Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss
A diver returns to a sunken ship to uncover its secrets.
Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss, an adventure title from 2024, was created by the Norwegian independent studio Sarepta and published by Team17. The player takes on the role of Cam, a diver who fled the ship Thalassa after a traumatic accident in 1905. Following the vessel’s sinking and the loss of all hands, Cam returns to investigate the wreck and uncover the events that led to the disaster. The game is played from a first-person perspective, with players gathering clues and connecting them in a manner similar to assembling a mind map. Useful items, such as keys and bolt cutters, can be collected to help Cam navigate the wreckage.
Released for Windows on August 1, 2024, the game earned positive scores on Metacritic. RTÉ.ie noted that it begins at a slow pace with considerable backtracking, but that the narrative grows emotionally impactful. Slant Magazine observed that some mysteries became apparent before the game allowed the player to solve them; they also criticized the cutscenes and described the story as uneven, though they acknowledged it occasionally captures the unease of being somewhere forbidden. VG247 found the story slow to start but increasingly enjoyable, recommending it to those seeking a balance of complex themes and engaging gameplay.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss
- Developer
- Sarepta Studio
- Publisher
- Team17
- Director
- Yvette Bublitz
- Designer
- Christian Bull-Hansen · Ross Hartshorn
- Programmer
- Øyvind Rasmussen
- Artist
- Kjartan Widerøe Forthun
- Writer
- Matt Gibbs · Giles Armstrong
- Composer
- Simon Poole
- Platforms
- Windows
- Released
- WW · August 1, 2024
- Genre
- Adventure
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In 1905, a diver named Cam leaves their ship, the Thalassa, after an accident causes them to become traumatised. When the Thalassa sinks and everyone dies, they return to explore the wreckage and find out what happened. The game is an adventure game in which players explore in first-person perspective, searching for clues and figuring out how they interrelate, similar to arranging a mind map. Players can collect items that will help them guide Cam through the Thalassa, such as keys and bolt cutters.
Reader's Guide
Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss received positive reviews on Metacritic. RTÉ.ie said it is initially a slow-paced game that requires a lot of backtracking, but the story becomes very affecting. Slant Magazine realized some of the answers to the mysteries before the game would let them solve it; they criticized the use of cutscenes and found the story to be uneven, though they said it sometimes channels the uneasiness of being somewhere one should not be. VG247 said the story starts off slowly, but they grew to enjoy it, recommending it to people looking for a game that balances complex themes with fun gameplay. The game was developed by Sarepta, an independent studio in Norway.
Did You Know?
- The game was released for Windows on August 1, 2024.
- Players explore the wreckage of a 19th-century ship of which they were previously a crewmember.
- The protagonist is a diver named Cam, short for Cameron.
- Sarepta Studio, the developer, is an independent studio in Norway.
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