Despite the modest picture, Hidden Deep is a very atmospheric and rather creepy online games from the studio Friv2Online. We spent several hours in it, and we are ready to tell you what the gloomy corridors of the underwater complex hide.

We were able to try out Hidden Deep as part of a playtest that takes place before the release of the game in Early Access - so, obviously, a lot will change in the coming months. Nevertheless, even now the project can boast of a well-created atmosphere of expectation of the unknown.

All events unfold in a huge oceanic complex, where a mysterious anomaly was discovered. What exactly happened and why the connection with the scientific group that went to the place was cut off is up to the player who leads the team of researchers and the military to find out.

The author of Hidden Deep is inspired by Aliens, The Thing and Half-Life, and this is evident in everything from monster design to interface, gadgets and environments. The visual style of the friv game is reminiscent of science fiction films of the 80s, and the appearance of some devices and equipment clearly refers to Aliens.

But now aggressive organic matter breaks into the technogenic surroundings - aggressive towards the underwater complex and those who inhabit it. Biomass coats the walls of tunnels and halls, clawed outgrowths stretching from it and giant fly-like creatures detaching themselves. With the latter, the player's wards have something in common: the soldiers are dying like flies, because Hidden Deep does not give concessions.

The characters are clumsy and slow. They slowly slide off ledges and climb ladders, and falling from a height greater than human height ends fatally for them. Danger can lurk anywhere, and indiscretion is likely to lead a fighter into the jaws of a monster.

The gun will tremble in the hands of an explorer who is faced with the unknown, and the use of gadgets, such as a void scanner or a reconnaissance drone, will make him vulnerable to a monster that has jumped out of the darkness.

The game provides a half dozen characters: after the death of the unfortunate, he is replaced by the next one that will appear near the nearest checkpoint. Once the meter runs out, the adventure will end and the game will have to start from the beginning.

The action in Hidden Deep develops linearly, with players having to complete chains of quests to progress through the story. Soon after the start, the ability to control several fighters and gradually switch between them opens up. It's fun, but having to lead each character separately to the exit is tiring.

The project looks very modest in terms of graphics, but due to the atmosphere you do not pay attention to it. You carefully peer into the darkness, listen to the ambient, trying to catch the rustles - at such moments there is no time for visual beauties. In addition, due to the unpretentious picture, the game has very low system requirements.

It's too early to talk about Hidden Deep seriously: the horror is just getting ready to go to early access, and the release will not happen soon. Nevertheless, a couple of hours in the friv game were enough to feel its gloomy mood and appreciate the references to classic science fiction. In the meantime, we add the project to the waiting list and follow the news.