“Call of the Sea” gripped my attention and anticipation based solely on the trailer’s gorgeous art style and mysterious hints at the story—I’m thrilled to say the game lived up to my expectations with solid puzzles, believable core characters, and a fresh exploration of a timeless tension in the human experience.
First things first—the puzzles in this game are near-perfect by my account! They all got me to pause, slow down, and think, but they also always gave me the information I needed, or at least made me feel like it was accessible. I never felt like I was spinning my wheels on a puzzle, and I only looked up two hints online throughout the entire play-through. Nora helpfully tracks all puzzle-significant information in her notebook to eliminate back-tracking! Of course, it helps that the puzzles all take place within beautiful environments.
Then there are the characters! Nora and Harry present one of the most realistic video game romances I’ve personally experienced, all through simple interactions in letters and self-speak. I absolutely adored every time I got to read one of Harry’s letters to his “old pal.” Beyond these two, the rest of the expedition crew, whom you meet entirely through collectibles, are a mixed bag of forgettable and memorable characters, pretty much based on how long they stick around in the story. My one great wish is that these characters had been humanized more.
Finally, the story of the game explores a timeless tension within the human experience, but one I will not spoil for you. Simply know that the beautiful environments are the beginning of a wonder-filled journey that brings the player to life even as it does so for Nora!
For anyone who has GamePass, this is absolutely a worthy play; heck, even its 19.99 price tag for non-subscribers is more than fair for what you are getting! Check this game out—I truly believe you won’t regret it!
First things first—the puzzles in this game are near-perfect by my account! They all got me to pause, slow down, and think, but they also always gave me the information I needed, or at least made me feel like it was accessible. I never felt like I was spinning my wheels on a puzzle, and I only looked up two hints online throughout the entire play-through. Nora helpfully tracks all puzzle-significant information in her notebook to eliminate back-tracking! Of course, it helps that the puzzles all take place within beautiful environments.
Then there are the characters! Nora and Harry present one of the most realistic video game romances I’ve personally experienced, all through simple interactions in letters and self-speak. I absolutely adored every time I got to read one of Harry’s letters to his “old pal.” Beyond these two, the rest of the expedition crew, whom you meet entirely through collectibles, are a mixed bag of forgettable and memorable characters, pretty much based on how long they stick around in the story. My one great wish is that these characters had been humanized more.
Finally, the story of the game explores a timeless tension within the human experience, but one I will not spoil for you. Simply know that the beautiful environments are the beginning of a wonder-filled journey that brings the player to life even as it does so for Nora!
For anyone who has GamePass, this is absolutely a worthy play; heck, even its 19.99 price tag for non-subscribers is more than fair for what you are getting! Check this game out—I truly believe you won’t regret it!