Impressions after finishing "Shinsekai Into the Depths" (about sound and music that is one of the most memorable things)
Introduction
I've just finished Shinsekai Into the Depths (Switch version). It's a port from Apple arcade, but I didn't know that at all. This game is a 2D Deep-sea Action/Exploration. I intend to write mainly about the sound and music in this game. They stuck with me and moved my heart while playing. I thought I'd put into words the parts of the game that were particularly striking to me. However, I have no knowledge of music myself, so I apologize in advance that I cannot write logically.
Shinsekai is a bit difficult(but interesting)
Controlling in this game is a little tricky because the stage is in the deep sea. The main character wears a heavy and mechanical diving suit, and he or she cannot move as wishes. If I'm not careful, I crash into the ground soon by inertia and am damaged.
In addition that, I must manage resources, oxygen, or weapons. Oxygen is especially essential. It is equal to HP. I must not use up, but it is decreasing without doing anything. Water pressure is also a cause of tension. The main character cannot endure the depth beyond the red line. If the body crosses the line, pressure destroys oxygen tanks and diving suit in no time, and death comes finally.
It's hard to get used to it, but it doesn't take so long. The first area also served as a tutorial, and by the time I had defeated the boss in that, I had become to be able to move around the water quite comfortably. The sense of accomplishment I got when I managed to survive under some of these restrictions and the feeling of taking a breather at the oxygen point is addictive.
Shock in The Trench
After that, while nearly drowning here and there, I was rewarded with a submarine. I boarded it and followed the path to the second area, The Trench. As soon as I stepped out into an open place, background music that had been playing quietly until then suddenly changed, without any sense of discomfort, and the woman's singing voice rushed into my ears. That was very shocking to me.
Strictly speaking, I didn't know if it was a woman's voice or even a human voice, but it is not particularly important. I was amazed by the sequence of events that the sound impressively swam through my ears.
The sound faded away, and the background music returned to a quiet tone. At the same time, I noticed that the area was too big. If I moved just a little in the previous area, I would hit a wall, or I would have to wade through a narrow cave-like space, but now, no matter how far I went, I couldn't see the end. And this was not only left and right, but up and down as well. As the name "The Trench" implies, there was an endlessly deep world. I came to have a strong awareness of the deep sea.
Unlike in a diving suit, in a submarine, I could dive as deep as I wanted. I wasn't sure if that was the correct route, but I went as far as possible. As I passed through the red line, the light from above gradually faded. Darkness filled my vision, and the silence of the deep sea began to frighten me. Then that woman's voice came into my ears again.
"Why?" I was surprised. I hadn't heard it until just before. And then, I realized that the background music changes depending on the depth (and, incidentally, whether it is underwater or not). It is called interactive music. "Amazing!" Just as I was getting excited, I was hit by the enemy's electric shock, thrown out of the submarine, and met my death.
Sound in The Deep Sea
Not only background music, but also the sound effects in this game are pleasant to the ear. I feel like those things are echoing in the deep water. It is impossible to imagine, but I feel as if I am in the deep sea. Perhaps that's why it's so hard to breathe while playing. I use cheap earphones that cost less than 2,000 yen, but even so, through the sound and music, I feel as if I'm surrounded by water. When I finished playing and took the earphones out of my ears, I thought as if I had just emerged from my diving suit. It took me to complete this game only 8 hours, but I couldn't play it for a long time at a time.
Shinsekai is Interesting and Wonderful Game
It's got a lot of fun action, music and sound, and the story that I want to read setting material. It's great that the soundtrack is now available on each music streaming service. If there's anything that catches your heart, I highly recommend you play.
