Hidden Deep Looks Like The Thing Meets The Abyss In First Trailer

Fear is best experienced in a group, and side-scrolling survival horror game Hidden Deep aims to bring that terror to a party of four when it releases later this year. Set in a subterranean research facility that has gone mysteriously dark, players will have to navigate the undersea facility while keeping an eye open for deadly alien creatures that have been clearly inspired by the best of 1980s horror.

"The action takes place about 1.6 km under the ocean floor," developer Cogwheel Games explained on the Hidden Deep Steam page. "A group of researchers detected some strange anomalies of unknown nature and organized an expedition to examine this mysterious phenomenon. After 681 days, contact with the researchers suddenly breaks off. You are the leader of the second team who must find out what happened."

The trailer is worth watching not just for a taste of Hidden Deep's atmospheric suspense, but also for a brief reference to John Carpenter's 1982 classic The Thing and its infamous defibrillator scene.

Each level of Hidden Deep promises "narrative-driven hand-crafted levels", as well as randomized levels designed to deliver fast and intense action according to Cogwheel Games. Players can tackle the game on their own and co-op is also being considered currently. You'll also be able to craft your own undersea nightmare with a level editor when the game releases on PC in 2021.

Last night's Future Games Show had plenty of other trailers showing off what's still to come this year. Kena: Bridge of Spirits revealed adorable hats in its lush world, and if you're more interested in an adventure starring the infamous hermit Gollum from Lord of the Rings, Daedelic Entertainment has a fascinating new take on the character coming next year.