Daedalic Entertainment, known for their unique and anxiety-driven multiplayer Barotrauma, has released another 2D horror experience. Developed by Cogwheel Software, Hidden Deep is a 2D horror game that is inspired by many fan-favorite horror films from the 80’s such as Aliens and The Thing. The game brings mystique, horror, and exploration to the modern 2D side-scrolling setting and encourages you to try and survive with another friend in co-op. Hidden Deep has launched on Steam early access and shows a lot of potential leading up to its eventual official release, while only hitting a few snags.

Gameplay

Hidden Deep offers roughly 20 hours of gameplay under its current state in early access. This includes Expedition mode, which serves as the game’s main campaign, as well as a challenge mode. Expedition mode has 5 different difficulties, and they mostly vary by the number of lives you have for each mission, as well as the number of monsters that spawn on the map. I do recommend the average difficulty when first starting out since the controls do feel a bit unorthodox at first, but that is expected with a 2D shooter. The hardest difficulty, deemed as “Realistic,” does not allow any deaths and spawns an unearthly amount of monsters. It requires you to count every bullet since reloading mags will deplete the rest of your clip.

The campaign is divided into multiple missions, each with different objectives to accomplish and offer different experiences. You play as a member of a rescue team sent out to a research facility nearly 10,000 meters below the ocean. Without contact for nearly 2 years, the rescue team is sent to do some reconnaissance and salvage any survivors or intel. The facility is designed like a huge cave system. When you start a mission, you have a Metroidvania-style map that fills in the more you explore. You have the main objective but it is up to you to figure out where to go to accomplish your goal.

I like this aspect of the game since it forces you to explore these huge maps, not knowing what is going to be waiting for you around every dimly lit corner, which directly heightens the horror experience. Your character is equipped with a pistol and some gadgets to help you traverse and explore the cave. The grapple shot is used as the main tool for exploration, allowing you to reach new heights or depths in the caves. One gadget to help you on your doomed expedition is the Scan Ball, which acts as a controlled orb drone that helps you scout what lies ahead. The terrain scanner and explosives are both used to help you find and create new paths within the cave system in order to help you reach your objectives.

Enemies are clearly inspired by cult classic horror movies with distinctly unique attributes. Each enemy has its own unique characteristics, causing them to behave differently and forcing the player to stay on their toes. It is quite easy to become overwhelmed, especially in the harder difficulties. Whether you want a casual session or an extreme challenge, Hidden Deep caters to both types of gamers exceptionally well.

Exploration in co-op is just as intense as it is alone, with enemies unexpectedly swarming you and your co-op partner. The feeling that you are always mal-equipped and not knowing what to expect in the cave depths really are the highlights of this survival horror. Exploring caves and completing objectives with friends create a fun and sometimes hilarious encounter. The game’s physics engine is a core feature in much of the game’s mechanics. Movement, traversal, and even puzzle segments all rely on the physics engine. There were more than a few moments when my co-op buddy would attempt to grapple and jump their way to a high ledge, only to hilariously fall to his death, creating a glorious ragdoll bloody mess. These moments were very entertaining, but it comes at the price of taking you out of the horror immersion.

Some missions allow you to control more than one agent, even in a solo mission. In some cases, you can control up to four different agents at a time. Some of these additional playable agents have skills that allow them to operate vehicles and machinery to help you accomplish your mission. I like the idea of having different classes that each have an individual role to play upon completion of the mission.

 The only gripe with this is that the other agents are not AI-controlled. If you are not controlling them, they just stand in that same spot where you left them idle. This can get very tedious when you need multiple agents to gather in one area, and you have to move each and every agent one at a time. I would imagine this would not be as much of a bother if online co-op was implemented. However, it is very tedious, especially for solo players. AI-controlled teammates would be much appreciated.

Expectations

Although I did thoroughly enjoy my time exploring the facility at the bottom of the ocean, it does have some work ahead of its official release. The story and lore are in much need of extended content. The most story you get out of this game is the title screen and your commanding officer giving you intel, sparingly, throughout the level. The game makes no attempt at explaining the purpose of the facility, nor the origins of the enemy species. I would love to see the story and lore further expanding in the early access period, which is one of Cogwheel’s promises, however, I was expecting a bit more for the early access launch and ended up with nil.

The gameplay is solid, however, there are a few kinks that are deemed to be bothersome in my sessions. Friendly fire is present in the game, which seems like a great idea to up the strategic flow, however it is implemented horribly in a 2D aspect. If you and a buddy are right next to each other, you have no choice but to stand back to back and shoot the monsters. If all the enemies were approaching from one side of the screen, only the person in the front can safely shoot. The person in the back runs the risk of friendly fire and essentially makes you feel useless. I would suggest having the option to turn the friendly fire off since a 2D playing field just seems silly to have this feature, especially for shooting.

Currently, the co-op is enjoyed only by Steam’s remote play split-screen feature. One player uses KMB and the other uses a gamepad. The co-op is great fun but of course, it would be preferred to play online. The UI and HUD in this game are borderline microscopic, formatting it into a split-screen mode just makes it even more difficult to see. Please enlarge the HUD so people with terrible eyes, like me, can enjoy the game, squint-free. Not only that, but it is a bit difficult to tell what pickups you are interacting with in the game. I would find a box of what looks like ammo, but I had no idea what it was when I picked it up. It would be great to get a visual indicator labeling pickups so the player can know exactly what new items have been recovered.

Verdict

Hidden Deep has a solid foundation and needs to build upon what it has already laid down. A deeper story, intense online co-op, and some minor gameplay tweaks are the only thing holding this back from being a great horror action game. Currently, the early access build shows us that 2D horror co-op is possible and very entertaining. It is a solid choice for those who want something with a blend of unique, retro, and horror to play with a friend and don’t mind waiting for the issues to be ironed out. We cant wait to see how this one turns out once it is fully completed later this year.