Under 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 baby of the ’80s targeted on his sole aim: opening his studio and writing his personal tales. Under The Waves is the most recent one, closing an nearly 4-year improvement marathon. A serious milestone for Ronan and the indie studio he based in 2015 with author Sébastien Renard and audio designer Nicolas Bredin.

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

A recreation filled with content material certainly, but for Ronan, Under The Waves is in the beginning 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 observe the principle quest. It was first a technical selection, however in the long run, it allowed us to convey easily what we wished and inform our story. You nonetheless 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.”

Under 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. At the opposite finish of the planet, a great 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 recollections,” remembers Ronan. “I scribbled down recreation design diagrams, drew environments, sketched autos and characters. And although gameplay stays a central affair, my purpose has all the time 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 carry out the hope. Quite an emblem. 

From 2020 to 2023, Ronan and Parallel Studio devoted their power to this emotionally charged improvement, to which every member of this small group would add their very own contact. That too is the energy of a studio on a human scale: soul to spare and intelligent minds filled with concepts! “Under 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 solution to carry it to life inside a crew on an inexpensive scale, to maintain management of the undertaking with out abandoning sure ambitions when it comes to gameplay. Parallel Studio, with the assistance of Quantic Dream, was the right framework for attaining this consequence. I’m happy with what we’ve performed.”

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 assist for scientists… In reality, the whale within the recreation is a central factor, so it’s no coincidence! And we’re additionally delighted of the partnership with Surfrider Foundation Europe, who helped us including real-life context to the marine information we carry all by the sport.”

Time flies, and there’s 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 in fact, however absolutely a beta model, on condition that the true factor was launched in 1981, whereas the sport is about in 1979! By the best way, talking of MS DOS, it’s truly the reference I recommended to our graphic designer for the glossy interface on Stan’s pc. As for Mercury, that’s the title 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-after-day when it’s afterwork time! It’s turn into our companion, for positive.”

Under The Waves

Quantic Dream

☆☆☆☆☆
7

★★★★★

$29.99

Under the Waves is a narrative-driven journey recreation in regards to the engulfing energy of grief. Set within the depths of the North Sea in a techno-futuristic 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 will finally must make a troublesome selection…

A love letter to the oceans, Under The Waves invitations you to dive into a stunning underwater world, dropped at life in a poetic mix of cinematic visuals and poignant storytelling. Live a gripping story by Stan’s eyes and information him by an unexpected sequence of occasions that may carry him deeper and deeper into the abyss, the reflection of his personal psyche.
Wander the huge seabed piloting Stan’s submarine and encounter the attractive wildlife, Stan’s solely firm whereas he’s trapped in his personal thoughts. Explore caves, wrecks, and underwater crops with Stan’s particular wetsuit, following the mysterious manifestations of his recollections, to discover a method again to the floor and save his life. Collect supplies and craft tools that may assist Stan navigate additional on this self-discovery expedition. You must dare get off the overwhelmed observe to expertise mesmerizing moments and reveal extra in regards to the tragic previous he’s making an attempt to flee…

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

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