This was a bit of a disappointment for me
On the positive side, this game is absolutely gorgeous visually. The environments and colors are so vibrant and stylistic that they made me interested in playing this in the first place.
They nail the atmosphere and sound design, even during the earlier chapters of the game where things are more light there’s a small sense of uncomfortableness that hangs over everything.
The basic story premise here and plot advancements you find searching around the camps & island are all pretty standard for this genre, and I felt like the game never leaned into the lovecraftian or horror elements enough to really grip me even when things become weirder towards the end
The absolute #1 problem in this game that drags it down is just how mind numbingly slow everything is, specifically the walking speed. Why in a puzzle solving walking simulator, where the story involves the MC feeling healthier in this environment, would you make even her “run” speed about 1/2 of any other similar games default walk speed. I assume the idea was that it would make people pay more attention to the environments and areas, but it had the complete opposite effect on me. The total sluggish feeling of just getting from one end of a room to the other, just had me trying to rush towards the end to escape it. Brutal decision
As far as the actual puzzles, I thought they were mostly alright but found very few of them actually satisfying to try and solve
overall an okay walking sim style game and not a bad way to kill like four hours, but also not something I’d say anyone should go out of their way for either
On the positive side, this game is absolutely gorgeous visually. The environments and colors are so vibrant and stylistic that they made me interested in playing this in the first place.
They nail the atmosphere and sound design, even during the earlier chapters of the game where things are more light there’s a small sense of uncomfortableness that hangs over everything.
The basic story premise here and plot advancements you find searching around the camps & island are all pretty standard for this genre, and I felt like the game never leaned into the lovecraftian or horror elements enough to really grip me even when things become weirder towards the end
The absolute #1 problem in this game that drags it down is just how mind numbingly slow everything is, specifically the walking speed. Why in a puzzle solving walking simulator, where the story involves the MC feeling healthier in this environment, would you make even her “run” speed about 1/2 of any other similar games default walk speed. I assume the idea was that it would make people pay more attention to the environments and areas, but it had the complete opposite effect on me. The total sluggish feeling of just getting from one end of a room to the other, just had me trying to rush towards the end to escape it. Brutal decision
As far as the actual puzzles, I thought they were mostly alright but found very few of them actually satisfying to try and solve
overall an okay walking sim style game and not a bad way to kill like four hours, but also not something I’d say anyone should go out of their way for either
Poteva essere qualcosa di più questo gioco perchè in fondo ha una trama intrigante che tiene alta la curiosità dall'inizio alla fine, ha delle belle ambientazioni dal sapore esotico, regala un bel senso della scoperta nonostante sia molto lineare... quello che funziona poco secondo me sono gli enigmi che non spiccano quasi mai per brillantezza e a volte sono anche abbastanza confusionari (quello dell'organo rischia facilmente di farsi odiare per dire).
La classica occasione mancata insomma, però se piacciono questo tipo di avventure più riflessive e basate sulla trama allora merita una chance secondo me.
La classica occasione mancata insomma, però se piacciono questo tipo di avventure più riflessive e basate sulla trama allora merita una chance secondo me.
platinumed 🤓
Really pretty game with a nice colorful art style. Unfortunately the puzzles were made for toddlers so you don't have the option for the game to be challenging.
Fun interesting puzzle game
Jogo curto e gostoso de se jogar. Vale a experiência para um fim de semana!
Good puzzles, a very interesting narrative but the gameplay was boring at best. It is indeed a walking simulator, but whatever
You know, I love this game, and thought it was a challenging puzzler with a fun art style and story, but I read someone's review that said "terrible walking simulator" and there's a lot of truth to that. Still worth the time.
Intriguing puzzle game. I remember when I arrived at the stormy beach and saw some figures on the horizon and feeling quite unsettled.
I'm rather biased, as I've always been a fan of first-person puzzle games. I can't keep myself from being immersed to the point that every little spook makes me jump.
I'm rather biased, as I've always been a fan of first-person puzzle games. I can't keep myself from being immersed to the point that every little spook makes me jump.
very simple game but really got int the story it is very light
It's not often that I dive into a puzzle game! Surprisingly I enjoyed my time with this one, an interesting story and setting. Some puzzles I found a little obtuse but that was only a minor gripe and thanks to the many collectibles and journal entries, the solutions weren't too far away.
This does make me slightly more interested in playing more puzzle games.
This does make me slightly more interested in playing more puzzle games.
Sights & Sounds
- The visuals (both graphically and aesthetically) are outstanding. I started playing it on my monitor, but wound up switching to the TV and maxing out the FOV to really take it in
- The sound design is excellent in terms of effects and voice acting, but I found it necessary to bump down the environmental sounds a bit. Distant objects were often too noisy, making things a bit disorienting initially. The menu sounds were also unnecessarily loud. I was wearing headphones, so YMMV
- The background music worked well to complement the mysterious, surreal scenery. The original vocal tracks were also well-written and well-performed
- All in all, after a little tweaking, the presentation of this game is very impressive for an indie studio. Just wish the menu noises didn't hurt my eardrums
Story & Vibes
- The story is a carefully crafted Lovecraftian mystery. Usually, games involving Lovecraftian lore wind up leaning strongly into the horror aspects of the mythos. This game doesn't, sometimes to a fault
- It's not that I wanted this to be a horror game per se; rather, I wish it could have hit some of those notes without changing its tune completely. The game does try to inject those vibes from time to time, but the game expertly kneecaps itself with Norah remarking how unafraid she is on multiple occasions. Plot-wise, it makes sense, but it kinda ruins the emotional impact of some scenes
- I guess I just think that I wanted it to be a thriller instead of just a mystery. The plot is excellent, but a few more frightening moments would have really taken the experience up another notch
Playability & Replayability
- It's a 1st-person point & click puzzle-focused adventure game with light investigation mechanics. In a nutshell, that means you'll be walking around, reading stuff, putting together clues, and feeling stupid about not seeing solutions sooner
- If you've played What Remains of Edith Finch, this plays a lot like that
- While I'm not seeing a replay on the horizon, I did enjoy my experience enough to go back and get the achievements I missed. I wouldn't have been motivated to do this were it not for the extremely convenient chapter select menu
Overall Impressions & Performance
- If you're into adventure games and enjoy Lovecraftian themes, this is definitely worth your money. It's just a matter of how much you think a 6-8 hour playthrough is worth
- There was a little stuttering at times (had to turn vsync on), but not enough to be bothersome. It's a really minor gripe
Final Verdict
- 8.5/10. This game does everything right. Hell, it does everything well. If it leaned just a tiny bit harder on the horror to add a couple thrills, this would be a classic. That said, it's still extremely good
- The visuals (both graphically and aesthetically) are outstanding. I started playing it on my monitor, but wound up switching to the TV and maxing out the FOV to really take it in
- The sound design is excellent in terms of effects and voice acting, but I found it necessary to bump down the environmental sounds a bit. Distant objects were often too noisy, making things a bit disorienting initially. The menu sounds were also unnecessarily loud. I was wearing headphones, so YMMV
- The background music worked well to complement the mysterious, surreal scenery. The original vocal tracks were also well-written and well-performed
- All in all, after a little tweaking, the presentation of this game is very impressive for an indie studio. Just wish the menu noises didn't hurt my eardrums
Story & Vibes
- The story is a carefully crafted Lovecraftian mystery. Usually, games involving Lovecraftian lore wind up leaning strongly into the horror aspects of the mythos. This game doesn't, sometimes to a fault
- It's not that I wanted this to be a horror game per se; rather, I wish it could have hit some of those notes without changing its tune completely. The game does try to inject those vibes from time to time, but the game expertly kneecaps itself with Norah remarking how unafraid she is on multiple occasions. Plot-wise, it makes sense, but it kinda ruins the emotional impact of some scenes
- I guess I just think that I wanted it to be a thriller instead of just a mystery. The plot is excellent, but a few more frightening moments would have really taken the experience up another notch
Playability & Replayability
- It's a 1st-person point & click puzzle-focused adventure game with light investigation mechanics. In a nutshell, that means you'll be walking around, reading stuff, putting together clues, and feeling stupid about not seeing solutions sooner
- If you've played What Remains of Edith Finch, this plays a lot like that
- While I'm not seeing a replay on the horizon, I did enjoy my experience enough to go back and get the achievements I missed. I wouldn't have been motivated to do this were it not for the extremely convenient chapter select menu
Overall Impressions & Performance
- If you're into adventure games and enjoy Lovecraftian themes, this is definitely worth your money. It's just a matter of how much you think a 6-8 hour playthrough is worth
- There was a little stuttering at times (had to turn vsync on), but not enough to be bothersome. It's a really minor gripe
Final Verdict
- 8.5/10. This game does everything right. Hell, it does everything well. If it leaned just a tiny bit harder on the horror to add a couple thrills, this would be a classic. That said, it's still extremely good
Reject husband. Embrace fish. Call of the Sea is a puzzle game with the backdrop of a Lovecraft novel, as protagonist Norah searches for her husband, lost on a remote island after searching for a cure for her own mysterious illness. On the surface, Call of the Sea offers nothing that other Lovecraftian games don't. Mysterious disappearances. Weird black goo. Ancient intricate stone carvings. Fish people. However, while it is a bit by the book, Call of the Sea isn't without merit. For one, it's surprisingly vibrant. It's a very colorful game with a nice art style. Compare this to the similar (and similarly named) Call of Cthulhu, which I played a few years back, which was an incredibly drab and dark affair. Even when things are reaching their climax, the game embraces it's color scheme, which I think goes a long way. The puzzles also actually require some thought, although they're a bit seldom for a game of this length. I do wish that games with a Lovecraftian spin didn't just rip off the same Cthulhu tropes, as there's only so much variation you can spin on them. I liked the main character, although I never felt any danger to her at all. If anything, it's a bit amusing that she's on her own on a remote island having no troubles at all, while reading her husband's journal entries depicting his misfortune and descent into madness. It's a fun game, and interesting enough to keep my attention, if a bit on the short side.
5hrs 8m
A beautiful and interesting story, that being said maybe I'm just bad but some of the puzzles were pretty frustrating.
Uma narrativa interativa que te coloca na pele de uma exploradora em uma misteriosa ilha atrás da expedição desaparecida do seu marido. Os mistérios são interessantes, surpreendentes e prendem a atenção por toda a duração desta aventura.
Great, short game with gorgeous aesthetics
Beautiful walking-sim-adjacent game with a good variety of enchanting environments. Story's pretty good, but none of the puzzles pose a challenge.
7/10
Puzzles may be somehow repetitive in their structure (explore, find notes and letters, activate the mechanism) and narratively dissonant, but what a great plot.
What a great reinterpretation of clsssic adventure novels and imageries, how original as a take on Lovecraftian mithologies, what a brilliant reflection on womanhood and monstrosity, on masculinity and discovery. How effective as a subversion of its references. And what a great love story, with a moving and thought-provoking ending.
Puzzles may be somehow repetitive in their structure (explore, find notes and letters, activate the mechanism) and narratively dissonant, but what a great plot.
What a great reinterpretation of clsssic adventure novels and imageries, how original as a take on Lovecraftian mithologies, what a brilliant reflection on womanhood and monstrosity, on masculinity and discovery. How effective as a subversion of its references. And what a great love story, with a moving and thought-provoking ending.
Cute and chill game about exploring an absolutely beautiful island.
Also, there's a terrifing lovecraftian god in it (he's pretty cute too).
Also, there's a terrifing lovecraftian god in it (he's pretty cute too).
well this has been one of my biggest disappointments in latest years. i had great expectations since i love puzzles, walking sims and lovecraft. and... this is a middle of the road experience for all three aspects.
nice puzzles variety but all way too easy or stupidly complex near the end. walking sim parts are just sub par and the story is yes nice but it didn't hit the spot imo
nice puzzles variety but all way too easy or stupidly complex near the end. walking sim parts are just sub par and the story is yes nice but it didn't hit the spot imo
predictable story, but a decent puzzle experience
O fato de eu mandar um áudio de quase 10 minutos explicando essa história incrível pra minha namorada já diz tudo. Eu amei Call of the Sea (mesmo tendo arrancado os cabelos com alguns puzzles kkkkk).
Good puzzle game, awful walking simulator. Every action takes ten gorillion years to finish and makes me want to bash my head into a wall.
Some achievements are absolutely zoinkers boinkers to get. What I mean by that is that no living human alive thinks of the things the game wants you to do.
Some achievements are absolutely zoinkers boinkers to get. What I mean by that is that no living human alive thinks of the things the game wants you to do.
This game has a beautiful art style, lovely music, and sound design. I really liked the atmosphere, especially later in the game. I've seen the slow walking mentioned and I agree it was fairly annoying at points. Some of the puzzles were tough but overall not too bad. All around a fun game to sit and play for a few hours.
Gorgeous puzzler with such a refreshing take on the usual Lovecraft stuff we see in games.
very pretty first person adventure game, slow walking speed was a bit annoying at times and puzzles were fine other than that fuckin rune language puzzle that shit was dumb nonsense
Un très beau (graphiquement et dans son propos) jeu, bourré de puzzles avec sa dose de réflexion.
Pas mal de bugs visuels et un chemin tout tracé, mais 6h d'une histoire qui se dévoile peu à peu dans des décors magnifiques.
Pas mal de bugs visuels et un chemin tout tracé, mais 6h d'une histoire qui se dévoile peu à peu dans des décors magnifiques.
beautiful art, an intriguing story at the point i abandoned it, but with my gamepass nearly over, it didn't grip me enough to stay in it. i also didn't like how it ostensibly had gamepad controls but wouldn't recognize anything but mouse and keyboard.
I want to start with the story because that's what motivates us. The story is obviously surreal and strange but beautiful and dramatic. I was moved by this passionate love story of Harry and Norah, but the only problem is that it was a bit too long. Other than that, the way the story is told is very atmospheric and touching. We slowly grasp the story in those letters on the island while traveling around and they are not boring. The voices are also good.
Apart from the story, the puzzles and what we see on the island: Honestly, I hated some of the puzzles, you have to focus to understand them, and they're not the kind you can just think simple and solve, you have to think a little bit and be calm. I was satisfied with what we saw on the island because it's an experience that goes back and forth between different ambiances. I also found it logical that they didn't put music at every point because they wanted to make you feel the stunning silence or the noise of the atmosphere, and I was definitely scared of the thunder in that air.
Even though it has frustrating puzzles and a story that goes on a bit too long, it's definitely a game you should play. I don't recommend it if you lack patience and have a short temper, but it's a game with competitive puzzles that will test both of these qualities.
Apart from the story, the puzzles and what we see on the island: Honestly, I hated some of the puzzles, you have to focus to understand them, and they're not the kind you can just think simple and solve, you have to think a little bit and be calm. I was satisfied with what we saw on the island because it's an experience that goes back and forth between different ambiances. I also found it logical that they didn't put music at every point because they wanted to make you feel the stunning silence or the noise of the atmosphere, and I was definitely scared of the thunder in that air.
Even though it has frustrating puzzles and a story that goes on a bit too long, it's definitely a game you should play. I don't recommend it if you lack patience and have a short temper, but it's a game with competitive puzzles that will test both of these qualities.