Publisher: Uppercut Games
Genre: Adventure
Summary: Miku explores an overgrown, flooded city to find supplies to aid her wounded brother Taku.
Gameplay: Miku maneuvers through the city in a motorboat, occasionally finding upgrades that can boost the boat's speed (which seemed unnecessary, as I often needed to go slowly through the ruined buildings. And I just liked to do so to enjoy the atmosphere.)
She has a telescope that may spot these upgrades or secrets (pictograms telling the history of the city) or supplies, which are marked on the map. Upon tying up to a building, Miku must climb and jump through the ruined structure to find secrets and the supplies needed for Taku.
Style: The city boasts a dramatic art deco style that is only enhanced by the destruction wrought by time, water, and overgrowth. Strangely organic whales and dolphins occupy the waters below and pelicans and pigeons fly above.
Time passes, allowing the city to shine in the sunset and the moon and stars to reflect on the waters. Sometimes it rains and storms. The music is sometimes dramatic, sometimes mournful, and sometimes there is none, leaving just the quiet backdrop of seagulls and the waves below.
The siblings' story is told via pictographs and their own language, which contrasts nicely with the ruins.
Story: Learning the background of the siblings gradually as Miku treats her brother works well, and the pictures are easy to understand. The story of the city is more mysterious, but its overall presence is entertaining, and there is enough information to make the conclusion of the game satisfying.
Conclusion: Submerged has a gorgeous, intriguing world. I enjoyed exploring it without having to worry about having to shoot something every second. It does not offer a lot of variety or length, but it has a solid, well-paced short story.
I do wish, however, that the secrets about the city were better explained. Since each is just an individual pictograph, and it's difficult to discover them all, they are harder to interpret than those about the siblings' past. I would prefer to have some translated comments, or some better reward for going out of my way for finding them.