Fear of the unknown should never deter scientists from conducting pragmatic experiments. The true definition of science cannot be shackled by moral constraints, especially since those have shifted wilidly across human history. Opening up new horizons for human nature itself in this alternate timeline, Surviving the Abyss is the promising Steam debut for its developer, Rocket Flair Studios as well as a textbook example of independent publishing incentives, through the Paradox Arc program.

"The underwater cousin" to Surviving Mars or Surviving the Aftermath, you would presume. And you would be mostly correct, as Paradox Interactive is supporting the game, even if in a more hands-off manner than the aforementioned strategy games. They share certain gameplay elements, strands of DNA, if you'll indulge me. And given the topic of this Abyss, it's quite an appropriate analogy.

Cloning has been taboo throughout the 20th and so far into the 21st century as well. Dolly the Sheep was the first mammal to be successfully cloned in 1996 and it survived for a decent amount of time, even if that meant just half of its species' natural lifespan. Human clones are another fact entirely. Deeply-rooted into the realm of Science Fiction, officially there have been no historical attempts at cloning another human being, but we know better than to believe that.

Just as Surviving the Abyss explains in its intro, some experiments are best kept away from public scrutiny until social acceptance can be achieved. Convenient lies and sugarcoating are par for the course within the upper echelons of decision making. In dictatorships and democracies alike, the concept of "closed cities" is used for experiments which the world at large is not yet prepared to acknowledge.

The sort of places where it's far easier to get in than out. Not ideal though. An underwater facility on the ocean floor, shields scientific endeavours even better than a location in the middle of a scorching desert or dense forest. Logistical issues aside, the pressure at those abyssal depths has allowed lifeforms to evolve completely different from their counterparts adapted to more shallow waters.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2940906574

Complete darkness, near-freezing temperature and crushing pressure are all obstacles surpassed by the mysteriously funded facility whose new Overseer you have just been appointed. The crew is minimal, kept on a need-to-know basis and resupplying from surface vessels is strictly monitored. Once you've set up the vital infrastructure by providing air, nutrients and electricity, you shall commence the research and cloning processes as soon as possible.

Unity Engine reporting for duty! A surprisingly light package, as far as the install size is concerned, yet there are plenty to admire and accomplish in Surviving the Abyss. If you think it's kinda dark out there, well that's the point. Sunlight is absent and you're left to your own devices amongst strange creatures and complex experiments. Press the "L" key for a couple of seconds and you'll be able to hide the HUD for some proper screenshots.

Performance was spotless and visual diversity is achieved by the constant unlocking of new buildings. Your late game, sprawling facility will almost rival Rapture, if only that sordid place was focused on science instead of a libertarian wet dream. I'm hoping for more wildlife species in subsequent updates, as the DNA pool must be constantly expanded! Small steps, taking it easy. At least the dev team is listening to player feedback.

Surviving the Abyss falls flat on its face in terms of audio assets. I know that the ocean floor should be as silent as the grave, but you're shaping society's future over there. There isn't any voice acting. Crew banter would have been great. Furthermore, I'm really curious about the conversations between creators and their creations. Clones capable of filling all those jobs aboard the facility, are surely knowledgeable in sufficient topics regardless of their short life spans. They should ask their "parents": "What is my purpose?", "Do I have a soul?".

When I mentioned that there are very few initial workers and scientists within your facility, the reason for this apparent manpower shortage is being revealed once you realize that you're creating adult clones fully capable of labor-intensive activities and critical thinking. Even the weakest genomes shall provide a new crew member with the lifespan of several weeks.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2940906563

Your most important resource is represented by these clones and you'll focus your efforts on perfecting the cloning process until your "children" exhibit no more defects or mutations shortening their lives and overall usefulness. I'll compare the DNA sequencing in Surviving the Abyss with the similar gameplay mechanics from the Jurassic World Evolution series.

Trial and error, lots of failed "incubations" before you manage to produce a genetically superior specimen. And that involves splicing the genes of numerous animal species until you ascertain the optimal list of desired traits on top of the cost-effective survival rate. Yet you're not alone in the dark. We dream of space exploration and colonization, when we haven't truly mapped the ocean floor of our home planet first.

There are anomalies which will try to hinder your experiments. Few are benign and just like the tumors of your first cloning batches, you must carefully extract such obstacles, just as you navigate the cold darkness by providing the safety of increasingly potent lighting methods. Nyctophobia (fear of the dark) and thalassophobia (fear of large bodies of water) bundled up neatly in a single package that's going to keep you alert without stifling creativity.

As if the clones weren't dwindling fast enough, you need to switch from coal to oil as soon you can, since your expansion flow will be determined by how fast you deplete energy sources while constantly scanning and exploiting new resource nodes. You do not want to run out of fuel, since that causes catastrophic blackouts. Light is life in the abyss and you'll eventually understand what I mean. Don't bite more than you can chew.

Fortunately, you can pause at any time and plan ahead in peace. Just focus on early expansion within the safety of the central hub whose shining beacon will become a lighthouse against the uncertainty of the darkness surrounding it. Always have a surplus of resources, since story events can and will temporarily disable certain structures and cause dissent within your workforce. An efficient Overseer will try to placate mutineers while ensuring that such issues won't repeat. Clones are not slaves, remember that.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2940906552

It's an Early Access title, properly labelled as such. Yet you won't be met with janky controls, barebones gameplay or the inherent instability that's become synonymous with so many games released within that stage. Pushing the boundries of ethics can be such a fragile path towards ruin. After all, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. It helps if you don't believe in its existence, yet there are entities lurking within the abyss that would beg to differ.

+ Beautiful graphics.
+ Replay value through unlockables.
+ Complex gameplay focusing on science and moral dilemmas.

- No Steam Trading Cards nor Achievements.
- Utter lack of voice acting.

This article was submitted for Imperial Reviews. Following my Curator Page, will help me keep publishing new reviews as soon as I can. Thank you for your support!