Digital Vortex, the publisher behind DREADMOOR, is taking its fascination with the things lurking beneath the surface to new depths with Magnavis, a co-op horror survival game from Vorles Games. Set aboard a grotesque submarine powered by living whale organs, the game sends players into the ocean’s darkest reaches, where keeping the vessel operational may be just as important as surviving whatever is waiting outside.
Players can brave the depths alone or assemble a crew of up to four to explore the Red Seas and undertake dangerous missions for Hydra Corp. Operating the submarine requires teamwork, from steering the vessel and keeping its engine core balanced to dealing with malfunctions and repairing leaks before they become a bigger problem. Bioengineered weapons offer some means of defending against the horrors encountered along the way, but there are no guarantees that the crew will be prepared for everything the abyss has in store.
Beyond the relative safety of the submarine, players can travel between isolated human enclaves hidden beneath the ocean’s surface and venture into procedurally generated caves in search of secrets and valuable discoveries. These unexplored environments also harbour creatures that have little appreciation for unwanted visitors. Keeping an eye on the radar is essential, as some of these threats may find their way aboard the submarine and wait for an opportunity to ambush the crew.
Communication is another important part of surviving in Magnavis. Online co-op features proximity chat, meaning crewmates will gradually become harder to hear as they move farther apart. Losing contact can leave players dangerously isolated, although staying quiet may sometimes be the wiser choice when something could be listening nearby. Additional modes offer different ways to approach the experience, with Comms Critical introducing extra challenges and Silent Crew scaling back the asymmetric puzzles in favour of a more straightforward survival experience. Those who would rather face the depths without relying on anyone else can also play entirely solo.
Magnavis is coming to PC via Steam in the near future, and a free demo is available now. The game will feature English audio alongside language support for Turkish, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, Bulgarian, Danish, Indonesian, Dutch, Finnish, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Hungarian, Norwegian, Romanian, Russian, Thai, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Greek, Czech, and Swedish.