In the summer of 2019, Norwegian Sarepta Studio confirmed that it was working on its next project. Almost five years later, the BAFTA winner has finally shown off more of the game, which will be launched already this summer.
In a press release, the developer explains that the game, called Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss, is a psychological mystery. Players step into the shoes of Cam, a diver who is out on a mission when his ship suddenly sinks to the bottom of the ocean. As the sole survivor of the shipwreck, players must plunge into the depths to find out what has happened.
– Fascination to explore emotions
Along the way, the game will, among other things, “explore how stress, grief and loss affect the mind”. It’s about psychology and trauma, themes that Sarepta also tackled in their previous game – My Child Lebensborn.
– At Sarepta, we have a fascination for exploring emotions in games. Our vision is to create emotionally gripping stories, Sarepta CEO Catharina Bøhler tells Gamer.no.
– The reason is probably because it is an exciting creative and technical challenge to explore the game medium in slightly different ways. I definitely think that the gaming medium makes it more attainable to convey serious stories in a way that can touch people on a deeper level.
What happened to the ship Thalassa? And what about the crew on board?
Team 17
While My Child Lebensborn’s challenge was to take care of a young child going through difficulties, Thalassa takes a more direct approach. Here, it is the player who, through the eyes of Cam, is exposed to difficulties and has to deal with the emotions that come with it.
There is another way of telling the story, in what Bøhler predicts is a sea of unexplored possibilities for the game medium.
– I think the mediating techniques within games are still quite unexplored. For fear of being a bit corny, it feels a bit like exploring the sea. We think we have a fair idea of what’s there, but have only explored five percent. There is probably much that is beautiful and certainly scary in the undiscovered.
– It is important to us that this is not horror
While staying at the bottom of the ocean can be terrifying enough for many, it was important to Sarepta that Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss not be a horror.
Catharina Bøhler is general manager of Sarepta Studio.
Women in Games
– It has been very important to us that this is not a horror game. It’s not meant to be scary at all. Mostly because it doesn’t fit with the visions, and we are of the opinion that it is difficult to make room for other emotions if the primary emotion you are sitting with is fear, notes Bøhler.
Mutters alone must travel through the ship Thalassa, where it rests on the seabed. Puzzles must be solved and various tools must be used to get into restricted areas. At the same time, you should mainly feel the atmosphere of the game keep up with.
– The game has no “jump scares” and we have worked with music, ambient lighting and the like so that you feel wonder, mystery and melancholy. Some scenes may feel uncomfortable for some, due to dramatic underwater events, but we hope that most people will be able to feel comfortable playing even if the game takes place underwater.
Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss takes players to the depths of the ocean, but doesn’t aim to be scary.
Team 17
Exactly how much Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss wears on the nerves, players will see as early as June 18. Then the game will come to PC via Steam, Sarepta revealed in the first proper trailer for the experience. You can see this at the top of the article.
On the occasion of the launch, the Norwegian studio has entered into a collaboration with Team 17 Digital, which is the publisher of the game. Creative Europe, Norwegian Film Institute, Innovation Norway, FilmInvest, East Norwegian Film Center and the Culture Council have helped finance the project.
READ ALSO: The Hamar studio Perfectly Paranormal will release its next game in the summer »
