We shouldn't be surprised any longer when a mobile-to-Switch port turns out to be decent. There are far too many examples to list here, but just recently both Exit The Gungeon and Oddmar have acquitted themselves admirably.
Even so, we're as surprised as you are to note that the latest must-have Metroidvania started out life on iPhone. It's perhaps a little more understandable when you consider that Shinsekai: Into The Depths stems from console powerhouse Capcom, but still. These are strange times we're living in.
Not as strange as those experienced by our mute deep-sea diver protagonist, though. Theirs is a completely submerged world where the familiar (bicycles, traffic lights, street signs) splashes around with the alien (mysterious artefacts, advanced technology). Together with the game's focus on show-don't-tell storytelling and a UI that's full of arcane symbols (sometimes to the game's detriment), it all combines to create one of the most distinctive game worlds on Switch – though it's one that carries clear traces of some platforming greats.
Shinsekai: Into The Depths is a side-scrolling Metroidvania, but it rather weirdly reminded us more of Metroid Prime than any of Samus Aran's 2D adventures. Perhaps it's the more sedate and exploratory pace, or the weighty-yet-floaty movement of the hero. It could be the focus on extracting and documenting information from your environment or even the bloopy style of the atmospheric soundtrack.
Elsewhere there are echoes of Sonic The Hedgehog's Labyrinth Zone in the way that you must seek out air bubbles to recharge your depleting air supply. Meanwhile, the constant need to mine for precious gems – which pay for improvements to your equipment so that you can delve ever deeper – reminded us of Steamworld Dig.
Key to the game's unique character is the way it handles movement. Your character stomps along in their hefty diving suit, weighted to the rocky floor but extremely prone to slips and tumbles. Holding jump or pressing up will convert some of your air supply into a directional boost, essentially giving you the power of semi-controlled flight. It's at once empowering and thrillingly perilous, as a hard landing or collision will crack and ultimately destroy one of your precious air tanks.
Fortunately, these tanks can be restored by one of the many replacements dotted around the game's free-roaming levels. Alongside the aforementioned gem currency, you'll encounter save points, fresh equipment (this is a Metroidvania, after all) and materials for upgrading and restocking your gear. There's every incentive to step out and explore your watery surroundings. Simply forcing back the fog of war and mapping out this shimmering environment is a compelling incentive in itself.
It's fair to call this hostile environment you find yourself in your biggest enemy. At a certain point in the game, you'll be granted an umbilical cord providing unlimited air and propulsion, and you'll find yourself stretching it as far as it will go through the game's winding cave systems, reluctant to disconnect and watch that fragile bar deplete.
Aside from these air supply concerns, there's a rich array of aggressive underwater life to contend with, from sparky jellyfish to devastating bottom-feeding sharks. Your most basic (yet dependable) recourse is to whack them with your pickaxe, but there's also a particularly potent shotgun-like spear gun, a harpoon launcher, and a taser-like gizmo to lean on. You'll also accumulate some more exotic equipment – such as a robotic drone assistant that will retrieve distant equipment – and a Nautilus-like submarine with a powerful wall-demolishing drill.
Shinsekai: Into The Depths is a delight to play, but it's not perfect. We noticed a number of performance issues when the screen got busy. During one boss fight, we almost thought the game had entered a stylised slow-motion state, such was the extent of the frame rate hit. Also, that aforementioned assistant drone is a little glitchy, snagging on objects and dragging along items even when you have no capacity to pick them up.
Finally, the UI can be a little too busy and tough to decipher. We get that the developer is shooting for a fresh, alien feel here, but sometimes it comes at the cost of legibility. And while the game's word-free approach to narrative is a neat idea, it does make the lore and the background story a little tough to follow. This understated approach also seems to fail when you encounter one of the game's clunky text descriptions. It's almost like these were added fairly late in production after focus-testing revealed that players were getting confused.
But these are all relatively minor gripes, and the technical issues in particular should hopefully get addressed in future updates. All in all, Shinsekai: Into The Depths is one of the most immersive and downright interesting platform-adventures we've seen on Switch in quite some time.
Conclusion
Shinsekai: Into The Depths is a bracingly fresh Metroidvania with a memorable underwater setting and compelling movement mechanics. If you're after a platformer that values exploration and navigation over arcade action – and that isn't afraid to try something a little different with the format – then we wholeheartedly recommend dipping your toes into Shinsekai's exotic waters.
Comments (32)
I was waiting for this review! Thank you. I picked it up before then and I enjoy it.
This came out of nowhere. It's been on my radar for a little over a week, and I already want to buy it. Looking forward to this one.
I got this on Apple Arcade, it's great.
Switch has a bounty of excellent games. I'm here for it.
Another metroidvania to add to the wishlist. Nice! As a fan of the genre, I can't be happier with this tendency.
Other than in some Mario games, Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze and Ecco the Dolphin, I hate underwater levels. Reading that it has 'echoes of Sonic The Hedgehog's Labyrinth Zone', the very game responsible for my hatred of underwater levels, should be enough to put me off for good,however the fact it's from Capcom makes me want to play it. It's unusual for them to make a smaller game like this.
@TheLightSpirit It's super cheap and there's a lot of compelling software on it. Seems like a reasonable enough decision to splash on it. Even if you don't actually own any of it. Not that ridiculous tbh.
@OorWullie Have you ever played Rayman Legends? That game has some fantastic underwater levels. Character movement is extremely fluid, and unlike Tropical Freeze, you don't have to worry about air bubbles.
@TheLightSpirit Cause it's cheap. I don't want to own the game, I just want to play it without having to buy it. You can still buy the game if you want it that bad.
@Not_Soos @OorWullie Thanks, all I can think about now is underwater levels and whether there's any that I like. Swimming underwater in Mario Galaxy was ****ing hideous.
Cue the Dire Dire Docks theme from Super Mario 64...
Not really a fan of underwater settings aside from a few notable exceptions (looking at you, SOMA and Bioshock).
@Ralizah Ooooohhhhh... SOMA was soooooo excellent... Nay! Superb!
Sounds great except this:
During one boss fight, we almost thought the game had entered a stylised slow-motion state, such was the extent of the frame rate hit.
I hope it gets fixed because it may only be one boss, but that sounds terrible to me. This isn't the 80s and I'm not playing on an NES.
Might get this during a sale.
@Not_Soos I did play Rayman Legends on Wii U and while I enjoyed it, I never loved it. I honestly can't remember even playing a water level haha. I'll have a look on YouTube later to remind myself of what they're like.
@gcunit I quite liked being underwater in Mario Odyssey, very smooth and easy to control. Even then, I'd still prefer to be on land. There's never been a time where I've thought, 'Yes, an underwater level' or felt disappointed to be back on land. Generally, they're a chore you just want to get out the way, so you can get on with the rest of the game.
Yeah, I see the 8/10 score. And no disrespect to an obviously talented and hardworking set of devs but.....man....do I HATE underwater levels. Sorry. I’m moving on
I'm really enjoying this one so far.
Yeah, agreed - not something I relish, but you're right, the Odyssey underwater experience is probably near the best of the underwater sections I've played.
Was waiting for the review on this one. I’ll go ahead and pick this up.
Looks kinda interesting but I am soooo burned out on metroidvanias.
Underwater levels are the worst part of any platformer. A whole game based around it sounds terrible.
This game is fantastic. Bought it and played it for almost 4hrs that day.
It was so confusing to hear about a fairly interesting Metroidvania title from Capcom of all developers. It's the kind of thing that would've gotten a lot of buzz, so I assumed that it was a brand new game until I learned it was on Apple Arcade. I'll grab it later on. For a phone title, it looks pretty detailed and unique.
Will pick this up at some point. Looks great.
So let's see:
-Awkward movement mechanics
-Annoying oxygen recharge mechanic
-Obtuse storytelling
-Boring exploration focus
-Lousy UI
That's a hard pass for me.
Won't be picking this at some point, looks & feels terrible for my liking..
Looks interesting. Might download someday.
I am playing this game and I have to say that it is not bad at all, quite relaxing. There are some problems, but overall it is enjoyable. I would reccomend this game to everyone looking for a different kind of game.
@SuperWeird I agree with you, I never like playing underwater but this game is set underwater wich make it different. the first hour might be hard, cause you need to get confidence with the underwater-movement (slow movement), but it is a 2d scrolling platform game, so it is much enjoyable.
@gcunit so how does this game run exactly? Is it worth buying
@anoyonmus I haven't played it.
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