One of the cool things about this gig has been the opportunity from time to time to attend events and get to check out games early. What can be interesting about this is that you can see earlier iterations of titles that may be rough around the edges but you can tell will be a success. Now, it turns out you’re not always right about those hunches, but it’s still fun to see things evolve. There’s another category of what you see though, and it’s the one I see Depths of Sanity falling into, having played it at PAX East more than once in different years. In its case, there just seemed to be some uncertainty on how it would turn out, and to some degree that feels consistent with the game that has launched on Switch.

Some of the things that have always been a constant in each iteration I played, and which work well in the game, are first it being a different take on the Metroidvania genre, since you’re controlling a submarine working through the depths instead of being on foot. Your sub is generally quite nimble, and as you progress you’ll accumulate upgrades that will further improve your ability to dodge trouble and navigate through tougher sections with rougher water or conditions. The second, and this relates to the genre, is that the level of shooting you do in the game is quite a bit higher than what is typical. In particular when you’re in some of the boss fights the enclosed area and play feel more like an arcade shooter than a Metroidvania, but overall this works for me regardless. The third is the psychological component that does creep its way into things the further you go. It may not work for everyone, but this always seemed like it could create interesting opportunities and the final product does at least bear that out to a degree.

In terms of the less positive things, I can see where some less adept gamers could be put off by the feel of the controls. Since you’re underwater, you’ll need to do things like take your momentum into account as you maneuver around. While it isn’t all that common, this does include some tighter and tougher areas you’ll need to try to navigate, so I can see where it won’t be for everyone. I’d also argue that the pacing and elements that truly draw you in, may take a little too long to get moving, so some people may tire of the style of play before they fully appreciate the experience. Getting your bearings, and understanding how the map can be extremely instructive and helpful, may have gone more smoothly with a little more in-game direction initially, but I’d hope most gamers can feel comfortable enough to venture out and experiment a little, just to get the ball rolling.

In the end there are some ups and downs here, with perhaps not every aspect of play being a home run as an idea or in implementation, but it being clear that the developers were at least swinging for the fences. Where someone like me may see the novelty and the fresh take on genre gameplay, others may see too much of a deviation from the norm and wall themselves off from enjoying something with a slightly different flavor. But if you like to check new things out, this is a great game to give a look to.