8Bit/Digi

There are works of horror and then there is the unparalleled madness of H.P. Lovecraft. His works blend cosmic terror with the inexplicable, constantly reminding audiences of humanity’s insignificance in the face of incomprehensible forces. A unique style that evolved into its own genre, commonly dubbed Lovecraftian. At the same time, it gave us iconic beings such as Cthulhu, the Deep Ones, and the Necronomicon. So when a survival horror game dares to take players into the mouth of such madness, it will absolutely have my attention.

That is how Beneath got my attention with its first trailer, as it showcased the terror players will experience. It is a horror survival that has you attempting to escape an underwater research facility that has been taken over by Cthulhu. Players will battle a mix of mercenaries along with forces of the unknown while they try to preserve their sanity.

Welcome to the Bauer Station

Seasoned diver Noah Quinn is on a routine expedition along the ocean floor when contact with his ship is lost. Returning to the surface, he finds his crew dead and his daughter missing. Things quickly go from bad to worse when the dead crew reanimate as zombies, while the ship and a rescue chopper are attacked by a mysterious sea creature. Noah awakens at Bauer Station, a deep sea research facility that has also been overrun by the same dark force. Though he locates his daughter, she is infected, forcing him to search for a cure while helping survivors escape. To complicate matters further, a private military company has been deployed to the facility and are targeting survivors as they battle the unknown threat.

Beneath offers a classic Lovecraftian experience that pits players against deep-sea horrors while cut off from the world. Although surviving against Cthulhu and its minions in an underwater facility isn’t a new concept, as it has been done countless times. Instead, the game builds upon that idea by introducing unique concepts that make the experience its own. Players will still venture deep into the abyss of madness, searching for a means to escape while battling unforsaken evils. However, it also falls back on the trope of having to battle a paramilitary force sent in to cover up / extract something uncontrollable. A concept that was popularized by Half-Life and was done to death by the early 2000s.

One Station Deeper

The gameplay delivers a survival horror experience that is presented from a first-person perspective.

Players will explore Bauer Station in search of resources, including health items, ammunition, keycards, and weapon components. They must remain resourceful, carefully managing supplies and avoiding unnecessary confrontations with hostile forces. At the same time, there is an ever-present sense that something far greater lurks beyond their understanding, leaving them powerless and uncertain. Adding to the challenge is the need to protect your sanity or risk being consumed by it.

Combat follows a standard first-person shooter format, allowing players to pick up a variety of weapons such as pistols, SMGs, and shotguns. These weapons can be upgraded to increase damage or ammunition capacity. Players are best advised to focus upgrades on their preferred weapon, but should also rotate among others due to ammo limitations, as some weapons are more effective against specific enemies.

Journey into the Madness

One thing I’ve really appreciated about Beneath since its first trailer is that it’s a Lovecraftian survival horror game that isn’t a walking simulator. When it comes to survival horror, I’m a traditionalist, going back to my days of playing Resident Evil 2 on the N64. I enjoy the tension and constant struggle to survive, but I also want a fighting chance. Unfortunately, most modern Lovecraftian horror games have devolved into walking simulators with jump scares. They build atmosphere and a sense of dread, but become boring quickly because there’s little real interaction. I prefer a Lovecraftian experience more in line with Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem or Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth.

It’s an experience that Beneath manages to deliver, creating an atmosphere of suspense while still giving players a fighting chance. “Chance” is the keyword here, as the odds are heavily stacked against you, forcing you to rely on your wits to survive. This aspect is well executed throughout the game, requiring players to explore every corner of Bauer Station while carefully avoiding hostile forces.

The Call of Cthulhu

Beneath has all the right ideas but fails to execute them effectively, resulting in a deeply flawed experience. Its biggest issue lies in an identity crisis regarding its genre — it can’t decide whether it wants to be a survival horror or a first-person shooter. These two genres are fundamentally opposed: one emphasizes resource management and vulnerability, while the other is about blasting everything in sight. This conflict becomes most evident when the game builds an atmosphere of dread and tension, only to shatter it with chaotic gunfights against mercenary troops. To make matters worse, this overused trope I mentioned dominates the opening hours, forcing players through relentless shootouts long before actually having to survive a horror experience.

This brings us to another issue: the game’s slow start and uneven pacing. The early section begins with a deep-sea exploration that takes you away from the starting point, only to loop back momentarily at a sluggish pace. The sense of tedium continues when returning to the research ship and upon arriving at Bauer Station. Yet, it doesn’t end there. The game strives to build tension, but there is almost no payoff or genuine scares. It takes a significant amount of time before the survival horror elements actually begin to take hold.

Finally, I can’t overlook the performance issues I encountered during my playthrough. To the game’s credit, I didn’t experience any crashes or game-breaking bugs. However, there was plenty of jank, along with noticeable framerate drops and rendering hiccups. It often feels like the game could have benefited from additional development time to achieve a higher level of polish.

Survive the Nightmare

So is Beneath an experience that horror gamers and Lovecraft fans will enjoy? The answer is yes, as it’s still fun to play and it has a good number of moments. However, its flaws hold it back from greatness as they are not hard to ignore. At best, some of its issues can be resolved after a few patches.

Beneath is a survival horror game that puts you in a desperate fight to escape an underwater research facility overtaken by Cthulhu. It’s a game that understands how to build tension and suspense while testing your skills in classic survival horror fashion. Despite its many flaws, it delivers enough atmosphere and intrigue for players to overlook its rough edges.

Disclaimer: The publisher, through a PR representative, provided the game used for this review.

This review is the critique and thoughts of one writer. If you want to see how other critics felt, then check it out on OpenCritic.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides insight into the gamer community of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Beneath (PC)

7

Good

7.0/10

Pros

• Easy to learn gameplay mechanics and quality combat.
• It knows how to build tension and create suspense.
• Plenty of Lovecraftian elements in the world and story.
• It's not a walking simulator with jump scares.

Cons

• It’s unsure if it wants to be a horror survival or a first person shooter.
• Slow start and uneven pacing at some points.
• Game feels janky and needed more time to polish.