Static Dread: The Submarine Review Summary
Last updated: 2026-08-15
- Excellent story and narrative
- Multiple endings and replayability
- Atmospheric setting and sound
- Confusing and poorly paced story
- Poor dialogue and voice acting
- Too short and linear game
Emotions
Archetypes
- Sample precision
- Helpful reviews
- 92%
- Unhelpful reviews
- 8%
- Protest reviews
- 0%
- 78%Helpful reviews with positive sentiment
- 22%Helpful reviews with negative sentiment
- Positive points
- 80
- Negative points
- 56
- Gameplay points
- 40
- Perf. points
- 0
- Rec. points
- 23
- Misc points
- 41
| Point | Description | Importance |
|---|---|---|
Excellent story and narrative
| The narrative is widely praised as well-written, intriguing, and atmospheric. Reviewers highlight great storytelling, unexpected twists, and a compelling mystery, with one giving the story a 10/10. | 97% |
Multiple endings and replayability
| The game offers multiple endings and branching paths, with player choices significantly impacting the story. This encourages repeated playthroughs, with some reviewers playing three times or considering multiple playthroughs a must. | 85% |
Atmospheric setting and sound
| The submarine setting and dense atmosphere of mystery and paranoia are highly praised. Soundtracks and menu music are considered great and atmospheric, enhancing the horror experience. | 74% |
Great overall game
| Players consistently praise the game as a strong, enjoyable experience with many positives. It is described as excellent, very good, and a great way to pass time. | 70% |
Improved gameplay over first
| Players note gameplay is better than the previous game, with cool upgrades and more complex, logical choices. Tedious resource management is largely removed, replaced by crew management and minigames. | 54% |
Stylish and improved graphics
| The graphics are praised as stylish, very good, and noticeably better than in The Lighthouse, thanks to 3D character models. The art style is appealing and filters fit the game's aesthetic. | 46% |
Puzzles and minigames well-received
| The puzzles and minigames are described as not oppressive, good, and working well. They are less annoying than the previous game's constant cobweb and spooky paint smear patrol. | 37% |
Excellent voice acting
| The voice acting is highlighted as a perfect addition and one of the best parts of the game. It is praised as fantastic and solid, along with overall sound quality. | 37% |
Interesting alternative history view
| The game offers an intriguing alternative view on history and works well as a prequel to the Lighthouse adventures. The setting and story within the Static Dread universe are well received. | 32% |
Positive reception from fans
| The game is seen as a good addition for fans of the previous game and the Lovecraft genre. It is considered an exciting prequel and a quality indie game from Russian developers. | 32% |
Great horror experience
| The horror elements are praised as great, with intense atmosphere and unexpected moments, including dealing with a monster. It is recommended as a must-play for horror fans. | 30% |
Engaging crew management theme
| The central crew management theme works well, with task distribution and echolocation analysis mechanics being interesting. Managing crew and doing odd minigames is enjoyable. | 28% |
Clear narrative and characters
| The story and characters are described as vivid and solid, with intriguing writing that shows rather than tells. The atmosphere of mystery and paranoia is intense. | 28% |
Satisfying ending and challenges
| The best ending is challenging but satisfying, with one reviewer getting the correct ending on the first try. Players were satisfied with finishing the game successfully. | 26% |
Easy navigation and objectives
| The gameplay is simple to understand, with easy navigation via Tab objectives and green direction indicators. This makes the game accessible and less frustrating. | 19% |