it do go down | Sinking Iron (BOTH ENDINGS)
3dead men tell no tales
0:00 Normal Playthrough
21:44 Hard Playthrough
SOCIALS
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REVIEW
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Short but sweet. Sometimes that's all that's needed in entertainment, that an experience doesn't drag on more than necessary but provides enough enjoyment along the way to balance it out. I believe this describes Sinking Iron perfectly.
The story of this game can just be summarized as unlucky circumstance. 2 divers get in over their heads as they investigate a disturbance deep in the ocean's seabed. Survival attempts are futile as the creature most likely responsible for the ocean surface essentially wipes out first contact. The way the story was paced seems to be a means-to-an-end design where it justifies gameplay mechanics being what they are. The extended ending seems to tease the creature possibly being some aquatic deity to worship but ultimately presents itself "on the nose" as much as the normal ending.
The gameplay comes across as the primary enticing factor for people giving SI a try. Once things go awry in the sub, the player must manage the upkeep of the submarine's interior structure from either the pressure of the water or the creature's vicious attacks. Fixing instabilities with tools is done in a straightforward way in this game but the frequency of dents and leaks fluctuate greatly, forcing players to constantly be on the move and managing problems as best as possible. Scaring away the creature via flashing lights becomes another added mechanic to build up intensity of surviving the increasing inhospitable nature of being under the ocean.
The game does an excellent job of having the dents and leaks presented in a ferocious manner. Visuals are one thing but the sound design of steel being under duress is perfect to inspire fear and kick you into high alert. It really goes to show how playing on the senses impacts the effectiveness of horror, even better if cliches aren't relied upon.
I didn't mind hard mode encouraging replayability to extend the value of interaction and story but I felt that it didn't add much to the table. For gameplay, differences were a bit noticeable but it felt flat as I ended up putting as much effort into hard as I did normal. For plot, the extended ending just creates a cliffhanger, much like the normal ending did. I understand that for a short playthrough, there's only so much value to produce in both categories but for how hard mode was handled, it just seems redundant.
It is welcoming to come across a title that implements horror through an uncommon approach. A simple method utilized that makes Sinking Iron peculiar but maintains an inviting atmosphere of intense engagement. In a genre where things are done in many similar fashions, why not break away from the ordinary and try something odd? Not bad, Lixian.