Mark of the Deep review

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From my gaming perspective, at first glance, Mark of the Deep seems reminiscent of another Hades-inspired title, which appears to be multiplying rapidly these days. Titles like Realm of Ink, Sworn, and Redacted all bear a strong resemblance to Supergiant’s iconic roguelike game. However, upon closer inspection, my journey through Mad Mimic’s adventure bears little similarity to Hades. Instead, it’s an isometric Metroidvania, with a hint of Soulslike and a sprinkle of Curse of the Dead Gods in its combat style.

In the role of a novice castaway, I’ve been shipwrecked on an enigmatic island, my crewmates either missing or deceased. Equipped with a colossal hook and an unending dodge ability, I tread towards a makeshift survivor camp, where a handful of others have gathered. My journey doesn’t end there though; I’m soon dispatched to locate the rest of my crew, hoping to find a means of escape from this bewildering island. It’s somewhat puzzling why the first person I encounter can’t accompany me, armed as he is with a formidable hammer and a beard that could house hibernating bears, but perhaps that’s just the price I pay for being the protagonist.

In this game, the narrative serves as a foundation for exploration and battles, but there’s also a hint of mystery surrounding the island. The island’s strange inhabitants and the ancient ruins they’re examining pique your curiosity. Clues about the story can be found in conversations or etched on large, luminous stone tablets scattered throughout. To put it simply, you’ll encounter swarms of undead, giant crabs, and sea monsters, and your mission is to drive these Lovecraftian creatures back into the ocean depths.

To start, you’ll be equipped with just a hook, but soon you’ll discover various methods for inflicting damage – starting with the flintlock pistol that allows you to enhance your shots by performing melee attacks first, dealing significant single-target damage. This weapon is also handy for hitting distant levers, a task you’ll frequently encounter. Throughout most of the game, Mark of the Deep will have you traverse an area, discovering hidden shortcuts and ladders along the way, to locate special levers that will eventually open the gate to the boss chamber.

As I delve deeper into this gameworld, every boss I conquer or hidden area I uncover offers me tantalizing rewards – be it a fresh weapon, mystical Relic, or innovative means to bypass barriers and explore further realms. These bosses are no walk in the park, but once you grasp their attack patterns, they become less formidable. However, keep these two points in mind: first, most of them incorporate some type of wind-up or charging move within their attacks, so timing and anticipation are key. Second, they have a knack for tracking your movements, so dodging at the wrong moment or acting too soon might result in an unwelcome punch to the gut.

Upon your demise, you’re transported back to the radiant obelisk where you previously took a break. Interestingly, adversaries reappear when you rest, yet paths you’ve discovered stay accessible and riches you’ve amassed remain in your possession. As you journey further, some members of your crew resurface, ready to assist you. This enables you to gradually establish a central base where you can purchase goods and enhance your equipment. It’s a straightforward structure, but simplicity is key here.

Players who have experienced any isometric roguelike games lately will likely recognize the art style presented here. Mark of the Deep might easily be mistaken for Hades, Ravenswatch, Curse of the Dead Gods, or other similar titles. The design is undeniably appealing, but it’s starting to border on overused. Although it seems unjust to single out Mark of the Deep for this reason, its resemblance to other games might cause some people to overlook it due to their preconceived notions about what they believe it represents.

Mark of the Deep isn’t classified as a roguelike any more than Dark Souls is. Instead, it offers persistent progression and a storyline to explore. Death only sets you back to a checkpoint so you can continue the narrative. However, I found an unusual aspect: although enemies don’t appear unless you rest, breakable objects in the environment will repair themselves when you move away from them, requiring you to break them every time you return to a specific area. Frankly, this is quite frustrating.

As a gamer, I’ll confess that sometimes I was left scratching my head about where to go next in Mark of the Deep. The game offers numerous paths to explore, but many of these routes tend to circle back on themselves due to the abundance of shortcuts. While having such detailed level design is impressive, it only works if there are distinct landmarks or memorable points of interest to help navigate by. Unfortunately, Mark of the Deep’s level design isn’t quite intuitive enough to make it easy to find my way around. There were times when I ran around an area so many times before finally finding the correct route at the top of a ladder that I was convinced I’d climbed already, only to realize it looked exactly the same as the other ladders I had definitely climbed already. It wasn’t a good look.

Essentially, these issues are minor at most. I eventually navigated through them, learning to accept combat in time. Initially, I was accustomed to evading attacks to strike from behind in Soulslike games, but here, I discovered that spacing and timing were key. The flintlock gun proved useful early on due to its high damage output per shot, and relics aided me significantly as they bestowed buffs like extending the range of Rookie’s hook or increasing the frequency and speed of dodge rolls when equipped.

I found myself repeatedly drawn to Mark of the Deep, despite minor reservations I had. The joy of discovering shortcuts never fades, and once the combat mechanics clicked, even the boss battles became enjoyable. It’s not excessively difficult, but it offers a consistent level of challenge without being overly punishing. While it might not appear unique at first glance, delve deeper and you’ll find that Mark of the Deep is an immersive, captivating small-scale journey.

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2025-01-28 12:16