Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss Review

Rahul Shirke

Thalassa: Edge of the AbysS

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Rahul Shirke

Check out our review of Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss to find out what we thought about underwater clue-hunting and mystery-solving.

The SS Thalassa has sunk. Somewhere north of the Caribbean, deep underwater, at the edge of an abyss, lies its grave. Nevertheless, it calls to your character as a ghost and siren, its mysteries demanding to be uncovered and explained. Your own past with the ship draws you ever closer to it, as you try to figure out what exactly caused the SS Thalassa to sink?

This question is treated in very much the same way as you would a murder mystery, so perhaps the right way to phrase it is Who caused the SS Thalassa to sink, and why? You have a handful of suspects, each one fulfilling a different role on the ship. There’s the inexperienced chief engineer Thomas, for example, or the reclusive captain Hans, or the ambitious owner of the ship, Isabel. Each one could have done something, or contributed in some way, to the sinking. So then, who is it?

It’s not that simple, of course. The protagonist Cam (they/them) shares a past with the ship, and that past bubbles up to the surface of their consciousness with greater and greater frequency as the game goes on. Can they find closure for these myriad conundrums?

Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss can be best described to be in the vein of “Return of the Obra Dinn”-likes, such as the very recent Duck Detective: The Secret Salami. Don’t let the similarities to Obra Dinn lead you astray, though. Thalassa is far more focused on exploring its characters and their relationships, rather than leaving you puzzled and guessing.

In the game, you explore the remains of the SS Thalassa, poking and prodding in its every corner to find notes, documents, journals, and phonograph wax roll recordings. Mysteries pop up on a dedicated screen, and you’re required to piece together the clues you found to solve these mysteries.

The game makes life easy for you in several ways. For one, the game very diligently informs you if you can make progress in a mystery, and that too in which one. The map helpfully points out not only where you need to go, but which areas have clues yet to be uncovered. Furthermore, in the fashion of a Metroidvania, the map also shows you which ‘unlocker’ items you have, such as a knife or a wrench, and where they can be used.

All this makes for a smooth-sailing game, if you’ll pardon the pun, leaving you to pick up clues, solve mysteries, and learn about the characters at a steady clip. You still need to use your head, of course, but the game does an excellent job of masking what it is, which is a narrative comprehension exercise.

Part of this is thanks to the variety and personalities of the game’s characters, who frequently play off each other and arouse curiosity as well as suspicion. Over the game’s 6-7 hour playtime, I found myself attached to the game’s characters and even a little mournful that we learn about them posthumously.

There’s a lot more to the game’s narrative than I’m letting on, but which would cross into high spoiler territory. Suffice it to say, things aren’t always what they seem – for better and for worse.

Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss’ smooth pacing and strong production values make for a game you won’t regret spending several hours with, but go in knowing that it will test your emotions more than your puzzle-solving skills.

Developer: Sarepta Studio
Country of Origin: Norway
Publisher: Team17 Digital
Release Date: August 1, 2024 (PC)

This review is based on a copy of the game provided by the publisher. The PC version of Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss was played for this review.

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Rahul Shirke