Abyssal Trench

I think there are some strong ideas in this game, especially the atmosphere and psychological horror elements, but I can't in good conscience leave a positive review. The game is playable but feels unfinished and lacking a lot of polish. If things improve, I'd be happy to change my review at a future date. [h2] Things that worked well [/h2] [list] [*] The [spoiler] live map in the base[/spoiler] is a great feature. [*] Water atmosphere is convincing. [*] The sound / noise is good, but needs refinement [*] [spoiler]Screen crack effect[/spoiler] is effective. [*] [spoiler]Cliffside shark encounters[/spoiler] are genuinely scary. They get me every time even when I know they're coming [*] Psychological horror elements are strong. [*] The [spoiler]large pulsing crack in the sky[/spoiler] is great, almost creepy. I do wish it had some kind of explanation though [*] The [spoiler] hallucination room's effects are an amazing idea, I like them a lot [/spoiler] but they do have problems though, as I mention below. [/list] [h2] Things that need work + bugs [/h2] (in no particular order) [list] [*] Overall the UI and HUD need a lot of polish. They're very crude / simple and it comes across as [b]low-effort[/b]. This can also be said for all dialog text displays and objective indicators. [*] Movement feels slippery, almost like walking on ice. This is okay for navigating the world, but gets frustrating trying to get into buildings [*] Several typos / things not capitalized / misspellings (wrong use of "their" for example). [*] [spoiler]"Power Restored" noise is played over the speaker when power hasn't actually been restored.[/spoiler] [*] No audio volume controls. [*] No mouse sensitivity controls. [*] [spoiler]Air tanks[/spoiler] can be interacted with but don't seem to do anything. [*] [spoiler]Cliffside shark can occasionally emerge from the ground.[/spoiler] Still scary, just immersion breaking. [*] Game appears as [b] MiniGameWater [/b] on the Windows taskbar. [*] [spoiler]Monster attacks[/spoiler] can sometimes kill the player while they're still inside a building. [*] [spoiler]Monster[/spoiler] behavior can feel janky and hurt immersion. [*] A mini-map or compass would help navigation considerably. [*] [spoiler]Exterior lighting could be added when power is restored.[/spoiler] [*] It can be incredibly difficult to tell where you've been, so you often end up inadvertently retracing your steps and wasting time. Maybe adding [spoiler]lighting to the hubs (or even paths to them) you've been to[/spoiler] would help this [*] I completed the optional objective and that made me beat the game (or at least see credits) even though my objective tracker seems to indicate that I haven't completed the main objective yet? Or maybe I did? It's hard to tell. I [spoiler]turned the lights on but couldn't figure out what the "main computer" meant?[/spoiler] The point here is objective display / progress indicator isn't clear. [*] When you [spoiler]die, it fades to black, but then it un-fades and the monster is still swimming, facing you there where you died and you suddenly teleport back to the base.[/spoiler] This is incredibly immersion breaking. It should [spoiler]fade to black (or whatever), then un-fade and you're already in the base.[/spoiler] [*] There doesn't seem to be any point in [spoiler]even going to the larger distant bases other than lore.[/spoiler] Some people don't care at all about [spoiler]lore[/spoiler] so this was disappointing. The player should be rewarded somehow for this. [*] The [spoiler]"hallucination" room's effects border on feeling like a broken game.[/spoiler] I think you were intentionally going for that, feel but I think it needs work because while playing I genuinely didn't know if [spoiler]the game / UE5 had glitched out / broken or if it was part of the game. [/spoiler] [*] The game temporarily freezes when you click to load your file / start the game. A smooth fade-to-black transition would be much more immersive. [/list]

For a starter indie dev this game seems very promising. cant wait to see what will happen in the coming months. good luck.

not very well put together. played like 15 minutes of it on stream.

Great game! Truly an amazing horror game. Sadly I couldn't finish it as I have a terrible fear of the ocean and deep sea, so I knew getting into it that I would have issues 😂 https://youtu.be/JDHG8itjckE?si=qLub4OX0LGe3IPZs

This Game has great potential, and definitely fun and scary to play when you have Thalassophobia. It's definitely got its bugs and still needs work, but overall I can't wait to see where it goes. It is clearly a passion project with a lot of love being put into it, with the concept, atmosphere and models being amazing. My main issue I was having was my character being thrown around while underwater, making it difficult to exit doors and move around the sea floor at times. I also had been chased and killed while walking around in the facilities for having my flashlight on. I hope this helps and I can't wait to see what the future holds!

Very promising game, haven't finished it yet, but excited.

Abyssal Trench is a first-person psychological horror adventure that plunges players into the crushing darkness of the ocean floor, where isolation, uncertainty, and the unknown become far more terrifying than any conventional threat. Designed as a single-player narrative experience, the game places you in the role of a lone explorer who awakens from cryogenic sleep to discover that everything has gone terribly wrong. The mission that once seemed routine has ended in disaster, your crew has vanished without explanation, and your escape options are severely limited. Trapped in the depths with only fragments of information and an enigmatic artificial intelligence guiding your actions, you must venture deeper into the abyss to uncover the truth. The story begins with a sense of confusion and vulnerability. After awakening from cryo-sleep, you quickly learn that three years have passed under mysterious circumstances. Your escape pod lacks the fuel needed to return to safety, and every attempt to understand the situation only raises additional questions. The only source of direction comes from a strange AI voice that instructs you to investigate a series of abandoned drilling facilities scattered across the ocean floor. What initially appears to be a search for answers gradually evolves into a disturbing journey filled with secrets, psychological disturbances, and evidence that something far more sinister occurred during your prolonged sleep. Exploration plays a central role in the experience. Using a specialized submersible mech, players navigate vast underwater environments where visibility is limited and danger can emerge from the darkness at any moment. The ocean itself becomes an oppressive presence, surrounding the player with endless blackness and creating a constant feeling of exposure. Every movement through these submerged landscapes reinforces the sensation of being completely alone in a hostile and unforgiving environment. The game's setting effectively transforms the deep sea into a source of dread, making even routine exploration feel tense and unpredictable. Unlike many horror games that rely on combat systems, Abyssal Trench removes the player's ability to fight back. There are no weapons to collect and no means of confronting the horrors lurking in the depths. Survival depends entirely on awareness, movement, and intelligent decision-making. Players must observe their surroundings carefully, avoid dangerous creatures, and react quickly when confronted by threats. This design choice strengthens the horror atmosphere by emphasizing vulnerability and forcing players to rely on caution rather than aggression. As the investigation progresses, players encounter a variety of gameplay scenarios that help maintain engagement throughout the adventure. Each abandoned drilling site introduces its own unique challenges, ranging from environmental navigation and puzzle-solving to stealth-focused encounters and scripted psychological sequences. These sections prevent the experience from becoming repetitive while also contributing to the overall narrative. Every location reveals new information about the failed mission, the missing crew, and the events that unfolded during the protagonist's unexplained absence. One of the most compelling aspects of the game is its emphasis on psychological horror. The protagonist's prolonged isolation, deteriorating mental state, and limited oxygen supply begin to blur the line between reality and hallucination. Strange visions, unsettling encounters, and surreal events create uncertainty about what can be trusted. The game uses these moments to build suspense and keep players questioning whether the dangers they face are physical threats or manifestations of a fractured mind. This approach creates a deeper form of horror that extends beyond simple jump scares and lingers throughout the entire journey. Storytelling is delivered through environmental clues, mission logs, recovered data, and fragmented pieces of information discovered during exploration. Rather than providing immediate answers, the narrative gradually unfolds as players piece together the evidence scattered throughout the ocean floor. This method encourages curiosity and rewards careful investigation. The mystery surrounding the missing years, the abandoned facilities, and the motives of the mysterious AI remains a driving force behind the experience, ensuring that players remain invested in uncovering the truth. The game is designed as a focused narrative adventure with a clearly defined beginning, middle, and conclusion. Most players can expect to complete the journey in approximately one and a half to two hours, making it a compact but concentrated horror experience. While the overall length is relatively short, the narrative structure avoids unnecessary filler and maintains momentum from start to finish. Replay value comes from revisiting locations, uncovering overlooked story details, and examining clues that may reveal additional layers of the game's lore and hidden mysteries. Abyssal Trench combines deep-sea exploration, psychological horror, and narrative-driven gameplay into a suspenseful experience that thrives on atmosphere and mystery. By stripping away traditional combat mechanics and focusing on survival, exploration, and storytelling, it creates a sense of vulnerability that remains effective throughout the entire adventure. For players who enjoy immersive horror experiences centered on discovery, isolation, and the fear of the unknown, the descent into the abyss offers a haunting and memorable journey into darkness. Rating: 6/10

just played for the first time. the sound design is great and definitely immersive. i like the mechanisms and the overall idea of the game. i think this game has so much potential and is well executed considering it’s been created by a solo dev. i do have a few notes regarding aspects that could be altered/improved over time: - a mini map would be fab as it is a little tricky to navigate based solely on the map provided - the sea creatures seem to be able to get to you even when you are inside, and there is a bit of a delay when you die - perhaps more variation of sea creatures? i understand this may be difficult as a solo dev but would love to see a bit more variety, including non hostile creatures - long term, i think it would be fun if you could collect items/plants on the sea floor which could then be used to create consumables that benefit the player and offer more ways for players to escape/avoid/hide from predators i think the game is fab overall and can definitely see this progressing further. i hope dev continues to update!!!

Played on Linux using Proton Exp, Not sure how to explain it but the underwater player controls like your in a mini tornado and walking on Ice?, Not at all like really being underwater in a heavy diving suit, So that alone pretty much killed the game for me, Very boring world, inside and out, Just mostly Empty Space, with a couple of objects/models, No real feeling of being underwater, mostly due to the players movements/control and the lifeless world, no bubbles, no seaweed, no little fish. crabs, rocks, nothing but the killer fishes and some sphere lights and buildings. Sound is sort of okay mostly, the underwater loop sound get's a bit annoying. Gameplay at the moment is just try to get to one building then another and so on without getting seen by the Fishes which results in getting eaten, when in a building you can pull a lever and remember the number displayed or listen to the computer log file, Also seems to have a bit where you have a nightmare so to speak. At present with the way it plays underwater and the empty world i can not recommend it, as it EA maybe it will get Better/Fixed.

This game does a great job with creating a scary underwater atmosphere. I really liked the sound design and creepy fish monsters. A little jank at times, but worth the few dollars for a spooky experience. Looking forward to seeing how this evolves in Ep2. couple suggestions for that: - Add more variation in the spooky fish sounds and jumpscares. The ones in game are good and effective, but they get a bit repetitive. - A mini map. I had a hard time figuring out where I was just using the base map. - Have some way to escape the monsters when they spot you. I felt like I was dying more than I should have been. Check out my playthru here: https://youtu.be/tOjf9PuU0uU