Outlast seems to have changed indie horror games for the better. They’re becoming more immersive which makes them scarier.
For the Xbox Partner preview, we saw Outlast’s influence appear stronger than ever in the upcoming Xbox-exclusive title Still Wakes The Deep. We don’t know much, but let’s go over some important details.Â
Outlast but on an oil rig
From the trailer, we get this eerie Outlast vibe, but rather than being set in a typical insane asylum or a cult compound — you’re on an oil rig. This setting can be as dreadful as the others since you’re far away from everything. Being in the first person with nothing but your thoughts adds a newer element of fear.
Judging from the gameplay we saw during the presentation, you’ll be doing platforming just navigating across beams. Still Wakes the Deep seems like it borrows a few important elements from Outlast such as hiding and sneaking around is crucial. Additionally, much like its counterpart, you might not be able to fight back. This is what made me enjoy the first two Outlast games. When you can’t retaliate and you’re only option is to flee, that’s when the horror sets in. So it seems like Still Wakes the Deep will borrow that.
Still Wakes the Deep also looks like it’ll have clunky movement, which again shares the same style of navigation as Outlast. The clunkiness is important believe it or not, because it makes escaping harder to do. When you’re running around and being able to easily do things, that’s when the fear becomes real.
Check out our picks for the best horror games in 2023.
As for what fears you’ll be facing in the game, we don’t have much apart from the noises. But my guess is that Still Wakes the Deep takes notes from Outlast and other games in the same category. You should expect NPCs to hunt you down in terrifying ways.
Still Wakes the Deep doesn’t have a concrete date, but we do know it’s coming next year on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam.
More Still Wakes the Deep articles.
