Review - Call of the Sea... Poor Unfortunate Souls

 

Images courtesy of Out of the Blue Games

Since I started delving into reviewing games I've tried to branch out a bit from my typical genres. I've always been partial to RPGs above all, but action games like Ghost Recon or adventure titles like Tomb Raider have always been fun too. Then there are more narrative-driven games like The Last of Us or hack n' slash action like God of War. Call of the Sea might never have turned my head in the past, but there is definitely a place for peaceful puzzle games like this one that Out of the Blue developed.

    Call of the Sea tells the story of a young woman hoping to find her husband on a remote island some 74 miles off the coast of Tahiti. Henry, the husband, went there with the intention of finding a cure for his wife. Our protagonist has an illness that has not only placed concerning dark spots all of her hands, but has rendered her somewhat immobile through exhaustion. As the exploration of the island continues, however, the player-controlled Norah discovers that she has more energy than she's had in years and begins to feel a kinship with the mysterious island she navigates.

The Good

The story is probably one of the best things that Call of the Sea has going for it. Norah's tale is unique, and she makes for a compelling protagonist as she treks through jungle and temple alike in search for clues. The deeper into the mystery she gets, the more Norah discovers about the crew that came before her with Henry in their own exploration of the isle. The game is short, clocking in around 8 hours, so one could easily look at it like a season of a mystery show on Netflix. The main difference, of course, being that the mystery has to be solved by the player themselves. 

    When it comes to solving puzzles, that's a huge part of the fun in a game like this. Many people might find it frustrating to not have their hands held when trying to get to the next area of the island, but I thought it was pretty refreshing that things weren't necessarily spelled out. You have to try different variations and experiment with your options as you attempt to discover the next part of Norah's story. Sure, there's always Googling it, but where's the fun in that?

    The voice acting is superb, but there's not much to go off of outside of Norah's reflections to herself. As the protagonist, and thus the one putting together this puzzle, Norah's voice dominates the game. That's not to say that you won't hear others, because you will, but get used to her slight British accent for the duration. It's part of her charm, and it works well.

The Bad

The visuals could probably have been better. There's a style that Out of the Blue is utilizing here that's not necessarily going for ultra-realism, anyway, but it's hard to pin down exactly what they were trying to do. Perhaps it's harsh to put the graphics and style in The Bad, but they were not in any position to find themselves in The Good.

    The choice structure in Call of the Sea could also have been explored more. There is really only one time that you get to make a choice as Norah, but there could have been a couple more peppered into the game. I think that would have created more of an immersive experience and increased replayability. 

My Ruling

As it stands, there is nothing that would compel me to replay Call of the Sea, but that's not a horrible thing in my opinion. It knows what its trying to accomplish with the short time that it's given, and it does not overstay its welcome in the slightest.

    Is it a good game? Yes. But in spite of how much I piled into The Good, it's still not what I would consider great or "glorious." It does what it sets out to do. Nothing more.

    As previously stated, puzzle games have never really been my thing. That said, there is something calming yet exciting about exploring the mysterious island through Norah's eyes. If you can nab it while it's still on PS Extra, it's worth a run.

7/10

Good Enough

If you want to see my opinion on another game in the same vein, check out my thoughts on Telltale's take on The Expanse.