Quick Look: Song of the Deep

Seems to be a nitpicker's paradise.

I like a good challenge but this physics driven underwater stuff doesn't really look that great. The game looks fine otherwise.

I was not interested in this much till the quick look. I love the aesthetic and I even love the narration and little cut scenes. Underwater Metroidvania? Yes please.

The bomb part seemed frustrating at first, but after watching Dan try to rush it and slam it into the same wall 4 times in a row, I realized it may not be the game.

Only underwater game I'm clamouring for is ABZU right now - Why can't it be August already?!

Mon ami, Bo

Really like the narrator's Irish Accent

With all respect, this was not a game Dan should quick look. Dan has his strengths, and it's clear that he's a fish out of water with this title.

@paulunga: That game is fucking great.

I was just about to say that lol

Gonna have to try this one for myself, I think. I get Dan's frustrations, but it also seemed like he wasn't really trying to meet the game half way.

Ross Perot's Operation Neptune 2.

Verry disappointed that this is not a vinny/Alex/Ross Perot quick look.

This looks like total shite

The game definitely has other issues (like the unclear purpose of items), but as far as the bomb section goes I think Dan was rushing it (talking doesn't help either). The floaty controls with the balloon bomb weren't really against a time limit. They were a kind of a reverse version of Thrust on the BBC micro (based on Atari Gravitar) which needed care to drag an energy orb against gravity and through caves into the sky/space against a fuel (time) limit. Dan seemed to start doing well when he slowed down the pace a bit. Zoom to 01:10 to see how the physics in Thrust worked:

Thrust

@homelessbird: I think this could be a problem across the board with this game. The link with GameStop means a lot of people will start in a negative place and look for ways to bring it down.

Despite the criticism leveraged against it here, it looks like something I'll enjoy.

I've also got a few Gamestop questions for anyone that might know:

Do they sell the digital copy in-store?

When you trade something in, can you use that credit on the website? I would imagine you can, but still....

I know the last one is a little silly, but I haven't traded anything in in a long time.

@atomicpineapple: when they can't figure out something obvious(water on the water wheel), I think it's important to remember the behind the scenes video that shows them sitting several meters from a tv, blinded by studio lights, trying to play while talking.

What's with all the Ross Perot jokes in the comments? Did I miss something?

@zombutler: That is actually deplorable.

Episode 36 of the Beastcast had a segment about this game featuring Ross Perot - there's a clip from it posted on the previous page.

Hey, this looks kind of like an Ecco game.

*Dan spends half the quick look trying to get an item from point A to point B*

Yup, definitely an Ecco game.

I still can't believe the price they're charging for this... Thanks for the QL!

I shined my light on 'em and a thing came out.

Something about this game seems kinda generic, like you would buy it for your 9-year-old who wouldn't know any better and be completely happy with it.

This looks exactly like Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet. Which is to say, Dan's right on the money. It's imprecise, frustrating, unclear and looks much better in screenshots.

$15? Seems pretty inline with other games to me....

Another grappling hook, huh? Can someone make a grappling hook tracker for 2016?

Game looks decent by the way.

Dear Gamestop. Stop.

It's definitely got some chippiness going on there unfortunately.

Gonna be honest, played about an hour of this game and got a very short bit ahead of where the QL stops and this game controls better than Dan is giving it credit for. It's definitely not amazing or anything. But I didn't find any of that mine protecting stuff that much of a hassle at all.

He's pretty spot on with the other complaints though, there are some weird and fairly common framerate drops and the general presentation just seems...not great.

HAMMERTIME

"Its all been very, uhhh, below average to average at best."

Sort of like this Quick Look eh Danno?

And he did say "obviously floaty" so he understands why it feels the way it does but just doesn't enjoy it.

"What if we made the whole game an underwater level?"

That bossfight seemed like one of the most perfunctory "I guess we need something like this" things I've seen in a videogame for a while.

Say what you will about this "not being Dan's game" or whatever, but this really just doesn't look good from a design perspective.

Slightly related: I recently got back into Sunless Sea and if anyone wants a really well-written and visually arresting nautical adventure game, I highly recommend that.

Not sure if it's due to Dan's play style or the game but this looks frustrating as all hell. I def don't have the time for something as unintuitive as this.

Looks pretty though.

Oh, I thought I heard $50. That makes total sense then.

Seemed like the boys were pretty determined to not enjoy this game.

Got a @Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warpship vib at the beginning, but it seems disappointing ;/ But I'd love a new Solar Jetman or spiritual successor.

Like Dan said it doesn't look terrible, I might pick it up to support the "I think this might feel like Solar Jetman" genre, but only in the hope to get a better game in the future . . .

Remember Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet? That game is nearly 5 years old.

Haven't played it so I don't really know if the control is bad.

Aside from that...it seems like most of Dan's issues with this game are because he doesn't like exploration/experimentation. And/or tends to miss obvious stuff (the crab...OMFG). I think Jason would put it as this isn't "a Dan game".
Personally, I don't think its necessarily bad design to have a slower pace. Also there's no way that bomb towing part is anywhere near as difficult as Dan made it look (should probably blame playing + talking for that one).

Saw this and was hoping it would be hosted by GameStop employee of the month Ross Perot. Oh well.

I wanted to watch that big spider get crushed.

"Do they show it?"

Insanely twisted shadow planet and pixeljunk shooter says hello

How is this not a Vinny + Alex quick look?

Wow this game looks annoying and tedious.

The only time QLs annoy me is when they only play a hour of it beforehand then the QL itself is almost half of the playtime already. Seems way too early to talk about a game.

It occurs to me I haven't played an Insomniac game since the Spyro series on PS1. Since then nothing they've made appealed to me very much. This game doesn't seem like any exception.

Also as a Canadian and millenial I have no idea who Ross Perot is. I googled who he is and it still means nothing to me.

@tordah said:

This.

I can't really play a 2D underwater-based game now without thinking about that game. It left a much longer-lasting impression than I thought it would. One of the best indie games I've ever played.

Actually, I might have to go back to it.. I don't think I ever did 100% complete it; it was pretty damn long, for an indie. At least I'd rather sooner go back to Aquaria then play this...