First of all, I love that you managed to set such a great mood with such minimalistic elements. The setting (boat alone in the open) together with the amazing sound effect choice and the long descent to the bottom do such a great job at communicating loneliness, mystery and the feeling of being lost in the ocean. Also, I like how the thoughts of the diver are not presented by dialog boxes, but instead are scattered out there in the ocean. I can't describe it well, but to me it conveys that interesting sense of immersion, also something about these thoughts never reaching the "light of the world", being lost in the ocean forever.
The hook mechanic is very well done, 10/10 rope physics. I actually shot a bunch of sharks with it and it feels very snappy. I would have liked some hit feedback though, because it was very hard to make out whether a shark got hit or not. Also the mechanic could be explored more (maybe it can function as a grappling hook or something).
When I landed on the bottom of the ocean I felt very immersed and I felt that anxious feeling and mystery creeping up (what will I find down here, why am I here in the first place). It is unfortunate that the game is finished right when the apex of the suspense hits you, but its a weekend-long game-jam and on top of that a one man show, so completely understandable!
All in all, I think this game demonstrates very well how even by having a minimalistic artstyle and effectively three inputs, it is still possible to set an incredible mood and immerse the player, taking them on an emotional journey. Great potential in this one, and seeing all the things you learned from this one weekend makes this a big success in my eyes (and shows why game jams are the best). Great job! :)
LD48 — Deeper and deeper (1)
Memare by jogo 2021-04-27T11:32:09Z ♥ 2
First of all, I love that you managed to set such a great mood with such minimalistic elements. The setting (boat alone in the open) together with the amazing sound effect choice and the long descent to the bottom do such a great job at communicating loneliness, mystery and the feeling of being lost in the ocean. Also, I like how the thoughts of the diver are not presented by dialog boxes, but instead are scattered out there in the ocean. I can't describe it well, but to me it conveys that interesting sense of immersion, also something about these thoughts never reaching the "light of the world", being lost in the ocean forever.
The hook mechanic is very well done, 10/10 rope physics. I actually shot a bunch of sharks with it and it feels very snappy. I would have liked some hit feedback though, because it was very hard to make out whether a shark got hit or not. Also the mechanic could be explored more (maybe it can function as a grappling hook or something).
When I landed on the bottom of the ocean I felt very immersed and I felt that anxious feeling and mystery creeping up (what will I find down here, why am I here in the first place). It is unfortunate that the game is finished right when the apex of the suspense hits you, but its a weekend-long game-jam and on top of that a one man show, so completely understandable!
All in all, I think this game demonstrates very well how even by having a minimalistic artstyle and effectively three inputs, it is still possible to set an incredible mood and immerse the player, taking them on an emotional journey. Great potential in this one, and seeing all the things you learned from this one weekend makes this a big success in my eyes (and shows why game jams are the best). Great job! :)