If you asked me whether I have a fear of the ocean, I would ask you whether you fear the unknown; whether you’re afraid of inky darkness that stretches out for miles, or silence so deafening that it rings in your ears. If none of those things scare you, then I might have the perfect job opening.
In Cold Abyss: Director’s Cut, you play as a deep sea cable repair man for Tachibana Heavy Industries. Your objective is to repair ten broken network cables on the ocean floor, with only a flashlight, a sensor, an oxygen tank, and all the time in the world. It may seem frightening being all alone, but relax. It’s just you down there. Everything is fine.
Coming soon to Steam, Cold Abyss: Director’s Cut is an expanded version of the original Cold Abyss developed by Studio [notes.] and released on Itch. The brand-new expansion features new levels, new story segments, and new collectibles that tell us more about the world, as well as improved visuals and reworked physics.
The latest demo gives us a closer look at the first chilling area of Cold Abyss: Director’s Cut, where the water is so dark and the pressure so immense that barely any life exists. If you’re not frightened off by the opening cutscene, you get to spend the rest of the level steeping in uncertainty as you watch your oxygen meter tick downward.
While the game borrows from the Slender Man formula, Cold Abyss: Director’s Cut leans heavier on its atmosphere as there isn’t any (foreseeable) danger ahead of you. The only enemy is your own imagination, as shadows morph into the shape of monsters and the voices in your head grow louder each time you near a broken cable.
There is a strange mixture of fear and wonder as you make your way across the ocean floor with nothing but the thoughts in your mind and the deafening silence in your ears. That is, until you stumble upon a series of rusted structures looming overhead, or a dead whale blocking the entirety of your path. Whether any of this means anything to the larger narrative is yet to be seen.
While the demo is still a little rough around the edges, there’s a lot to look forward to in Cold Abyss: Director’s Cut. Especially if you’re a fan of atmospheric horror, liminal spaces, or simply looking to overcome your thalassophobia, you should keep an eye out for this one.
