Skip to main content

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.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Have a comment? Let me know!

Popular posts from this blog

Review - Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader... All Guts & Glory

Image courtesy of Owlcat Games "The God Emperor protects!" I know what you're thinking, but no, not that one.     Every so often, a game comes around that demands 10 to 15 hours of your time. This isn't one of them. Rogue Trader requires ten times that amount, easily, in order to see the story unfold in all the meaningful directions that it can.     I would like to preface my review by saying that I knew next to nothing about Warhammer 40K when I started up the game. I really only found myself drawn to the title because of my love for Owlcat's previous two entries in the Pathfinder world. That being said, Owlcat once again does a great job of putting the lore of their assigned universe into their work, and after 140 hours of gameplay I feel like I'm decently well-versed in plenty of the God-Emperor's vision of humanity's future. The Good Rogue Trader starts off where your main character is handed over the reins to the titular position by means of a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review - Lost Eidolons... "The poetry is in the pity"

Image courtesy of Ocean Drive Studio, Inc. When I start these reviews I usually have a certain score already in mind. I have a litany of reasons as to why a game scored in a certain category of mine and therefore why it just fell a little short of whatever tier(s) are above that. For Lost Eidolons , I had intended on giving it a 7/10 originally. That's nothing to scoff at in my book, as I literally even label my 7s as "Great" games. However, as I started to think more about it and the different avenues that Ocean Drive took in Lost Eidolons 's creation... I began to question that 7.     For those who have no idea what kind of game this is, Lost Eidolons is a tactical turn-based RPG in a medieval-fantasy setting. You play as Eden, a mercenary of sorts from a podunk fishing village, who gets swept up into a rebellion after a daring rescue turns into a noble's murder. While the initial actions weren't the most honorable, no one in Eden's crew is really all th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review - King Arthur: Knight's Tale... Mordred's Time to Shine

  Image courtesy of Neocore Games Just to clarify, that final component of the title is of my own making. While it would have been an appropriate subtitle given the direction the game takes, Mordred's Time to Shine would probably take away from the overall atmosphere that Neocore was going for.    Every once in a while I come across a little gem in my gaming life that gives me some pause. They can really hit home as an incredible piece of art like Indivisible , or fully let me know why it is that they are found at the bottom of the bargain barrel like Mordheim . If you're into that game... my apologies. But there was no way of knowing that my readers would find such a thrill in something so boring.    King Arthur: Knight's Tale  is a fun romp through medieval Britannia, swinging swords and launching spells, as shown through the perspective of one of Olde English's most infamous literary villains. The Good Where this game excels is in bringing about an ...
Post a Comment
Read more