‘Song Of The Deep’ Exists Because Of Insomniac Games Co-Founder Brian Hastings’ Adorable Father-Daughter Relationship

Over the last two generations of video game consoles, Insomniac Games has really branched out into new territory. Known for the Spyro series on the original Playstation, which came out back in 1994, and the Ratchet & Clank series on the Playstation 2, which came out in 2000, the well-known video game developer started to make more intellectual properties (IPs) during the console generation in which the Playstation 3 came out.

Along with six entries in the Ratchet & Clank series, Insomniac Games took on first-person shooters with the Resistance series, mobile games with Outernaughts, and team third-person shooters with Fuse.

It is this current generation of video game systems, appliances, and handhelds receiving the most new IPs, starting with an open-world sandbox game for the Xbox One, Sunset Overdrive. Slow Down, Bull was exclusive to Microsoft Windows. Fruit Fusion, Bad Dinos, and Digit & Dash were on iOS, with the first two also on Android. Ratchet & Clank (2016) was a Sony Playstation 4 exclusive based off the movie, which was a remake of the original game back in 2004. Finally, Edge of Nowhere, The Unspoken, and Feral Rites are Insomniac Games’ first three titles for the Oculus Rift.

However, there is one game that stands out from the rest, and it is titled Song of the Deep. Unlike the other aforementioned titles, which were thought out and developed in accordance of how a video game developer works, Song of the Deep is unique. Its development was made possible because of the relationship between Brian Hastings, the co-founder of Insomniac Games, and his daughter. If it weren’t for that father-daughter relationship, Song of the Deep would not exist.

Before detailing how Brian Hastings’ relationship with his daughter was the catalyst for Song of the Deep, it is best to detail what the game is about. Announced back in January on the Insomniac Games official website, Song of the Deep is a brand-new, Metroidvania-style underwater adventure, which means it is an exploratory 2D platforming game similar to original Metroid games and middle-era Castlevania games (in which the two gave birth to the term).

The player follows the protagonist Merryn, a young girl trying to find her father, a fisherman lost to the depths of the seas, through the use of a rickety submarine she has built.

Development-wise, Song of the Deep is a “passion project” consisting of a small 15-person team. It was inspired by Irish mythology, the visual appearance of the Cliff of Moher, Insomniac Games’ fans’ favorable responses to past characters, but, most importantly, Brian Hastings’ relationship with his daughter. According to Mashable, the concepts for Song of the Deep were given to Brian through his daughter, Fiona Hastings.

In the video shown below, we find that a lot of the concepts for the video game came from stories Fiona would write and illustrate. Using Fiona’s creations, Brian created Song of the Deep as a means to give his daughter someone to look up to.

To be frank, we are thankful that Brian Hastings got the inspiration from his daughter, because Song of the Deep is turning out to be one of the most visually-appealing games to come out this year. The details of the characters are great, but it is the beautiful environments Merryn can explore in her submarine that really stand out. Either they are bright and colorful or dark and ominous, and they are beautifully rendered. Insomniac Games released four promotional screenshots, attached in the gallery below, to showcase these environments as well as some details of the gameplay.

Song of the Deep will be available for download on Tuesday, July 12 on Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Steam. Thanks to a partnership with Gamestop, there will also be physical copies of the game available as well. Both physical and digital copies are $14.99 and can be pre-ordered now at Gamestop.

Also, Brian Hastings will also have the full story available in a book, which can be pre-ordered on Barnes & Noble for $7.89. It is also available on Amazon at a cheaper price of $6.98. The book will release the same day as the video game.

[Image via Insomniac Games]