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Beneath: Everything We Know

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Camel 101, the studio that brought Those Who Remain and Syndrome to fulfilment, has announced Beneath, a “heart-pounding” action horror game for consoles and PC. In this latest venture, players will dive deep into the bottomless ocean abyss as Noah Quinn, a veteran deep-sea diver who must overcome treacherous trials and tribulations in order to survive its horrifying depths and find a route leading home.

“Armed with weapons and wits, Noah Quinn knows he will have to face the horror if he has any chance of escape,” the blurb elaborates. “And some nightmares are beyond bullets. Quinn's mental state is on the brink of collapse and he must avoid succumbing to madness if he ever hopes to reach the surface again.”

So, what more do you need to know about the upcoming action horror? Well, here's everything we've been able to gather since Camel 101 pitched it to the public earlier this week.

What Is Beneath?

Beneath is an upcoming action horror game by Camel 101. The concept, much like BioShock or Cold Fear, is based around the ocean—specifically the dark depths in which underwater facilities barely operate and mysterious creatures run amok. While preserving ammunition and keeping a lid on your mentality, you will need to dive deep into a field of abandoned facilities, using a mixture of stealth, strategy, and full-frontal combat to survive the horrors that lay in wait.

At its core, Beneath bears all the appropriate elements to be considered a first-person shooter. That said, with Camel 101 stating that “ammunition is scarce,” it does seem likely that the gameplay will be more story-driven than bullet-riddled. Either that, or the lack of ammo will serve only as an additional challenge in a disadvantageously unbalanced action-adventure.

Story

You fill the boots of Noah Quinn, a veteran deep-sea diver who finds himself lost at sea, abandoned, without radio support, and in the midst of an underwater network of science facilities. With his crew dead and the final fragments of hope whittled down to a pittance, Quinn must brave the horrors that idle in the darkest depths, using a repertoire of weapons and strategies to survive and find a way back to the surface.

Beneath isn't just about finding a way home, though, as you'll come to learn as Quinn will have to endure a battle of the mind for every moment he's lost at sea. As the overseer of sorts, you must work to not only explore the depths, but maintain sanity levels and keep his psyche from fizzling out.

Gameplay

Going by the trailer that released earlier this week, Beneath will be something of a first-person shooter game—one that features a whole lot of assault and melee weapons to boot. As ammo is supposedly scarce, however, full-frontal or even wall-to-wall combat isn't likely to be the only thing players will be engaging in. In fact, seeing as Beneath is also coined as a horror game, stealth will no doubt play a part in the overall gameplay experience. And, not to mention the sanity mechanic—an element that you will have to remain on top of for the sake of keeping the protagonist alive and kicking.

Of course, there's still a whole lot we don't actually know about Beneath, nor its gameplay features, for that matter. That said, first impressions definitely remind us of FEAR, another action-horror hybrid that gravitated towards a mixture of exploration, stealth, combat, and a variation of jump scares. If Beneath is anything of the sort, then it'll be a real treat for fans of Monolith Productions' saga.

Development

Camel 101, an award-winning studio that prides itself on being a jack-of-all-trades of gaming, has been the leading force behind games such as Syndrome, Those Who Remain, and Gemini Wars. Its latest project, Beneath, was announced on March 1, 2023, after which the team brought a sneak preview trailer to the table, as well as an update stating the game would launch on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam in 2024.

Trailer

Beneath - Official Announcement Trailer

Hoping to catch a trailer? You're in luck, as Camel 101 did actually post a sneak preview of the game earlier this week. Much to our surprise, it actually wound up giving away more than we initially bargained for—especially in the gameplay department. Interested in seeing what's to come next year? You can see it for yourself by checking out the embed above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Beneath will be launching on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam in 2024. Will it be coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, or Switch? Camel 101 hasn't said yet, but given the fact that it'll be shaping up for a 2024 release—a year that's “supposed” to see a gradual decline in ex-gen games—it does seem somewhat unlikely. Still, never say never, and all that jazz.

As it's still early days, Camel 101 hasn't actually mentioned anything to do with the launch editions. The question we're all yearning to have answered is simple: will there be any deluxe or special editions to go alongside the base version? But to put it straight, the answer, as frustrating as it is to admit, is maybe. That said, we aren't likely to get a clearer image of said editions until much further down the line—sometime in the months leading up to its 2024 launch, no doubt.

For more information on the Beneath launch, you can follow the official social feed here. If anything interesting pops up before its 2024 release, we'll be sure to let you know all of the details right here on gaming.net.

 

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Beneath when it eventually drops? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here or down in the comments below.

Jord is acting Team Leader at gaming.net. If he isn't blabbering on in his daily listicles, then he's probably out writing fantasy novels or scraping Game Pass of all its slept on indies.