Video Games
New ‘Still Wakes the Deep’ Update Adds Silver Screen Mode, Chapter Select
Despite working to get Bloodlines 2 ready for launch next year, The Chinese Room hasn’t forgotten about Still Wakes The Deep players. The newest update to the first-person narrative horror game adds some new goodies in the form of a monochromatic “Silver Screen” mode, as well as a Chapter Select available from the main menu.
Silver Screen mode gives players the opportunity to experience Still Wakes The Deep in a stark monochrome (think the Visual Filter Pack for The Quarry), providing an even more cinematic and atmospheric experience. Silver Screen mode can be toggled at any time from the Video section of the Settings menu.
Also new is the Chapter Select, allowing players to relive their favourite moments of the game whenever they choose. The game has been separated into 23 scenes, allowing you to experience memorable scenes– such as Caz’s standoff with Rennick at the start of the game, or the eerily beautiful elevator ride through the pontoons – whenever you like. Chapter Select is available from the main menu.
Set aboard the Beira D oil rig off the coast of Scotland in the North Sea in 1975, Still Wakes the Deep has players fighting for their lives while they’re stalked by an unknowable horror that has come aboard. As Cameron “Caz” McLeary (voiced by Alec Newman), players will navigate the collapsing rig, desperately searching for a way home.
Still Wakes the Deep is available today on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC via Steam. If you haven’t picked it up yet, check out Harrison’s review before adding the game to your Christmas wishlist.
Overshadowing the announcement of Ninja Theory’s third entry in the Hellblade series earlier this month were reports that the developer was facing possible closure by Microsoft, alongside South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games and Double Fine. Now according to a new story by GamesBeat, another developer under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella is potentially facing closure in Undead Labs, who are currently working on State of Decay 3.
Earlier this month, new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma had announced that Microsoft was in the process of ‘resetting’ Xbox. That resulted in a report by Bloomberg during Summer Game Fest that revealed that multiple developers were negotiating with Microsoft to spin off of Xbox to avoid closing down. Now, according to the GamesBeat report, Undead Labs is now part of that group of developers negotiating to be bought to avoid layoffs.
The article states that Undead Labs could lose 110 jobs if it were shut down, while Compulsion could lose 90 jobs, Ninja Theory could lose 135 jobs, and Double Fine Productions could lose 100 jobs.
Other developers and publishers at Microsoft also reportedly face cuts, including Blizzard, id Software and Bethesda.
Undead Labs was acquired by Microsoft back in 2018, with State of Decay 3 being announced in 2020. News on the development of the game was quiet until 2024, when a new trailer was released. Updates on the game again were hard to come by until last January when then-Xbox Game Studios lead Craig Duncan revealed that development was still very much alive. That was followed up this month with an official announcement that State of Decay 3 would be coming next year to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store.