Video games that mix genres of Metroidvania-style exploration with Souls-like combat are becoming increasingly more common. With their popularity, only a few manage to stand out in a very overwhelmed gaming market. Mark of the Deep is an action-adventure title from Mad Mimic that got my attention. The game creates its own space in this challenging genre. It mixes elements of exploration, punishing yet rewarding combat, and a rich pirate-themed narrative.
[Note: While I am reviewing this game independently and honestly, it should be noted that it has been provided to me by Mad Mimic, Light Up Games & Keymailer for the purpose of this review. Warning: Light Spoilers from Mark of the Deep are below!]
Mark of the Deep and the tale of a cursed island
The story of Mark of the Deep focuses on Marcus “Rookie” Ramsey, a pirate who finds himself shipwrecked on a mysterious yet seemingly deserted island. It all happens after his ship and his crew of the Angry Mermaids, are split up by unknown forces.
Separated from his crew and stranded in an unfamiliar land, Rookie goes on a journey to discover the secrets of the island and reunite with his missing crewmates. But as we discover the story, it’s revealed that the island is not abandoned. Legends that we find, speak of a mysterious curse that affects the land, has remnants of an ancient and forgotten civilization, and a magical and dangerous force hides beneath this land’s surface.
As Marcus explores this mysterious land, he encounters amazingly designed and dangerous creatures; such as, the Old Folks, who are a group of native inhabitants who seem to be connected to the island’s curse. Some of them offer aid, while others present cryptic (for most of the game) warnings about the fate that awaits those who stay on this land for too long. These interactions help to build a better game narrative, which slowly unfolds through storytelling that I didn’t expect to see.
It’s more like environmental storytelling, where you discover parts of the story to fully understand it. Players get a chance to piece together the history of the island by themselves, learning about conflicts from the past, the origins of the mysterious Mark Keepers, and the force that threatens to consume everything on its way.
As for the outcome of the story, Mark of the Deep features multiple endings, influenced by the choices players make throughout their journey. Whether Marcus succeeds in lifting the curse, escapes this cursed land, or succumbs to its darkness depends solely on the paths taken, uncovered secrets, and more. After all, it is we who are the smiths of our destiny in this game.
Mark of the Deep features familiar combat and exploration
From the first moment, Mark of the Deep looked to me like a mix of Hades games and a “Ruined” universe from the League of Legends universe. But the game itself doesn’t hide that it adapts a combat system that takes inspiration from souls-like mechanics, and rogue-like games because it requires players to approach fights with strategy and patience.
Button-mashing is not an option (at least in some cases), instead, battles demand perfectly timed dodges, precise attacks, and careful stamina management to not overwhelm yourself and risk losing. The game features many different enemy types, ranging from monsters with ranged attacks, to cursed sailors who attack you. Each enemy has unique attack patterns, requiring players to learn and adapt rather than simply overpowering them.
Boss battles stand out as one of the game’s highlights. By having unique and powerful major bosses, each encounter presents a significant challenge, demanding precise execution and a deep understanding of enemy behaviors. All your skills are being put into this one challenge, and you have to figure out the best way to defeat the enemy. These fights are designed not only to test players’ skills, but also to help them find out more combos, offer intense battles, and reward them. Defeating bosses often allows players to unlock new abilities or to get some new items, which even further enhances the beloved Metroidvania aspect of the game.
Speaking of Metroidvania elements, exploration plays a pivotal role in Mark of the Deep. The island is divided into regions that are connected with themselves, each with its dangers, environment, and secrets. Some areas remain inaccessible until Marcus acquires some abilities, which forces players to backtrack and discover previously unreachable locations. Players will also find various weapons, armor, and tools along the way, which will allow for different play styles and tactics when fighting enemies.
Upgrading your character and items also plays a crucial role in Mark of the Deep. As a Mark Keeper, “Rookie” can harness and use supernatural abilities that will help players both in combat and travel. These include enhanced agility, shadow-based-ghost attacks, and defensive dodges. The ability progression feels natural, but it could have been slightly better, by adding more attacks, weapons etc.
Technical aspects and performance of this new pirate-themed game
From a technical point of view, Mark of the Deep is a nice single-player experience that aims to deliver a beautiful and unique world filled with all the details. The art direction adapts a lot of dark fantasy aesthetics, uses moody lighting, and environmentally fit haunting enemy designs. Different areas, like abandoned ruins or “full of life” jungles, are very well-detailed for this kind of game, and they let you experience the various themes this world has to offer.
Performance-wise, the game is pretty stable, but in some weird parts of the game I had small drops of the FPS, but not huge, so they didn’t destroy the experience. What’s also really nice to hear, is that there are already rumors hinting at some potential post-launch updates and additional content to come, which could include quality-of-life improvements and additional more even alternate stories to tell.
Final thoughts on Mark of the Deep from Light Up Games & Mad Mimic
Mark of the Deep looks like an enjoyable action-adventure title that successfully mixes the best elements of Metroidvania exploration, rogue-like challenge, and souls-like combat. With its pirate-themed narrative, widely diverse enemy encounters, and an atmospheric world filled with secrets, Mark of the Deep offers an experience that feels fresh and unique.
The story is really engaging, and being centered around the mystery and discovery of the past and legends of the island was a great choice. The game constantly motivates players to keep playing, while the multiple endings ensure that each play through is unique and original. The combat system rewards patience and skill, making each victory feel well-earned rather than handed to the player on a silver platter.
With its strong significance in the world’s atmosphere, challenging but fair combat, and intriguing storytelling, Mark of the Deep has the potential to be one of the standout indie game releases of 2025. Fans of Hollow Knight, Salt and Sanctuary, Hades, many pirate games, or even Dead Cells will very likely find a lot to in this title to keep them interested.
Mark of the Deep is now available on Steam, PlayStation, X-Box, Nintendo, and PC. Have you played this game yet? Let us know what you think on social media @mycosmiccircus or on Bluesky @TheCosmicCircus.com!
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