The Long Dark is playable in two modes: Wintermute and Creative. You’re in a plane over Canada when the storm hits, bringing you crashing down in the middle of a snow-filled tundra. There’s no escape and no one’s coming to your rescue, so you might as well set sail and go where the wind takes you.Ī geomagnetic storm has destroyed all electronics. You’re never meant to stay in one place too long. Eventually, you’ll find materials and more advanced components that let you move faster and go farther out to sea, even to other islands. The starter island is small and sparse the game’s scale only becomes clear after you first hop atop a raft (MacGyver’d together from sticks and wooden planks) and set off into unknown waters. That’s a common premise in survival sandboxes, but where Stranded Deep stands out is that it eventually lets you escape from your island prison and sail the high seas. Stranded Deep throws you on a desert island where you must do whatever it takes to stay alive. If you loved (or hated) Journey’s vibe and atmosphere, expect more of that in Abzû. Several members of Giant Squid Studios honed their game-making skills on 2012’s Journey. In fact, there isn’t much ‘game’ to it at all - you can power through its single player adventure in just a few hours. It’s less about survival and crafting than it is about just immersing yourself in the sights and sounds of Abzû’s underwater landscapes. What all of these games have in common is an emphasis on exploring these undersea environments in diving suits or in submarines (a la Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea), with players experiencing both the joy of discovery and terror of the unknown as they progress through the game.Platforms: PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Amazon LunaĪbzû is the game to play if your favorite part of Subnautica was its gorgeous aquatic environments. Others focus more on the scary deep-sea monsters and crushing, dark depths of the ocean.
Some of the games below focus more on on the beautiful aspects of the ocean - the colorful fish and brightly lit coral reefs. Related: How Call Of The Sea Will Invert The Classic Lovecraft Story
Others treat the ocean as an abode for wriggling, inhuman monsters - real-life creatures such as giant squid, angler fish, and sharks, along with fictional creatures such as Krakens, Sea Serpents, or the Deep Ones from H.P. There are those who look at the ocean as an alien world of wonder and beauty, focusing on the exotic fish, pearls, coral, and bioluminescent lifeforms found within it. The vast majority of video games on the market take places on solid ground, whether that be the surface of a planet or the decks of a ship games like Subnautica, in contrast, let players explore the depths of the ocean and dive deep beneath the sea to discover the strange life-forms lurking under the waves. The titles listed below are notable example of video games built around the concept of exploring the ocean and sea, each of them treating the ocean as both a source of beauty and alien horror alike.Įver since diving bells and breathing apparatuses let people dive beyond the limits of their lungs, humanity has been fascinated with the ocean and the fast array of life-forms lurking in its depths.