Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review (PS5) – A Return to the Past Full of Danger and Mystery

Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review (PS5) – A Return to the Past Full of Danger and Mystery

Last Updated on Jun 18, 2025 @ 13:12:54 PM.


Last year, Still Wakes the Deep took the gaming community by storm with its gripping story and horrifying gameplay, and now it makes a return with the additional content Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest, which I was lucky enough to play ahead of its release.

Throughout the additional content, I had the opportunity to explore the Beira D once more, but this time with a completely different perspective, as I took on a new character as we delved into the depths of the North Sea in an attempt to salvage what memories we could of the crew from the oil rig as well as piece together what happened.

The Story of Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest

Without going too far into spoilers, Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest tasks the player with exploring the now sunken Beira D as a new character called Mhairi, as we search for answers to what happened within this unfortunate catastrophe.

Since this is additional content for Still Wakes the Deep, it makes sense that the game has a few nods to the original story, as there are plenty of moments within the Siren’s Rest that, for those who remember the original story, would be both hyped to see and horrified.

Still Wakes the Deep: Siren's Rest gameplay.
Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest takes players back to the Beira D in an interesting fashion. Image Credit: The Chinese Room

What made this additional content special for me was the fact that it allowed me to learn even more about the characters that the original story didn’t have the opportunity to flesh out. In preparation for this additional content, I replayed the original story to remind myself of the characters and their involvement in the Beira D’s demise, and it was well worth my time.

While also learning about characters I was familiar with from the original story, Siren’s Rest also brings to light some of the lesser-known or, in some cases, unknown characters from the original story as we searched the wreckage. This helped to add even more impact to the original story, as I was able to explore the Beira D to even greater lengths.

In terms of the overall story of Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest, I found it to be an interesting experience that gripped me from start to finish, as I wanted to explore every nook and cranny to find every detail I could without missing a beat. However, I did find that the story felt rather rushed in some moments, leading me to more questions than answers; hopefully, these questions could be answered in even more installments in the future.

The Gameplay of Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest

The original title, Still Wakes the Deep, had what can only be called heart-racing moments with numerous quick-time events and shocking moments that had the player jumping out of their chair throughout the entire game, and Siren’s Rest is no slouch here either.

Since Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest takes place underwater throughout a majority of the additional content, it makes sense that the developers improved the original swimming mechanics that were in the first game, such as being able to propel yourself more easily, but the developers went one step further by adding even more.

Throughout the swimming portions of Siren’s Rest, the player will mostly be tethered to the diving bell they use to get close to the Beira D by what is known as an umbilical, a cable providing the diver with air. From the get-go, many players will worry about the length of this cable and if they can explore freely because of it, and it is safe to say that there is nothing to worry about, as even the game makes that clear early on.

Still Wakes the Deep: Siren's Rest gameplay.
Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest finally brings us some answers, but leaves us with more questions. Image Credit: The Chinese Room

However, that doesn’t mean that the umbilical doesn’t have its issues. Even though these moments weren’t exactly heavily time-sensitive or scary, there were moments in which Mhairi would be required to disconnect herself from the umbilical, leading to her using her oxygen supply from her suit. For me personally, I found these moments very realistic and daunting, as it provided a sort of pressure element to the game, as you have to reach the umbilical before you begin to run out of oxygen.

Even though the umbilical was impressive in many ways, both in terms of its physics and gameplay concepts, it did have its drawbacks, as there were a few moments in which it would glitch and just look silly, and in some cases, it would disappear entirely, even for a brief moment.

Adding to having to use the crowbar to break down doors or a special cutter to destroy rust on certain blocked passages, it often brought even more time pressure on me, and I felt a little worried to get back to the umbilical, but not enough to panic.

Along with all of these items, Siren’s Rest does bring a return to some of the quick-time events that made the main title so horrifying, but these are very few and far between. When they do happen, it can still make your heart skip a beat.

My Overall Opinion on Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest

When it comes to Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest, I found it to be a very enjoyable experience, as it did keep me on my toes around each corner while also providing me with much-needed answers to at least what happened to the other members of the Beira D crew.

In terms of story, Siren’s Rest was very interesting, and it managed to grip me from start to finish, but I did find that Siren’s Rest didn’t get scary or shocking until the later parts of the content, and not for very long either.

Gameplay-wise, I feel that the developers outdid themselves, as the swimming within the title felt amazing as it opened the doors to all kinds of new scares while keeping to what can only be described as a realistic experience of what it feels like to be a deep-sea diver in treacherous waters like these.

Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest

Liam Magee

Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest takes the player back to the Beira D, but in a new setting, as they delve into the North Sea to search the wreckage of the oil rig to find clues as to what happened on this mysterious vessel.
Gameplay
Graphics
Performance
Audio
Narrative

Summary

For me, Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest is a fun and interesting title, as it provided me with plenty of answers to questions I already had while also providing new questions as it took me through detailed and challenging gameplay mechanics.

HOURS PLAYED: 2
PLAYED ON: PS5

4.5
Pros
  • Full of detailed locations that will have the player exploring for ages.
  • Story is interesting as it grips the player making them beg for more.
  • Gameplay is fun while also being a challenge.
Cons
  • Story felt very short as well as rushed.
  • A few minor visual glitches.

Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest is now officially released and is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out our article on Dune: Awakening breaking new ground as it excels, or our review of Tron: Catalyst. Otherwise, follow Thumb Wars on XFacebookTikTok, and Instagram to keep up with the latest news, reviews, and interviews!


Leave a Comment

Comments

No comments yet. Why don’t you start the discussion?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *