Beneath promises a rich horror adventure with intense gunplay and a captivating story, but the developers clearly lacked the experience and budget to make the game truly gripping. We explore the game’s immersion into Lovecraftian Hell in our review.
- Developer: Camel 101
- Publisher: Wired Productions
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5 , Xbox Series X|S
- Release date: October 27, 2025
Beneath’s intro is an example of how not to open a game. The slow, ocean -floor wandering will likely leave some of the audience cold—the scene is just too boring, and even the protagonist’s dialogue with his invisible companions isn’t entertaining.
Returning to the ship , things get a little more fun: the hero discovers that someone has attacked the vessel in his absence, slaughtering the crew. However, the dead soon rise from the dead, and a helicopter arrives , snatching a giant tentacle that emerges from the water and dragging it away. Having lost consciousness, the man awakens at some research station: he must explore a complex crammed with bloodthirsty infected and unfriendly military personnel to find a way to help his daughter, who has been stricken with the virus .
Beneath’s plot seamlessly blends fantasy and Lovecraftian horror , and the story is engaging, though don’t expect any revelations. However, the rather poor cutscenes and lack of good direction hinder the full enjoyment of the action.
Good gameplay could have improved the situation, but the game suffers from a number of issues in this regard. The early chapters are very slow to pick up the pace, forcing you to wander through repetitive corridors, solve boring puzzles , and contend with conventions like the lack of a jump button, which makes even a small obstacle become an insurmountable obstacle that requires a detour.
Over time, the action picks up speed, the weak pistol is replaced by more lethal weapons, and the enemies become more diverse. At its best, the shooter is reminiscent of the FEAR series , which is a good thing, despite Monolith’s product being released over twenty years ago. Partial destruction and an abundance of flying particles make battles spectacular and impressive. Weapons can be upgraded, although the impact on performance is negligible. Gunplay isn’t exactly exciting, but some enjoyment can still be had from the shootouts.
Moreover, the project literally blinds the player with ambiguous effects. Beneath is the first game in which you want to lower the graphics settings, not because of performance, but because the lighting and especially reflections are simply broken. Rays disintegrate, turning into mush, reflections make surfaces almost mirror-like – even those that shouldn’t reflect anything – and unsightly glare appears on glass.
Beneath is a title from a small team, created with love and a desire to achieve a high-quality result. Unfortunately, neither time nor the presence of a relatively large publisher in Wired Productions allowed the creators to release a truly top-notch product. A lack of budget and lofty ambitions likely played a role, but that’s part of the experience, and with due diligence, Camel 101 has every chance of delivering something even better next time.
- Not a bad plot
- Lively firefights in the second half of the campaign
- Boring and drawn-out introduction
- Weak gunplay
- Monotonous locations
- Unfinished visual effects
