First revealed back in January, Hidden Deep is a sinister new side-scrolling sci-fi thriller developed by Cogwheel Software – a small production studio consisting of a single developer by the name of Lukasz KaluskiTeaming with Daedalic Entertainment to bring his vision to Steam later this year, Kaluski is aiming to release an unnerving sci-fi experience that takes influence from horror classics like John Carpenter's The Thing and James Cameron's Aliens.

In a hands-off presentation attended by Game Rant, the developer revealed a ton of new details about Hidden Deep, including how levels will play out, which creepy monsters players will go up against, and new multiplayer modes currently in development. Kaluski already looks to be building an engrossing sci-fi experience, with the game forcing players to be wary of their environment and use their wits to stay alive.

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Hidden Deep's core premise tasks players with navigating a mysterious facility discovered below the ocean floor, seeing them guide a team of four explorers through various levels as they solve puzzles, navigate caves, and avoid enemies. From the footage shown during the presentation, it appears the experience centers heavily around problem-solving, with one segment showing a character gruesomely die after swimming past a large underwater device.

In a bid to disable the machine and move past it, Kaluski shows that players can switch characters at will, with the developer navigating a team of three separate crewmates through a different cavern to turn off the device. Figuring out how to overcome problems won't be easy, with players have to find their way around an array of hazards. These come in different forms, whether that's tentacles that grab players from above, monsters that suck them into the floor, or walkways that cave in on them while they're spelunking.

To help evade these environmental dangers, the player will need to utilize an arsenal of equipment, including diggers, explosives, grapple hooks, drones, and more. They'll also have access to various firearms, which can be used to battle Hidden Deep's terrifying monsters.

Speaking of the game's threats, there will be a decent range of foes, with Kaluski claiming he intends to add over 20 creatures to the experience by the time it's complete. One of these will allegedly even take over the player's teammates, posing as a human before eventually killing them in a similar fashion to the parasitic antagonist of John Carpenter's The Thing. According to the developer, losing a character in a battle doesn't immediately mean the team will be sent back to the start of the level, but he did reveal there will be limits to how much the player can respawn.

Kaluski is currently in the process of adding a cooperative mode, which allows two players to team up to conquer Hidden Deep's ominous facility together. It's in the early stages of development right now, but the developer claims it will eventually sport split-screen and online play, claiming that the advancement opens up a lot of avenues for the future of Hidden Deep. The game already looks to be filled with plenty of imaginative ideas and is definitely one to watch in the lead-up to its debut later this year.

Hidden Deep is coming to PC later this year.

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