Still Wakes the Deep’s Siren’s Rest DLC Still Isn’t Scary Enough

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The film titled “Still Wakes the Deep” aimed to be chilling, yet ended up more irritating than terrifying. It boasted an isolated backdrop, grotesque extraterrestrial monstrosities akin to those in “The Thing,” and exaggerated Scottish accents, but it was the stealth sequences that left much to be desired. These trial-and-error sequences often squandered any built-up tension by punishing even the slightest mistake. Regrettably, its DLC titled “Siren’s Rest” failed to rectify this fatal flaw. Instead of providing quality scares like the main game, it fell flat and became dull.

Siren’s Rest is set a decade following an event where the oil rig in the original game crashed, and it presents a new protagonist, Mhairi, with the mission of exploring the submerged wreckage to retrieve a data logger and (optionally) souvenirs for the affected families. The sense of boredom and issues that arise are inherent in this premise since the setting is familiar and the task seems routine.

The game doesn’t maintain the sense of mystery found in Fullbright’s 2017 hit Tacoma, where players are meant to gradually discover what occurred along with the protagonist. However, there’s no actual mystery here – it’s merely about understanding the events within the base game. There are no puzzles or secrets to uncover, and the collectibles provide no additional information for both new and returning players. The revelations that Mhairi experiences are kept from the player, creating a gap that significantly reduces the intended eerie secrecy this type of game usually offers. In the original game, there was at least an element of spookiness as one pondered over the horrors unleashed as chaos unfolded on the oil rig, but that feeling is lacking in this version.

The expansion could have offered more perspectives on the story, but it doesn’t do a good job of explaining its new parts. At first, we don’t know why Mhairi is affected by the disaster, but as the Eldritch entity affects her mind, we understand better. Unfortunately, the expansion only provides a small glimpse into Mhairi’s need for closure and lacks detail. This might be because Siren’s Rest is short, and some of the depth is missing. Relationships in Still Wakes the Deep, which were complex and important, seem less developed in this expansion, given The Chinese Room’s reputation for storytelling.

In Siren’s Rest, you won’t find any unique, exhilarating gameplay elements. Instead, Mhairi swims through debris without encountering genuine physical dangers. Although it’s technically possible to drown, the lenient timer makes this unlikely, and the lack of resources prevents difficult choices from arising. The stealthy monster sequences in the original game were poorly balanced and had simplistic mechanics, but they did create tension and occasionally managed to generate the intended pressure. When a horror game fails to apply physical pressure on the player, it becomes less engaging.

In the climax of the game, an abnormally terrifying creature appears, causing jumps and scares as players must dart from cover to evade a gruesome demise. However, this introduction falls flat and shares many of the same flaws as the initial release. A single mistake leads to instant death, which fails to be engaging or frightening when it lacks consistency. The creature’s limited interactions mean there are no close calls; success is merely a matter of hiding or not being found. There isn’t much opportunity for player involvement in this encounter.

In a narrative perspective, the creature’s presence was poorly handled in the final scenes of “Still Wakes the Deep“. The ending was significant due to the selfless acts required to ward off evil, but unfortunately, it seems these actions were futile as the evils persist and continue to threaten Mhairi even after many years. Consequently, those sacrifices appear to have been in vain, diminishing the original climax’s impact.

It’s disheartening that Siren’s Rest did not fully rectify the issues present in Still Wakes the Deep. The Chinese Room invested a lot into creating a chilling narrative and focusing on character development for their 2024 release, but unfortunately, the gameplay aspect wasn’t given as much attention, resulting in an inconsistent experience where the game often tripped over its own potential.

Apart from the vibrant acts by the fresh cast, Siren’s Rest falls short in nearly every aspect. There isn’t much to explore or unravel as the story revolves around the same tragedy from the original game, turning it into a less engaging walking, or swimming, simulation. It still lacks essential survival horror elements, reducing the motivation to search for resources amidst the rusted debris. The one instance with a genuine menacing creature is dull due to its unclear vision range and the instant death that follows even minor mistakes. Moreover, the dark corruption isn’t as visually appealing as it was before. With no intriguing challenges or narrative depth, Siren’s Rest offers an underwater adventure that, ironically, feels surprisingly lifeless and shallow.

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2025-06-27 20:40