Ex-Blizzard and Ubisoft staffer Ryan R. Burns has announced The Oily Depths, his debut project as a solo indie developer, and if you're into the likes of Lethal Company, you'll probably enjoy this one.
The Oily Depths is a "short horror game" set on a deep-sea submarine, according to Burns' announcement. Your goal is to locate oil deposits and drill for them, and if you don't do a satisfactory job, "your corporate overlords will stop your supply of oxygen".
There's something delightfully poetic about Burns, who's worked for both Blizzard and Ubisoft, creating a game about how corporations will crush you without a second thought if you don't perform well enough for them, but perhaps I shouldn't read too much into that.
The Oily Depths employs a lo-fi art style that's very similar to Lethal Company's, and it has similar themes of corporate indifference in the face of looming monstrous horror.
The difference, though - and it's a pretty big difference at that - is that The Oily Depths is a single-player experience, so you won't need to recruit any of your friends to enjoy this one with you.
You will, however, need to gain mastery over the tools at your disposal. Burns says you'll need to "flip levers, grab tools, set locking-arms, and more" if you want to escape from the deep-sea abyss with oil (and, more importantly, your sanity).
You can check out the announcement trailer for The Oily Depths, which gives a good idea of what the game's atmosphere will be like, right here.
By the looks of things, you won't just be operating your sub and drilling for oil in The Oily Depths; you may also have to deal with monstrous creatures trying to sabotage your machines, so keep your wits about you.
The Oily Depths can be wishlisted right now via Steam. It doesn't have a release date yet, so stay tuned for more.
