The controls in Song of the Deep aren’t generally an issue, but there are a few sections that require delicate precision that is nonexistent because of the floatiness of your submarine. Another section of the game unexpectedly requires you to use stealth, finding your way through the darkness with sonar that reveals walls, because your searchlights attract the killer squid. This also felt unnecessarily difficult, as the squid move fast and barely appears on your sonar before it’s right on top of you. On top of that, stealth isn’t really required anywhere in the game outside of this one segment.

Enemies are fairly varied in the game, visually taking the form of  each causing you to take different tactics in order to defeat. Most you can just hit with your hook or blast with bombs, but a few require particular strategies to defeat. Giant Crabs and giant mollusk enemies are impenetrable except for after they attack you, where you have a narrow window to blast them. Song of the Deep also peppers in a few boss battles to change things up. There aren’t very many of them, but each feels distinct and requires a specific strategy, whether that’s throwing bombs back at enemies with your claw, or grabbing pieces of the boss and pulling them off.

Puzzles in the game usually require you to use specific items to solve them, combining that with physics. One might require to use mirrors to reflect colored light onto special orbs, while another has you freezing an exploding barrel with your special missiles, and propelling that through a turbine to blow up a barricade. Eventually, you unlock an option for Merryn to leave the sub and explore smaller areas herself. The puzzles often involve pieces of the environment, and require some smart thinking to solve.

Visually, the watercolor aesthetic of Song of the Deep is reminiscent of a children’s story, and very Studio Ghibli-esque. The short animated shots give you a colorful group of characters, and the game almost feels like you’re watching animation at some points. Immediately when you start the game, you feel like you’re watching some kind of massive aquarium.

Song of the Deep feels alive as its ocean is teeming with wildlife, and one of the most impressive aspects are the backgrounds. Schools of fish swim merrily through the ocean, while giant whales, sea serpents, and other creatures loom in the back. Song of the Deep’s visual aesthetic may be its best feature, as it feels fresh and distinct, especially as a setting for a Metroidvania game. During my nearly seven hours playing, I did experience a bit of slowdown in some of the more visually packed areas, but it wasn’t a problem that I found really damaging to the experience.

Song of the Deep’s story is simple enough, with Merryn meeting mermaids and other creatures that inhabit the ocean on her quest to find her missing father. The young girl overcomes some impressive obstacles showing compassion at every turn, and there’s some surprising well thought out themes that pop up about the dangers that industrialization and technology pose to the ocean and its wildlife.

The only voiced character of the game is the narrator, but she does a fine job explaining the story and setting a whimsical tone. Alongside that, a gorgeous instrumental soundtrack calms you as you explore the quiet depths of the oceans. More action based moments are distinguished by hectic pulse pounding music, separating themselves from the quiet leisurely exploration.

Song of the Deep feels like a distinctly different experience from the Insomniac that we’re used to. It’s a beautiful, lonely world and the Ghibli-like aesthetic works incredibly well in its favor. However, some control issues and harsh random difficulty spikes hurt it by slowing down the experience. There’s plenty of exploration to be had and secrets to uncover, easily adding hours onto your time after completing the game’s story. It’s a quiet experience that works best when you’re drifting through the depths, all alone in your little submarine.

SCORE: 3.5/5 – Fair