Deep Down is one of the most exciting games we’ve seen from TGS thus far. (I mean, look at those particle effects!) But, what is it? Apparently, it’s an online dungeon crawler set in futuristic New York. Wait, what?
Yes, you read correctly. Deep Down is set in New York in the year 2094. So, it’s the fin-du-siecle and in lieu of the Y2k problem there are actual monsters running around? Well, not exactly. Apparently, you play as a member of a group of time travelers, who use their time traveling abilities to…solve a mystery? Something like that. (This game is the real mystery.) Additionally, according to IGN’s Keza MacDonald, Deep Down plays more like a “classic dungeon crawler than an action-RPG.” Somehow, the more I hear about this game the more confounding I find it.
Here are some more details about the game provided by Yoshinori Ono (this summary comes from this DualShockers article):
- The game is set in New York, year 2094. The members of a group called “Ravens” (the players) have the special ability to travel back in time by reading the memory of items and listening to the voice of the past. They can travel to the past by using the information they read from the items.
- The game is called a “Reading RPG” for two reasons: first because of the idea of “reading memories” mentioned above, and then because of the theme of “reading emotions” The emotional theme comes from the fact that various dungeons correspond to different emotions. For instance by touching a statue and reading its emotions one can feel the grudges of a vicious mind that will then characterize the resulting dungeon.
- The theme of “knowing the truth of the past” is also present, and that’s the Ravens’ purpose.
- Capcom wanted to make an online only game to do something different from the past experiences of Monster Hunter and Dragon’s Dogma, in order to enjoy the online gameplay without restriction, on a platform (the PS4) that has an inseparable relationship with online gaming.
- By playing with friends one can exchange the information gathered from dungeons and further the investigation of the mystery behind Deep Down.
- It’s still possible to play solo, and gamers should begin like that in order to get familiar with the game, then they should challenge the dungeons alongside other Ravens.
- Ono-san wants to reduce the barriers between players and online gameplay, in order to reassure those that are hostile to the idea of always online games.
- Since players are supposed to play the game for a long time, like most online games, large updates have already been scheduled, and they will happen on a regular basis. Capcom will continue to develop the game after release in order to let players feel the changes regularly.
- There will be a beta after the release of the PS4, and Ono-san wants it to begin as soon as possible.
- Sony has created an easy development environment for the PS4, and that’s a welcome change.
- The quality showcased in the PlayStation Meeting in February was reached considerably quickly, and things like 60 frames per seconds are relatively easy to achieve.
- The automatic generation of dungeons is achieved thanks to the power of the PS4. It’s not completely random, but automatically generated according to certain parameters. Since the PS4 has specs similar to a PC, dungeons can be generated like this thanks to its memory capacity and computing speed.
- The representation of environments is close to photo realistic, and elements like degradation of weapon and armor will also be displayed graphically. The PS4 is able to calculate the accumulation of mold, dirt and rust on equipment and display it on the textures, giving you the sensation that those items really exist in the world.
- The light bar on the DualShock 4 will represent the emotions of the dungeon being played. When a Raven listens to the voice of the past, it will come from the speaker on the controller, in order to increase immersion. The touchpad will also be used for tactile features.
- Remote play with PS Vita will be fully supported in order to play the game more comfortably. The team is also thinking on how to use smartphone and tablets.
While Deep Down has definitely piqued my interest there still aren’t very many details available. The multiplayer aspect seems like the most interesting feature, and if it’s executed properly it could mean that Deep Down could be some serious fun. But, we’ll have to wait and see if Deep Down can meld its ostensibly discordant elements into an enjoyable game.
UPDATE: President of Worldwide Studios of Sony Computer Entertainment, Shuhei Yoshida, confirmed via Twitter that Deep Down will be a Free-to-Play game on the PS4.
Capcom just announced that “deep down” will be a f2p game on PS4, planning open Beta near the launch of PS4 in Japan. @Yoshi_OnoChin
— Shuhei Yoshida (@yosp) September 21, 2013
This adds to my interest and confusion. I will most certainly be checking this game out.
-Game Blog Girl
What do you think about Deep Down based on what you’ve seen thus far? Tell me in the comments or tweet @gamebloggirl!
