Returning to the North Sea oil rig that served as the haunting stage for Still Wakes the Deep, the Siren’s Rest DLC offers a more introspective, subdued experience than its predecessor.
Where the base game was a masterclass in environmental horror — tense, immediate, and emotionally raw — Siren’s Rest feels more like a whispered epilogue. It’s a mildly expansive piece of content that doesn’t seek to escalate or reinvent, but rather to reflect upon and linger in the spaces left behind.
Centered around a recovery effort led by our protagonist, Mhairi, Siren’s Rest has the player revisiting the Brera D whilst at rest on the seabed. Mhairi is connected to her support team both physically and psychologically by an umbilical cord that stretches out behind her and supplies her with both air and communications.
In the main, Mhairi remains connected to the umbilical and is therefore free to explore the ruins without fear of drowning. A few sections change this up by disconnecting Mhairi, but these present more of an emotional challenge than a mechanical one, with Sirens Rest representing what it must feel like to exist in small, decaying air pockets hundreds of feet under the sea.
From the outset, it’s clear that the developers have lost none of their touch when it comes to atmosphere. The new section of the rig introduced in Siren’s Rest is rendered with the same meticulous attention to detail that made the original so immersive — and that’s without even commenting on the occasional open sea sections that have their own eerie vastness.
Creaking steel, shadows skittering in the light, and the unsettling emptiness of the platform all play their part, creating a space that feels both familiar and unsettling. The sound design remains a standout — subtle, layered, and deeply effective at maintaining tension even in the absence of overt threat.
What’s most striking about Siren’s Rest is its restraint. This is not a DLC that aims to shock or terrify. Instead, it leans into the emotional undercurrents of the original, exploring themes of memory, grief, and personal reckoning. The narrative unfolds slowly, almost cautiously, as if aware that it’s treading on sacred ground. There are no monsters lurking in the shadows this time — only echoes, regrets, and the weight of what’s been lost.
This shift in tone won’t be for everyone. Where the base game thrived on urgency and dread, Siren’s Rest is content to meander. It’s a quieter, more contemplative experience, and its impact depends heavily on the player’s emotional investment in the world and characters established earlier. For those who were deeply moved by the original, this return may feel like a welcome chance to breathe, to process. For others, it may feel like a story that’s already been told.
Mechanically, Siren’s Rest remains faithful to the base game’s formula. It’s a narrative-driven experience with light exploration and minimal interaction. There are a few new environmental puzzles and scripted sequences, but nothing that significantly alters the gameplay loop. The pacing is deliberate — some might say slow — and the roughly 90-minute runtime feels appropriate, though it does little to shake the sense that this is more of a coda than a new chapter.
That said, what Siren’s Rest lacks in mechanical innovation, it makes up for in tone and texture. The writing is subtle and sincere, and the voice acting is delivered with conviction. The rig itself remains the star, its decaying corridors and empty chambers telling stories even when the script is silent. There’s a sense of place here that few games manage to achieve, and Siren’s Rest wisely chooses to let that place speak for itself.
It’s worth noting that Siren’s Rest doesn’t attempt to answer lingering questions or expand the lore in any significant way. Instead, it offers a kind of emotional closure — a chance to revisit the rig not as a battleground, but as a memory. It’s a bold choice, and one that may leave some players unsatisfied. But for those willing to meet it on its own terms, Siren’s Rest offers a quiet, poignant reflection on trauma and healing.
In the end, Siren’s Rest is a DLC that feels less like an expansion and more like a meditation. It doesn’t try to recapture the intensity of the original, nor does it attempt to outdo it. Instead, it offers a space to pause, to remember, and to let go. It’s a beautiful, if understated, return to one of the most evocative settings in recent horror gaming – and while it may not be essential, it is, in its own way, deeply affecting.
For those who connected with Still Wakes the Deep on an emotional level, Siren’s Rest is a worthwhile revisit. It won’t redefine the experience, but it will deepen it — quietly, gently, and with a great deal of care. And sometimes, that’s exactly what a story needs.
Still Wakes The Deep: Siren’s Rest is available wherever the core game is.
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