Deepest Trench Review

“Der-Dumb….Der-Dumb”

Deepest Trench, Developed and published by Favor Games – In a Nutshell – A Wasted Opportunity Beneath the Waves, however read on for why we think that!

At first glance, Deepest Trench seems like it has all the makings of a gripping underwater adventure. An underwater survival game with cooperative elements, it should offer a mix of strategy, tension, and immersive exploration. Unfortunately, what you get instead is a frustrating battle against poor controls, nonsensical puzzles, and unforgiving enemies that strip away any sense of enjoyment or progress.

One of the game’s biggest issues is its control scheme. Movement feels imprecise, sluggish, and at times outright unpredictable.

But it is in co-op where things become even more chaotic.  My wife, “The Long-Suffering Mrs. Angel” (doesn’t play as much as me) found it unbearable. A game like this should encourage teamwork and communication, but instead, it only creates friction (voices were raised at chez Angel). the game splits the controls of the small submarine between both players, demanding near-perfect communication and coordination. While the idea may sound like a clever way to reinforce teamwork, the reality is far less rewarding. Instead of fostering cooperative problem-solving, it often leads to frustration, miscommunication, and a general sense that the controls are working against you rather than with you.

Enemy encounters only serve to amplify this frustration. The sharks, which are the primary threat, are brutally overpowered. There is little room for strategy or skill—by the time you’ve tried to turn to fire your spear gun, the enemy is already upon you, with only the sound of a heartbeat giving you warning. This often leads to an unavoidable defeat, forcing players to restart the level.  Rather than feeling like a challenge worth mastering, these encounters create a cycle of irritation, where each failure feels less like a learning experience and more like a punishment.

Even outside of combat, Deepest Trench struggles to justify its own mechanics. The puzzles, which should add an element of intrigue and depth to the gameplay, instead feel cryptic and poorly thought out. They lack logical progression, often forcing players to resort to trial and error rather than genuine problem-solving. Instead of feeling like rewarding moments that break up the action, they just add another layer of frustration to an already exhausting experience.

The most disappointing part of Deepest Trench is how much wasted potential it represents. With a more refined approach to controls, a better balance in difficulty, and puzzles that actually make sense, this could have been a truly engaging underwater adventure. Instead, it feels like a game that punishes rather than challenges.

For players looking for a rewarding cooperative experience, this isn’t it.  It’s hard to imagine revisiting it anytime soon, and with so many better alternatives available, Deepest Trench fails to justify its place beneath the waves.