Under the Waves: A Tale of Hope for the Future

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

Below The Waves is the fourth sport made by Parallel Studio and it’s been a very rewarding mission for every of the 19 crew members, in line with Ronan: “We made a while a number of days in the past to drag out the technical paperwork that laid the foundations for the sport. We had been pleasantly shocked to see that ultimately, we didn’t have to limit ourselves, we pushed each side of the mission so far as we may, and but we set ourselves fairly a excessive bar contemplating the scale of the crew: the underwater gameplay in a semi-open 3D world, the facet quests, the movement seize, the ’70s documentary aesthetic, the messages… We put all our coronary heart into it, it’s a honest and beneficiant mission!”

A sport filled with content material certainly, but for Ronan, Below The Waves is at the start the story of Stan, the taciturn diver who escapes actuality by going into the depths of the ocean. “We’ve divided the sport into chapters,” explains Ronan. “There’s loads of freedom to wander round and uncover this world, however to maneuver ahead you will need to observe the principle quest. It was first a technical alternative, however ultimately, it allowed us to convey easily what we needed and inform our story. You continue to have room for exploration, each actually and figuratively: that of nature, which surrounds us and on which our influence is seen, for higher or for worse, but in addition the exploration of our personal situation as human beings, our flaws, our relationship with others.”

Below The Waves is a story deeply rooted in Ronan’s childhood. The son of a marine within the French Navy, he crossed the world many occasions, following his father’s skilled assignments. On the different finish of the planet, a good distance from his native Brittany, he found a world the place warships, oil rigs and environmental activists collide. “It was throughout my adolescence that I imagined a online game that will translate these reminiscences,” remembers Ronan. “I scribbled down sport design diagrams, drew environments, sketched autos and characters. And although gameplay stays a central affair, my purpose has all the time been to convey intense, human feelings in my tales.” 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 convey out the hope. Fairly a logo. 

From 2020 to 2023, Ronan and Parallel Studio devoted their power to this emotionally charged growth, to which every member of this small group would add their very own contact. That too is the energy of a studio on a human scale: soul to spare and intelligent minds filled with concepts! “Below The Waves is each a sum of compromises and an absolute absence of compromise, if that is sensible” smiles Ronan. “I used to be searching for a option to convey it to life inside a crew on an inexpensive scale, to maintain management of the mission with out abandoning sure ambitions by way of gameplay. Parallel Studio, with the assistance of Quantic Dream, was the right framework for attaining this consequence. I’m pleased with what we’ve executed.”

With dozens of caverns and wrecks to discover, lots of 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 perspective on the small issues we are able to do for ourselves, for others and for the planet. “Ecology is within the studio’s DNA. We’ve had our carbon footprint analysed, we use recycled furnishings, we’ve even ‘adopted’ a whale to offer monetary assist for scientists… In reality, the whale within the sport is a central factor, so it’s no coincidence! And we’re additionally delighted of the partnership with Surfrider Basis Europe, who helped us including real-life context to the marine info we convey all by the sport.”

Time flies, and there may be 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 in fact, however certainly a beta model, on condition that the actual factor was launched in 1981, whereas the sport is ready in 1979! By the best way, talking of MS DOS, it’s truly the reference I recommended to our graphic designer for the modern interface on Stan’s pc. As for Mercury, that’s the identify we’ve additionally given to a bot on our Discord, at Parallel Studio. It’s capable of export our builds, it replies to our vacation requests, and above all, it tells us on daily basis when it’s afterwork time! It’s turn into our companion, for certain.”

Below The Waves

Quantic Dream

☆☆☆☆☆
7

★★★★★

$29.99

Below the Waves is a narrative-driven journey sport concerning the engulfing energy of grief. Set within the depths of the North Sea in a techno-futuristic Nineteen 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 mind-set, and as Stan retreads additional into his self-imposed solitude, he begins to expertise unusual occasions far beneath the waves. He’ll finally should make a tough alternative…

A love letter to the oceans, Below The Waves invitations you to dive into a stunning underwater world, dropped at life in a poetic mix of cinematic visuals and poignant storytelling. Dwell a gripping story by Stan’s eyes and information him by an unexpected sequence of occasions that can convey him deeper and deeper into the abyss, the reflection of his personal psyche.
Wander the huge seabed piloting Stan’s submarine and encounter the attractive wildlife, Stan’s solely firm whereas he’s trapped in his personal thoughts. Discover caves, wrecks, and underwater vegetation with Stan’s particular wetsuit, following the mysterious manifestations of his reminiscences, to discover a method again to the floor and save his life. Gather supplies and craft tools that can assist Stan navigate additional on this self-discovery expedition. You’ll have to dare get off the overwhelmed observe to expertise mesmerizing moments and reveal extra concerning the tragic previous he’s attempting to flee…

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

KEY FEATURES
– A surreal voyage underneath the waves — Dwell 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?
– Discover the depths of the ocean – Pilot your submarine over the abyss and swim your method by caves, wrecks, and submerged vegetation looking for backstory items, salvageable waste, collectibles, and extra. Craft tools to assist Stan discover additional.
– Witness the fantastic thing about the ocean – Dive by beautiful underwater environments, from unfathomable depths to retro-futuristic services, immersed in a contemplative ambiance dropped at life by an atmospheric soundtrack.
– A singular setting filled with mysteries – Uncover an alternate actuality of the yr 1979 the place retro, science-fiction, and fantasy move collectively in beautifully-rendered graphics.