Platform action on the iPhone in the form of the underwater adventure The Deep, for me, has been one of the most surprising experiences on my mobile thus far this year. Exploring the depths of the waters near Sapphire Keys, Emerald Cove and Sickle Bay looking for treasures is a complete blast.
The game is full of witty dialogue that often results in a chuckle or two. Overall, the writing was done very well. Of course, the rest of the game followed suit. What I noticed while playing The Deep was that the developers at 3G Studios seemed to be passionate about what they were making. The high level of detail, art, music and writing added to this amazing underwater adventure.
Now, The Deep does have minor issues here and there — but nothing that screams at the player and certainly nothing that encourages the player to put down the iPhone. Rather, the game’s artistic style and odd dive quests encourage the player to explore. Really, the only issue that concerns The Deep is the same that plagues many games out there: minor repetitiveness. Variations on quests types, puzzles and actions would have made the game a little more solid. However, I am sure it wasn’t because of the developer’s lack of ability but more development time.
Keep in mind that as you explore The Deep, you can purchase upgrades to your equipment. Doing so will allow you to stay underwater longer, swim faster or see better in dimly lit levels. Staying deeper longer will allow you to find more items, allowing you to obviously purchase more, so on and so forth. This keeps the game moving steadily, and so the levels of The Deep never feel rushed or too long. And if you want a bit of advice, take your time and explore. You may be surprised with what you find and where.
The music in The Deep also added to the game. It felt like it belonged on the tropical island paradise and added to the entire experience. Couple with the art style, I found myself at times enjoying the music and exploring areas I had previously explored, more to see what the underwater creatures were doing. It seems no matter what tropical paradise you visit, the critters dance and frolic about — “undah dah sea,” of course.
The controls of the game were a little awkward at first. But they are customizable, so once I locked down the virtual joystick, I enjoyed the play much better. For me, movement based off my giant thumbs didn’t work out; only because they aren’t see-through. Either way, however, I am sure one of the two control methods will work for you.
If you enjoyed old platform games like Ecco the Dolphin, you will surely enjoy The Deep — if not for the zany animations or wacky creatures, then certainly for the superb and humorous writing.
