Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest DLC [PlayStation 5] | REVIEW

Siren’s Rest acts as a haunting epilogue to 2024’s Still Wakes the Deep, revisiting the wreckage of the Beira D oil rig ten-years on. Now lying silent at the bottom of the ocean, the rusted metal husk becomes a new stage for reflection, mystery, and submerged horror. It successfully channels the tension and atmosphere that made the original memorable too, though some technical issues do mar what is otherwise an enjoyable experience.

Check out some screenshots down below:

You play as Mhairi, a diver and the daughter of one of the Beira D’s former crew who found themselves caught up in the disastrous ordeal ten-years earlier. Her mission is as personal as it is professional: locate and document the remains of the long-lost crew, and perhaps finally uncover what really happened. There’s a subtle emotional weight to her dive, and the storytelling leans heavily on themes of grief, guilt, and legacy. Whilst I’ll admit that it didn’t quite nail the ending, the storytelling in-between was suspenseful and engaging, especially when Mhairi starts to realise that the events of the Beira D were more horrific than she initially imagined.

The diving bell serves as your base of operations, and from there you enter the pitch-black wreck in your diving suit… that’s right, the vast majority of Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest takes place underwater, ensuring a more unique approach is taken to help differentiate it from the main game. Armed with tools like a crowbar, a cutting arc, and underwater flares, there’s plenty of room for exploration and discovery, with the freedom to explore playing a more significant role here than in the main game. Players are able to poke around the debris, spot haunting mementos, and even find familiar sights like the sunken lifeboat or even the heater you used to help you warm up… good times.

“Siren’s Rest is a thoughtful, unique, and occasionally chilling dive back into Still Wakes the Deep’s haunting world.“

There are moments of real poignancy hidden within the wreck, with personal logs and environmental storytelling shedding light on characters who never took the spotlight in the main game: two inseparable brothers whose story ends side by side, and a young worker who swapped shifts on what turned out to be the worst possible day being just a couple of examples of the tragedies than unfolded. These moments do more for emotional impact than any scripted scare, and help complement Mhairi’s desperation for answers whilst underlining the human cost of the disaster. Heck, I even felt some sympathy for Rennick by the end, and I NEVER thought that’d cross my mind after playing the main game…

That said, when the horror does arrive, it’s noticeably less effective than before. The monstrous presence – no secret to returning players – is back, but the tension fizzles more than it sparks. Chase sequences lack surprise and become predictable, especially when you can easily distract the threat by simply breaking the line of sight, whilst the more limited approach to the chase sequences made things a little too by the numbers. A more evolved AI or greater unpredictability might have gone a long way in restoring the sense of dread, especially given that there’s only one key sequence in the game where it feels like a real threat.

Technical issues also detract from the experience. On the PlayStation 5, I encountered several bugs: getting stuck in the environment, freezing mid-animation during a climb, and even a full crash forcing me to re-load the game. The umbilical cord tethered to your diving suit, while a nice touch in theory, often bugged out too, whether that’s when clipping through walls, obstructing the camera, or disappearing entirely. These are small immersion breaks, but they do add up in a game so dependent on atmosphere.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Still, Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest stands out as a gripping experience, whilst it doesn’t overstay its welcome, wrapping up in under three hours depending on how thoroughly you explore – there are plenty of additional narrative details to discover if you venture off the beaten path, and if you’re a fan of the base game, they’re easy to appreciate.

Developer: The Chinese Room
Publisher: Secret Mode
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), Xbox Series X|S, PC
Website: https://stillwakesthedeep.com/