Terror lies submerged beneath the waves in Beneath

The open ocean can be a scary place to begin with, but add in otherworldly beasts and the risen dead, and you have the horror of Beneath.

Somewhere beyond the sea

Maritime settings have a particularly strong niche in the world of horror, especially with Lovecraftian horror. The iconic writer’s world plays off of humanity’s fear of the unknown in large part, and in particular it often serves up that fear in a setting that’s already pretty scary; the undersea realm.

Now, the press release for Beneath (from indie studio Camel 101) doesn’t mention Lovecraft as being an influence. But all the same, it’s kind of tough not to see the influence. Not only does the game’s narrative play out entirely at sea, but it also leans on the mental state of the main character, and his struggles with sanity in the face of the horrors he’s presented with. That’s a pretty big Lovecraft theme as well.

Oh, and did I mention that it looks pretty fantastic doing all of the above? Well, it does.

You play as veteran deep-sea diver Noah Quinn who must escape a treacherous underwater world filled with terrors beyond imagining.
Armed with weapons and wits, Noah Quinn knows he will have to face the horror if he has any chance of escape.

But some horrors are beyond bullets, and Quinn’s mental state is on the brink of collapse. He must avoid succumbing to madness if he ever hopes to reach the surface again.

Camel 101 press release

Along with protecting their in-game sanity, players must also be able to manage resources in Beneath. According to the press release, while there are plenty of guns, ammo won’t be quite so easy to come by. You’ll have to play out gunfights tactically if you want to make it through the game’s narrative.

And on top of that, there will be plenty of secrets to uncover, and the ability to traverse under the sea itself, and on the ocean floor. That’s thanks to a high-tech diving suit that hero Noah Quinn can wear.

Ready for submersion? Well, you’ve got a ways to go so sit tight. Beneath is shooting for a 2024 launch, for the PC, as well as Xbox Series X|S and PS5.