Underneath the Waves: A Story of Hope for the Future

For Ronan Coiffec, the CEO of Parallel Studio, video video games are rather more than a job: they’re a lifestyle, one thing he’s lived with since his early youth. From hardcore gamer to apprentice recreation designer, this little one of the ’80s targeted on his sole objective: opening his studio and writing his personal tales. Underneath The Waves is the most recent one, closing an virtually 4-year growth marathon. A serious milestone for Ronan and the indie studio he based in 2015 with author Sébastien Renard and audio designer Nicolas Bredin.

Underneath The Waves is the fourth recreation made by Parallel Studio and it’s been a very rewarding venture for every of the 19 group members, in response to Ronan: “We made a while a couple of days in the past to tug out the technical paperwork that laid the foundations for the sport. We have been pleasantly stunned to see that in the long run, we didn’t have to limit ourselves, we pushed each facet of the venture so far as we may, and but we set ourselves fairly a excessive bar contemplating the scale of the group: the underwater gameplay in a semi-open 3D world, the facet quests, the movement seize, the ’70s documentary aesthetic, the messages… We put all our coronary heart into it, it’s a honest and beneficiant venture!”

A recreation stuffed with content material certainly, but for Ronan, Underneath The Waves is initially the story of Stan, the taciturn diver who escapes actuality by going into the depths of the ocean. “We’ve divided the sport into chapters,” explains Ronan. “There’s loads of freedom to wander round and uncover this world, however to maneuver ahead it’s essential to comply with the principle quest. It was first a technical alternative, however in the long run, it allowed us to convey easily what we needed and inform our story. You continue to have room for exploration, each actually and figuratively: that of nature, which surrounds us and on which our impression is seen, for higher or for worse, but additionally the exploration of our personal situation as human beings, our flaws, our relationship with others.”

Underneath The Waves is a story deeply rooted in Ronan’s childhood. The son of a marine within the French Navy, he crossed the world many instances, following his father’s skilled assignments. On the different finish of the planet, a good distance from his native Brittany, he found a world the place warships, oil rigs and environmental activists collide. “It was throughout my adolescence that I imagined a online game that will translate these reminiscences,” remembers Ronan. “I scribbled down recreation design diagrams, drew environments, sketched automobiles and characters. And regardless that gameplay stays a central affair, my intention has at all times been to convey intense, human feelings in my tales.” The prototype was evolving round a easy 2D mechanism with a diver and his submersible tasked with cleansing up underwater air pollution. Drawing out the darkness to convey out the hope. Fairly a logo. 

From 2020 to 2023, Ronan and Parallel Studio devoted their power to this emotionally charged growth, to which every member of this small group would add their very own contact. That too is the power of a studio on a human scale: soul to spare and intelligent minds stuffed with concepts! “Underneath The Waves is each a sum of compromises and an absolute absence of compromise, if that is smart” smiles Ronan. “I used to be searching for a approach to convey it to life inside a group on an inexpensive scale, to maintain management of the venture with out abandoning sure ambitions by way of gameplay. Parallel Studio, with the assistance of Quantic Dream, was the proper framework for reaching this consequence. I’m pleased with what we’ve executed.”

With dozens of caverns and wrecks to discover, a whole lot of marine creatures to admire and numerous ideas for Stan to ponder, Parallel Studio has lastly achieved what it got down to do: supply us a second of escape, far beneath the waves, and gently encourage us to rethink our standpoint on the small issues we are able to do for ourselves, for others and for the planet. “Ecology is within the studio’s DNA. We’ve had our carbon footprint analysed, we use recycled furnishings, we’ve even ‘adopted’ a whale to offer monetary help for scientists… The truth is, the whale within the recreation is a central component, so it’s no coincidence! And we’re additionally delighted of the partnership with Surfrider Basis Europe, who helped us including real-life context to the marine info we convey all by way of the sport.”

Time flies, and there may be nonetheless one main query we have to ask. Mercury, the quirky retro-futuristic on-board pc, what OS does it run on? “Haha, good one! MS-DOS after all, however absolutely a beta model, on condition that the true factor was launched in 1981, whereas the sport is about in 1979! By the way in which, talking of MS DOS, it’s truly the reference I recommended to our graphic designer for the smooth interface on Stan’s pc. As for Mercury, that’s the identify we’ve additionally given to a bot on our Discord, at Parallel Studio. It’s in a position to export our builds, it replies to our vacation requests, and above all, it tells us day by day when it’s afterwork time! It’s grow to be our companion, for positive.”

Underneath The Waves

Quantic Dream

☆☆☆☆☆
7

★★★★★

$29.99

Underneath the Waves is a narrative-driven journey recreation concerning the engulfing energy of grief. Set within the depths of the North Sea in a techno-futuristic Nineteen Seventies, skilled diver Stan is struggling to beat a life-changing loss and embrace a brand new future. The isolation of the deep sea is a becoming manifestation of his frame of mind, and as Stan retreads additional into his self-imposed solitude, he begins to expertise unusual occasions far beneath the waves. He’ll finally must make a troublesome alternative…

A love letter to the oceans, Underneath The Waves invitations you to dive into a beautiful underwater world, dropped at life in a poetic mix of cinematic visuals and poignant storytelling. Dwell a gripping story by way of Stan’s eyes and information him by way of an unexpected sequence of occasions that may convey him deeper and deeper into the abyss, the reflection of his personal psyche.
Wander the huge seabed piloting Stan’s submarine and encounter the gorgeous wildlife, Stan’s solely firm whereas he’s trapped in his personal thoughts. Discover caves, wrecks, and underwater crops with Stan’s particular wetsuit, following the mysterious manifestations of his reminiscences, to discover a means again to the floor and save his life. Accumulate supplies and craft gear that may assist Stan navigate additional on this self-discovery expedition. You’ll have to dare get off the crushed observe to expertise mesmerizing moments and reveal extra concerning the tragic previous he’s attempting to flee…

Parallel Studio and Quantic Dream are partnering with Surfrider Basis Europe to help ocean preservation. Know extra about Surfrider Basis at www.surfrider.eu.

KEY FEATURES
– A surreal voyage underneath the waves — Dwell a poetic underwater journey a few man attempting to beat his traumatic previous and save his personal life, each actually and figuratively. Will Stan ever attain the floor once more?
– Discover the depths of the ocean – Pilot your submarine over the abyss and swim your means by way of caves, wrecks, and submerged crops searching for backstory items, salvageable waste, collectibles, and extra. Craft gear to assist Stan discover additional.
– Witness the fantastic thing about the ocean – Dive by way of attractive underwater environments, from unfathomable depths to retro-futuristic amenities, immersed in a contemplative ambiance dropped at life by an atmospheric soundtrack.
– A novel setting stuffed with mysteries – Uncover an alternate actuality of the yr 1979 the place retro, science-fiction, and fantasy stream collectively in beautifully-rendered graphics.