Under The Ocean
Release Date: cancelled
Action, platformers, sandbox, survival, indie games, singleplayer
Sandbox platformer, in which we try to survive on the archipelago of mysterious islands. We must provide shelter, get water and food, construct our own objects and defend ourselves against predators. In addition to survival, exploration of the virtual world also plays an important role.
Under The Ocean is a survival platformer set in a large open world. It is a commercial continuation of the free hit from 2010, attacked by Under The Garden. The main creator of both projects is the independent developer Paul Greasley.
The action of the game begins when an unnamed protagonist is thrown by the sea on the shores of one of the tropical islands belonging to the mysterious archipelago. As we play, we slowly discover the secrets of this land, as well as the details of how we found ourselves in it. Like the free prototype, Under The Ocean is a 2D survival platform embedded in a large open world. The environment in which we are going to play is not the most enjoyable place and that is why we have to fight for survival every next day. In the game world it is easy to bend, e.g. from hunger, dehydration, or ending up in the mouths of one of the many local predators. Staying alive requires, among other things, lighting bonfires, cutting down trees for wood, collecting drinking water, hunting animals, picking fruit or digging stones, which we then use to build a shelter. Eventually, however, every trapper, even the best one, will collapse and die. Then we revitalize at the nearest campfire. For ambitious players an important part of the fun is to try to survive as many days as possible without respiration.
In addition to experience, a key role is played by the system of craftsmanship and the exploration of the world. The two elements are closely interlinked. In order to get to some places that are difficult to reach, it is necessary to produce a specific object by hand, e.g. a raft enabling travel between the islands. The mechanisms of construction and use of equipment are clearly more complicated than in most similar sandboxes. At the same time, however, they offer much greater possibilities. For example, in order to get wood, we first have to create an axe by combining a stick with a sharp stone. Divide the felled tree into trunks, but these alone are not enough to light a fire. Instead, you need to collect the leaves, dry them in the sun and then use them as a lighter. Throughout the whole process, we must not forget about the prudent choice of location. The game simulates a dynamic weather system, so rain or strong wind will quickly destroy our efforts and extinguish the fire.
All this is based on the physical engine and logical dependencies. Therefore, in order to eat, you first need to shake the coconut tree and then smash the coconut by a stone. In addition, every task can be completed in many ways. Fish can be caught by hand, which is difficult and requires standing still in the water for a long time. But there are also much more creative ways to deal with this challenge, such as conquering poisonous worms and then feeding them to the fish. Of course, then we risk poisoning ourselves by eating our prey. Therefore, it is worth considering making a spear or a fishing net instead, and the venom from worms should be used to cover the spear, which will be used to protect us from predators. A similar attention to detail was also given to the craftsmanship system itself. Instead of constructing houses from ready-made blocks, construction is based on a physical engine. We have to cut the wood and split the stones ourselves, and then properly juxtapose them, so that the whole thing does not collapse on our heads. Under The Garden approaches every aspect of the game in this way, offering a true survival simulation pressed into the 2D platformer convention.
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Last updated on August 14, 2015
Under The Ocean Summary
Platforms:
PC Windows
Developer: Paul Greasley
Age restrictions: none
