The Siren's Shallows: Still Wakes the Deep: Siren's Rest Review.

Siren's Rest: What comes after?

It’s been over a year since the offshore horror of ‘Still Wakes the Deep’ infected our consoles and computers alike with it’s cosmic catastrophe. However, as with most things, no matter how horrible, life moves on. ‘Siren’s Rest’ refuses to move on, and instead probes into the Cadal corporation, and the less than normal circumstances of the Behira’s destruction. The oil rig scenario of the first game was what drove me and many others to the game, trapped inside a claustrophic mass of machinery as it slips closer to the ocean floor. An intriguing set up for a DLC, sifting through the trinkets and memorabilia of the lost, to find even more than intended. A short and sinister adventure, but certainly worth the journey. It’s let down a little by it’s sparse combat encounter, but the acrid atmosphere, and expansion on the original more than makes up for this small qualm.

For those unfamiliar, or any returning players seeking a reminder, let’s reminisce. You fill the shoes of Kaz MCleary, a cheeky electrician working on the Behira D oil rig. Remote, out in the middle of the ocean, Kaz’s past with the polis has caught up with him. Reprehensible Rennick, the head of the rig, has been waiting for the excuse, and kicks Kaz off the site and back home to face the music. Moments before he is let go, the base goes into uproar, a problem with the drilling equipment sending workers overboard, and damaging cheap infrastructure. After Kaz is rescued, he sets it upon himself to use his powers of the leccy, to try and regain control of the base and rescue any of his shipmates. No-one could have anticipated what the drilling would uncover…

As a direct continuation of the original, it’s no brainer to play the original first. A lot of the tension of the game is knowing what caused the crash, and what might still be lurking in the wreckage. I’ll touch on it later, but the collectibles of the game are all fun little nods to the events of the first, so again, play the first one! No exceptions.

Our story picks up 10 years later, where a small group of concerned divers connected to the deceased of the Behira all those years ago. Motivated by the morbid curiosity and photography and categorizing the dead, they venture to the ocean floor. You play as Mhairi, a veteran diver, acting as the main envoy for the Behira, constantly pushing the boundaries of health and safety in the name of exploration. It’s a great set up, as you fell exactly the same as the divers, you too hold a personal connection to putting this mystery to rest. The dialogue shared by again the Scottish characters is just as brilliant as the main game. I’m not sure how else to describe it other than it being incredibly realistic, the banter and jovial conversations established early on how likeable the characters are.

An aspect, even trumping the original, that is handled really well is the explorative elements. Multiple times, you have a real chance to explore around in large open spaces, rewarded by finding small snippets of story, or details harkening back to the characters long dead now. There’s lots to find as well, not limited to these open spaces, but small little nooks inside the rig that lead to inaccessible areas and secrets that build up the wider story. The entire game is basically exploration, but it still maintains the creeping fearful atmosphere in this new locale. There are still the oppressive and claustrophobic hallways, now epitomized by their fragile nature and how they could crumble on top of you at any moment. The wide-open spaces are equally as fearful, you feel exceedingly exposed, not knowing what or where it will strike from, there’s no respite. As you explore, you’ll find yourself in small air pockets, where you’ll be forced to detach from your umbilical and explore inside the rig out of water, similar to the original. It’s not nearly as fear-inducing as the first, but this is largely down to the length and just simply how much they can cram into a small DLC. Where the game really excels in is it’s sense of atmosphere and continually building to the next scare.

Given the nature of the enemies you face in the first game, this game certainly delves into the human condition, and the psychological toll that comes with coming into contact with a cosmic entity. It feels like some sort of Lovecraftian horror, a strange and eclectic merge of human and alien identity, almost fighting for dominance against one another. A brilliant addition to this is the slow, and more visual representation of the corruption of these forces against our main character. Without going into much detail, unlike the blotchy fugue states of Kaz, Mhairi has a far more… intense reaction let’s say. It's brilliant how the lines seem to merge between reality and fiction, with auditory and visual hallucinations being plentiful, and actually by the end of the game have you questioning what is truly even happening. We’ve seen a number of people undergo a physical transformation at the genetic level, transforming into a warped and garbled version of themselves, like a stuck record clinging onto what made them human. It’s far more interesting to see someone undergo this change psychologically, creeping in instead of a full-on takeover.

The game ends, abruptly, to say the least. Again, without giving much away, it really felt like the game was finally getting going, but then it all just stopped, and you’re just left wondering. Don’t get me wrong, I love a stinger ending, a bittersweet ending or even a dastardly evil ending. But, there’s not much I can really much theorize or even discern about the ending that isn’t already glowingly made apparent. Perhaps it’s an unfair criticism levied against it just based on what I like to get out of these games, but it is what it is.

I really did enjoy Siren’s Rest, diving (please don’t pardon the pun) back into this world was a delight, but a scary one. It is unfortunate that the game is as short as it is, as it does feel like, especially on any subsequent playthroughs, it feels like a lot of build up that fizzles out at the very end. I really love the mythos of these creatures however, and some of my favorite moments of both games are discovering more about these creatures straight out of ‘Color out of Space’. Again, I’m not trying to zone in on the negativity, but I would have preferred more creature-based chases, these cat and mouse moments hiding from a big glob of tentacles was among some of my standout moments. But these are only small wants, I still thoroughly enjoyed what I played, and still will try and drive anyone I know who might be interested to both of these games.

Thanks again for reading anyone who made it this far, I do appreciate the support as I continue to ramble away about the games I have played. I’m interested to hear what anyone else has to say on the topic, whether or not you’ve played it, or if I’ve made anyone consider purchasing!