setting I can get behind; steel corridors, damp bulkheads, flickering lights, and that constant sense of pressure pressing in from all sides lends a strong feeling of danger as you piece together the events leading up to the game's timeline.
That sense of isolation and being far from help is real. In the early stages, the game uses environmental cues such as power fluctuations and an eerily quiet setting muted by the weight of the flooded research site to build tension without resorting to monsters or jump scares (except the dangers lurking in the ocean). It doesn’t feel like pure horror, but there are elements of it, making it feel more like exploration with stakes.
In the opening hour, I found myself juggling system access, utilizing an array of power tools, and balancing my limited oxygen supply between player characters Rob and Maria. It’s part problem-solving, part quiet panic. The deeper I got, the more it leaned into its atmospheric storytelling rather than exposition—audio logs scattered through the base fill in the blanks, often with surprisingly decent voice acting that feels intentionally retro. Think Resident Evil on the original PlayStation, where the stilted line delivery adds charm instead of breaking immersion.
Dual Roles, Single Mission
You play as two key operatives, Rob and Maria, as you make your way through different parts of the complex. While Deepest Trench can be played in local co-op or through remote play, you manage both characters when playing on your own. But even when playing solo, you effectively alternate between their perspectives, coordinating actions across the base.
Switching between the two characters creates a natural pacing rhythm; the game forces you to think about how one’s progress affects the other while keeping track of two oxygen bars. It’s a clever structure that builds cooperative tension even when you’re alone, mirroring the feeling of being isolated but still dependent on another voice crackling through the comms.
The World: Claustrophobia Done Right
If Deepest Trench succeeds in anything, it’s mood. The world design feels deliberate and every corridor or room adds further uncertainty as you progress. The constant search for oxygen stations, the powered down base, and the sound of distant metal groaning under pressure never lets you forget where you are.
Favor Games’ environmental artists clearly understand that “less is more.” There aren’t vast open spaces or endless draw distances. Instead, it’s all about oppressive, narrow layouts and the illusion that every wall could burst at any second.
Outside the facility windows, the abyss yawns open, a dark void broken only by bioluminescent lights. It’s one of those games that uses silence as a weapon. Swimming through the facility feels relatively safe, if not confined, until I had to make a quick trip outside the facility to weld some metal plates to the exterior of the base in order to progress. But while I may have been alone as Rob and Maria inside, I certainly wasn't alone outside.
The hull breach left part of the research station unstable, and Rob had to exit the airlock to weld plates along the outer wall. It’s one of those sequences that perfectly captures the “lonely bravery” vibe of deep-sea fiction; no weapons, no backup, just you, your welding torch, and the oppressive weight of the ocean pressing down. Avoiding the sharks isn’t about combat, it’s about composure. The game doesn’t throw a timer or frantic music at you; instead, it relies on slow dread. Every time a shark passed too close, I stopped breathing. It’s the kind of tension Deepest Trench excels at: subtle, situational, earned.
Engineering the Experience
At its core, Deepest Trench plays like a blend of methodical exploration and environmental puzzle-solving. Think Subnautica’s maintenance segments mixed with the tactile systems management of Alien: Isolation minus the horror.
You’re constantly repairing, exploring, and finding alternate routes. Whether it’s regulating pressure valves, synchronizing power grids, or opening new paths with the tools on offer, the gameplay rewards attentiveness over reflex.
The puzzles feel grounded in logic; no obtuse “moon symbol fits the dolphin statue” head-scratchers here. You’re following real processes: oxygen equalization, power sequencing, hull stabilization. They make sense, and that realism adds immersion.
Voice Acting and Nostalgia
It’s impossible not to mention the voice work. It’s just awkward enough to remind you of a different gaming era, and I mean that affectionately.
Maria’s tone wavers between her desire to just do the job and go home, while being slightly melodramatic, while Rob’s gruff sarcasm gives their exchanges a fun imbalance. It’s not modern triple-A performance capture, it’s closer to those charmingly earnest voiceovers from early Capcom games.
Combined with the game’s pacing and presentation, Deepest Trench often feels like a lost PlayStation 3 project rediscovered and polished up for a new generation. There’s nostalgia in its simplicity, in how it lets silence and sincerity fill the gaps instead of cinematic spectacle.
The Audio Logs: Storytelling in the Static
If there’s one thing that ties Deepest Trench together, it’s the audio logs. They’re everywhere—tucked in crew quarters, abandoned data tablets, or hidden in server rooms. They tell fragmented stories: a technician frustrated with upper command ofa researcher who is hopeful to do some good.
It’s through these snippets that Deepest Trench slowly builds its world. There’s no info dump or cutscene marathon, just gradual discovery. It rewards those who explore every room and pay attention.
My Favourite Parts
Atmosphere over adrenaline: Deepest Trench doesn’t chase action; it earns unease through sound and isolation.
Dual-character structure: The alternating perspectives make solo play feel collaborative, even without another human.
Realistic puzzles: Logical systems, tactile controls, and pressure-management tasks feel authentic.
Audio storytelling: The logs and comm chatter ground the narrative, building mystery through human voices rather than exposition.
Slow Pressure, Real Reward
By the end of the second hour, I found myself strangely calm. Deepest Trench isn’t loud, fast, or flashy; it’s methodical, almost meditative. It’s the kind of game that demands your attention without screaming for it.
It reminded me of what I used to love about older sci-fi adventures: the sense that you’re just a small human trying to fix something broken in a place you don't want to be. And sometimes, that’s enough.
The sharks, the creaking hull, the blinking consoles all add up to a grounded (underwater), immersive experience that respects your patience.
If the rest of the game maintains this balance between exploration, pressure management, and quiet discovery, Deepest Trench could end up as one of the most quietly memorable underwater adventures in years.
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