As far as niche titles go, Depth should really come in as an incredibly tight one. The premise of Depth is simple and yet more beautiful for it. You’re a diver/shark and must thin out the opposition’s population before they do the same to you. There’s really little more to it than that. That does rather make Depth sound like a game which is so simply that anyone could pick it up though, right?
Well sort of. The “Us vs. Them” mentality in an online multiplayer title isn’t exactly new, but there are a few more nuances to Depth than other, more established games of a similar ilk. Within the game, there are two different modes you can dive into. See what we did there? We are not sorry.
Megalodon Hunt is an all-against-one mode where divers must work together in order to fell a mighty Megalodon, with the killer becoming the toothy behemoth itself. If you’re struggling to pull a similarity from games gone by, think of a reversed Hunter Mode from Crysis 3 or the Predator Hunt from 2010’s Aliens vs Predator.
Blood and Gold is the second and perhaps most innovative mode in Depth. A team of divers must defend a small deep sea exploration machine (named S.T.E.V.E) as it goes between several points before bringing it to the extraction point. This gameplay mode pits 4 Divers against 2 Sharks who are hellbent on devouring each diver as well as stopping S.T.E.V.E from completing its (his?) mission.
In Depth, divers are without a doubt the weaker of the two sides. So how are they supposed to win? Well, here’s a handy short guide to playing as a diver in Depth. Hopefully we won’t jump the shark with this one.
In both gameplay modes, divers outnumber the sharks by a factor of at least 2 to 1. That doesn’t mean they have the upper hand, however. Alone, a diver is no match for the knife-jawed gob of a hungry Great White. Two divers working together can easily make short work of any shark, though. If they watch over one another with a hand firmly on the trigger, sharks will find it incredibly difficult to make a tasty morsel out of these treasure hunters.
Most of the locations S.T.E.V.E makes a stop at to start digging around for treasure have numerous entry points available to both teams. By covering an entry point each, divers can quickly make their teammates aware of incoming Tiger Sharks. A good shark won’t simply charge in so use this to your advantage. Cover all of the possible angles of attack to dissuade potential shark invasions and you could find that no fin-bearing chompers are going to find themselves gorged with tasty diver flesh.
A unified attack by two sharks is still going to leave a few scratches and amputations behind though. To avoid this as best as you can, don’t stay too close together. A thrashing shark with certain upgrades can kill a diver without ever having to chow down on their flesh. Stick with the team and you’ll find that victory is slightly more guaranteed than it was before.
Treasure has a way of making people a little unruly. Countless tales from the past (and present) recount people who’ve been killed in the pursuit of a little golden booty. Playing a diver in Depth, you’ll often find treasure scattered around any map. This isn’t just there for decoration or to service some ill-advised achievement. Collecting it always brings something extra to you and your team, making the practice of slaying sharks a little bit easier.
In Megalodon Hunt, treasure is scattered across the seabed like it’s going out of fashion. Golden guns and jewel-encrusted goblets are strewn everywhere you look, just waiting for you to pick them up. Don’t keep them waiting, because collecting these will quickly increase the rank of your weapon. A gigantic shark isn’t going to do much more than scoff at a pathetic peashooter of a pistol. Gather plenty of treasure and you’ll soon be carrying two immensely-powerful spear guns to make the enormous beast think twice.
The other mode of Depth, Blood and Gold, places an even greater importance than Megalodon Hunt on the effective collection of treasure. Dotted across S.T.E.V.E’s path there are numerous pockets where an armful of treasure is just lying on the ground loose. By collecting this and dropping it off with S.T.E.V.E (press Q when close and facing) the entire team gets a small cash boost rather than just yourself.
In both of these cases, treasure in Depth shows its importance. That being said, don’t take too many risks when collecting a coffer’s worth of gold. Experienced shark players will know exactly where the treasure spawns, meaning they will wait until you wander towards it without backup and literally snap you up. If there’s a trove of gold a little too far away from your teammates, let them know so they can keep an eye on you or even provide backup.
When you spawn (or respawn) in Blood and Gold mode you’re greeted by a loadout screen not unlike similar systems used in almost every multiplayer game this side of 56k modems. Now do you remember that last page where we mentioned the importance of treasure? This is why it’s so cod-damn important. Points collected through the collection of treasure, success of S.T.E.V.E, and the killing/wounding of sharks can be cashed in for upgrades or consumables before respawning.
This isn’t a red herring, as your future success rides upon the proper use of these upgrades because the more divers sharks kill, the more points they too have available to them as a source of upgrades.
Undoubtedly your gaze is initially going to fall to upgrading your weapons. More of these become available as you play more and more Depth, but even at the start there are enough weapons here to happily fill out the armory of any treasure hungry diver. Changing up from a simple pistol to semi-automatic assault rifle underwater will help in both your survival and that of your fellow divers. If you’re really confident of your aim, spear guns and harpoon launchers can dish out a healthy amount of damage to any shark stupid enough to get in your way.
To ensure your entire team are going to be dancing around like Dick Van Pike however, there’s a little box at the bottom full of consumables. Using these throughout Depth will immeasurably increase your chances of survival and success. Sea mines can be planted on the floor and protect you from incoming shark attack, just don’t put them too close to yourself or others as when they explode, they’ll hurt the whole team.
Being grabbed around the waist by a shark is never a pleasant experience. That’s something which is safe to say. It’s just an obvious fact that we are all aware of as a race since Jaws came to pass. When playing as a diver, you are almost guaranteed to get grabbed by an angry shark. So how do you survive when a nasty tooth-ridden menace grabs your stomach? Grab that knife and get your stab on.
If a shark grabs a hold of you mash that left mouse button until your finger is nothing more than a bloody stump. You’re unlikely to kill a shark using just this, but bear in mind that you poking it in the face won’t just kill it. This is where the idea of sticking close to your colleagues really helps. When a shark tries to kill a driver, if it takes enough damage the shark will be forced to drop their quarry. By sticking close to your teammates, you’ll be able to count on them to help you to get free.
If you find yourself stuck alone in Depth with no one nearby to help, there’s still plenty of reasons to gouge the shark face currently right up in your grill until your inevitable death. Should another diver come along to kill the shark, you will receive a small points bonus as you assisted in the kill. Take those points into the spawn menu and use them to buy some more delicious weapons. The better your weapons, the better the chance you won’t become chum again as a diver in Depth.
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