During Gamescom 2022 Opening Night Live, Parallel Studio and Quantic Dream announced Under The Wavesa new narrative adventure game via a very deep trailer.
When mourning makes us sink into the depths
Under the Waves will take us to the abyss of the North Sea where we can discover the story of Stan, a man overwhelmed by mourning. This professional diver in the service of an oil drilling company will experience several strange events while being alone in the seabed.
Here is what Ronan Coiffec, CEO and Game Director at Parallel Studio, tells us about this new project:
“Under The Waves™ is the most intense and personal game we’ve ever worked on. We are an independent team, made up of a dozen members, and everything we wanted to share is found in the game. From artistic direction to writing, from sound mixing to technologies mobilized, we have all been able to leave our mark in Under The WavesTM. We sincerely hope players love the game as much as we loved creating it.”
Narrative games specialist Quantic Dream offered its expertise and resources to the studio to develop the title. This includes motion capture, voice recording, animations, quality control, localization etc. It is also a Franco-French partnership since the two structures are both based in Paris.
Here is what Guillaume de Fondaumière, co-CEO of Quantic Dream, says about this collaboration:
“In 2021, when we announced our partnership with Parallel Studio, we were already looking forward to bringing their work to gamers. Today, we are delighted to present Under The Waves, a unique experience, created by this team of passionate Parisians. We worked hand in hand with Parallel Studio, giving them access to our resources, so that they could realize a project that lived up to their expectations and thus create their most ambitious game to date. We are also very proud to support the Surfrider Foundation Europe, whose values and actions echo the theme deployed by Under The Waves”.
Indeed, through its themes and its aquatic setting, Parallel Studio and Quantic Dream are also announcing a partnership with the Surfrider Foundation Europe, a non-profit association whose vocation is the protection and enhancement of lakes, rivers, oceans and coasts around the world.
Coming back to the game itself, you should know thatbetween the exploration of wrecks and cavities nourished by a rich underwater lifeStan will have to choose between resurfacing or risking being lost forever in the depths.
Under the Waves will be released in 2023 on PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.