The year is 1905, and the adventurous crew of the steamship SS Thalassa have found what they have been looking for – a wrecked Spanish ship on the seabed. A tragic death interrupts the rejoicing. A few weeks later, “Thalassa” also sinks when the treasure hunt resumes. As the only surviving diver from the ship’s original crew, it’s up to Cam to find out what happened. UNDERWATER: The entire game takes place in the shipwreck on the seabed and has a great focus on storytelling and mental presence. Photo: Sarepta Studio / Team17 The entire game takes place on the seabed, in and around the wreck of “Thalassa”. Why did the ship sink? Who or what was responsible? Cam struggles through her own trauma to find answers. Easier said than done – these are colleagues. Friends. Intense investigation The investigation involves finding clues, analyzing events, reading letters, seeing connections that are not immediately obvious, and finding keys and objects that open doors and other ways through the wreckage. EXPLORE: Through a story telling, you must make various choices that affect the outcome of the story. Games contain riddles, clues and puzzles that require logical thinking and observational skills. Sarepta Studio/Team17 Little and big mysteries emerge to be solved, relationships to be defined, and events to be explained based on the clues and evidence you find. And this is where “Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss” really shines. The game has an Agatha Christie-like nerve, which gradually becomes more and more intense the closer you get to the center of the mystery. We are placed in the same genre as games like “Gone Home”, “Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture” and “Firewatch” here – so-called “walking simulators”, where you have little interactivity, but the greater focus on storytelling and mental presence. MAP: Inside the wreck you must collect audio recordings, tracks and other clues that lead to big and small mysteries that must be solved. Graphics: Sarepta Studio / Team17 The Norwegian studio Sarepta has also borrowed some of the structure from the modern indie masterpiece “Return of the Obra Dinn”, and serves up a (much less macabre) thriller that is hard to tear yourself away from. Trauma Study I’m also very impressed with how successful the game’s stated mission is. Sarepta himself describes the game as a study in how people deal with trauma and grief. It is carried out in such a strong and authentic way that I would not be surprised if it would have a real therapeutic effect on many. Unfortunately, it scraps a bit much on the technical side. The sound mix is remarkably weak, the number of frames per second creeps down at a snail’s pace too often, and the Norwegian subtitling of the English soundtrack is not quality assured. There is also a lot to go on purely visually, which gives the game a slightly outdated feel. It doesn’t really matter, as the atmosphere itself is both oppressive and very good. But it must be mentioned. SNAIL SPEED: The number of frames per second is slow and the game scraps a bit on the technical and visual aspects. Nevertheless, the game’s overall impression is saved through its oppressive atmosphere. Photo: Sarepta Studio / Team17 Some of this, maybe most of this, can be fixed in future updates. It’s also not so bad that it drowns out the game’s strengths. It still affects my overall impression here and now. Can make a difference Having said that, “Thalassa” is a Norwegian cultural export that you can be proud of. Just like in Sarepta’s previous game, the gunpowder-strong “MyChild: Lebensborn”, an experience based on painful, human experiences and emotions is served. The goal has been to create a game that can make a real difference in the lives of real people. “Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss” really succeeds there. news reviewer Photo: Sarepta Studio / Team17 Title: “Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss” Genre: Story game Platform: PC Developer: Sarepta Studio AS Publisher: Team17 Release date: 1 August 2024 Age: 7+ Hi, game friends! I’m a freelancer and writes about games for news. On a daily basis, I work at Level Up Norway. Feel free to check out my list of last year’s best games, or which games I’m most looking forward to in 2024! You can find all the game reviews from news here. Published 07/08/2024, at 21.00
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Edge of the Abyss” – news Culture and entertainment
