Song of the Deep Critic Reviews

Song of the Deep is also a great game. Its spunky protagonist had me rooting for her until the heartwarming conclusion, and I didn’t want to leave the game’s enthralling world. It’s one of the most original titles of this year, and certainly one of the most fully realized.

Insomniac Games' Song of the Deep is an excellent metroidvania whose underwater setting gives the genre a nice twist. Its map is impressively large, and it packs many inventive puzzles that are fun to solve. It looks and sounds brilliant too. The boss battles are a little on the weak side however, but they don't take the shine off what is otherwise a thoroughly enjoyable and very sweet exploration game.

Song of the Deep’s experience stays faithful to the game’s name in more ways than one. The game by Insomniac does indeed feel like a melancholic yet enticing song from a time long gone, awing the listener with its grace and tales of mysteries which may not exist. In the end, it’s the journey which is truly important, and the enjoyment one can get out of it. And there’s plenty to be had in Song of the Deep, despite some issues here and there.

Song of the Deep is as beautiful as it is challenging, as picturesque as it is magical. This labyrinth exploration gets better with every hour.

Song of the Deep tells a compelling story and presents enjoyable, captivating Metroidvania gameplay set in an enthralling underwater world.

Song of the Deep is uninspired only when it comes to its boss encounters, which end up being repetitive gauntlets of angry anglerfish enemies. Everywhere else, the game overflows with detail and creativity.

Song of the Deep is a very good metroidvania style game, with challenging puzzles and a big map to explore. A good story and great presentation combined with interesting aquatic corridors and creative mechanics make us forget some minor design problems and technical issues that could be polished better for the final game.

It has a few bumps along the way, but as a first attempt in the genre, Insomniac proves they’ve got the talent and heart for a game of this nature and for $15 it’s an absolute steal, totally worth player’s time.

Insomniac Games delivers a traditional Metroidvania with a pleasant atmosphere and an intelligent use of backtracking. Song of the Deep is a solid adventure, with some memorable boss fights and a complex level design.

The story is a tad bit generic, but perfect in the sense of a children’s tale. The control and movement feels very fluid, and the game overall demonstrates mastery of basic mechanics typically used in games of the same genre.

A fine little action-adventure game with a poignant and beautiful story, told in a fanciful underwater world with well known gameplay elements.

On the surface, everything about Merryn’s adventure is absolutely charming. The deeper you and Merryn go, the game loses its luster, but it’s still worth undertaking the journey if this style of adventure game sings to you. Just be aware it may not be a complete pleasure cruise.

It may flounder a bit, but give it a chance and it can swim just fine.

A beautiful fairy tale of a daughter that is trying to find her lost father is paired with uniquely designed environments and an enjoyable 2D side scrolling/ action/ adventure/ puzzle gameplay.

It might not shine like the shiniest gem, but Song of the Deep is a metroidvania diamond in the rough - a game that even with its minor flaws can reel you in and completely immerse you into this aquatic adventure.

If you’re a fan of games like Guacamelee or the two titles the genre derives its name from, then Song of the Deep really deserves your time.

Luckily, Song of the Deep’s combat and beautiful presentation, showing cutscenes as colorful storybook illustrations accompanied by narration from an Irish-accented speaker, push the game a fair distance above its failings and make it a journey worth taking for anyone who enjoys Metroid-inspired games or action/adventure games with interesting stories.

Despite its sparkling surface, Song of the Deep could use a bit more polish. That said, it hits more than it misses, and I can easily see myself coming back to its sprawling world every few years or so.

Song of the Deep is a very beautiful game with an interesting story, but it doesn't take risks on the gameplay.

Annoying puzzles aside, Song of the Deep is an excellently put together Metroidvania with a sweet tale to tell.