Under the Waves: A Tale of Hope for the Future

For Ronan Coiffec, the CEO of Parallel Studio, video video games are far more than a job: they’re a means of life, one thing he’s lived with since his early youth. From hardcore gamer to apprentice recreation designer, this little one of the ’80s centered on his sole purpose: opening his studio and writing his personal tales. Under The Waves is the newest one, closing an virtually 4-year growth marathon. A main milestone for Ronan and the indie studio he based in 2015 with author Sébastien Renard and audio designer Nicolas Bredin.

Under The Waves is the fourth recreation made by Parallel Studio and it’s been a very rewarding challenge for every of the 19 staff members, based on Ronan: “We made some time a few days ago to pull out the technical documents that laid the foundations for the game. We were pleasantly surprised to see that in the end, we didn’t have to restrict ourselves, we pushed every aspect of the project as far as we could, and yet we set ourselves quite a high bar considering the size of the team: the underwater gameplay in a semi-open 3D world, the side quests, the motion capture, the ’70s documentary aesthetic, the messages… We put all our heart into it, it’s a sincere and generous project!”

A recreation full of content material certainly, but for Ronan, Under The Waves is at first the story of Stan, the taciturn diver who escapes actuality by going into the depths of the sea. “We’ve divided the game into chapters,” explains Ronan. “There’s plenty of freedom to wander around and discover this world, but to move forward you must follow the main quest. It was first a technical choice, but in the end, it allowed us to convey smoothly what we wanted and tell our story. You still have room for exploration, both literally and figuratively: that of nature, which surrounds us and on which our impact is visible, for better or for worse, but also the exploration of our own condition as human beings, our flaws, our relationship with others.”

Under The Waves is a story deeply rooted in Ronan’s childhood. The son of a marine in the French Navy, he crossed the world many occasions, following his father’s skilled assignments. At the different finish of the planet, a great distance from his native Brittany, he found a world the place warships, oil rigs and environmental activists collide. “It was during my adolescence that I imagined a video game that would translate these memories,” remembers Ronan. “I scribbled down game design diagrams, drew environments, sketched vehicles and characters. And even though gameplay remains a central affair, my aim has always been to convey intense, human emotions in my stories.” The prototype was evolving round a easy 2D mechanism with a diver and his submersible tasked with cleansing up underwater air pollution. Drawing out the darkness to deliver out the hope. Quite a logo. 

From 2020 to 2023, Ronan and Parallel Studio devoted their vitality to this emotionally charged growth, to which every member of this small group would add their very own contact. That too is the power of a studio on a human scale: soul to spare and intelligent minds full of concepts! “Under The Waves is both a sum of compromises and an absolute absence of compromise, if that makes sense” smiles Ronan. “I was looking for a way to bring it to life within a team on a reasonable scale, to keep control of the project without abandoning certain ambitions in terms of gameplay. Parallel Studio, with the help of Quantic Dream, was the perfect framework for achieving this result. I’m proud of what we’ve done.”

With dozens of caverns and wrecks to discover, a whole bunch of marine creatures to admire and numerous ideas for Stan to ponder, Parallel Studio has lastly achieved what it got down to do: provide us a second of escape, far beneath the waves, and gently encourage us to rethink our level of view on the small issues we will do for ourselves, for others and for the planet. “Ecology is in the studio’s DNA. We’ve had our carbon footprint analysed, we use recycled furniture, we’ve even ‘adopted’ a whale to provide financial support for scientists… In fact, the whale in the game is a central element, so it’s no coincidence! And we’re also delighted of the partnership with Surfrider Foundation Europe, who helped us adding real-life context to the marine facts we bring all through the game.”

Time flies, and there’s nonetheless one main query we have to ask. Mercury, the quirky retro-futuristic on-board pc, what OS does it run on? “Haha, good one! MS-DOS of course, but surely a beta version, given that the real thing was released in 1981, whereas the game is set in 1979! By the way, speaking of MS DOS, it’s actually the reference I suggested to our graphic designer for the sleek interface on Stan’s computer. As for Mercury, that’s the name we’ve also given to a bot on our Discord, at Parallel Studio. It’s able to export our builds, it replies to our holiday requests, and above all, it tells us every day when it’s afterwork time! It’s become our companion, for sure.”

Under The Waves

Quantic Dream

☆☆☆☆☆
15

★★★★★

$29.99

Under the Waves is a narrative-driven journey recreation about the engulfing energy of grief. Set in the depths of the North Sea in a techno-futuristic Seventies, skilled diver Stan is struggling to beat a life-changing loss and embrace a brand new future. The isolation of the deep sea is a becoming manifestation of his state of thoughts, and as Stan retreads additional into his self-imposed solitude, he begins to expertise unusual occasions far beneath the waves. He will ultimately should make a tough selection…

A love letter to the oceans, Under The Waves invitations you to dive into a stunning underwater world, dropped at life in a poetic mix of cinematic visuals and poignant storytelling. Live a gripping story by way of Stan’s eyes and information him by way of an unexpected sequence of occasions that may deliver him deeper and deeper into the abyss, the reflection of his personal psyche.
Wander the huge seabed piloting Stan’s submarine and encounter the stunning wildlife, Stan’s solely firm whereas he’s trapped in his personal thoughts. Explore caves, wrecks, and underwater vegetation with Stan’s particular wetsuit, following the mysterious manifestations of his recollections, to discover a means again to the floor and save his life. Collect supplies and craft tools that may assist Stan navigate additional on this self-discovery expedition. You should dare get off the crushed monitor to expertise mesmerizing moments and reveal extra about the tragic previous he’s attempting to flee…

Parallel Studio and Quantic Dream are partnering with Surfrider Foundation Europe to assist ocean preservation. Know extra about Surfrider Foundation at www.surfrider.eu.

KEY FEATURES
– A surreal voyage beneath the waves — Live a poetic underwater journey a few man attempting to beat his traumatic previous and save his personal life, each actually and figuratively. Will Stan ever attain the floor once more?
– Explore the depths of the sea – Pilot your submarine over the abyss and swim your means by way of caves, wrecks, and submerged vegetation in search of backstory items, salvageable waste, collectibles, and extra. Craft tools to assist Stan discover additional.
– Witness the magnificence of the ocean – Dive by way of beautiful underwater environments, from unfathomable depths to retro-futuristic services, immersed in a contemplative ambiance dropped at life by an atmospheric soundtrack.
– A distinctive setting full of mysteries – Discover an alternate actuality of the yr 1979 the place retro, science-fiction, and fantasy circulation collectively in beautifully-rendered graphics.