Call of the Sea: Game Review
Well howdy, dear reader, and welcome back to my weekly review of all things horror.
Lately I’ve been trying out new types of content, maybe you’ve noticed I’ve been doing video interviews of people in the horror industry — if you haven’t seen those interviews yet, you can find them in the new “Interviews” tab I added to the nav bar at the top of my site!
Otherwise, I am still writing and super excited for my debut novella, Sisters of the Crimson Vine, coming out this December! If you want to check it out and pre-order your copy, visit the Timber Ghost Press website!
Anyway, that’s enough about me, onward to the game review!
The Game
Developed by Out of the Blue and published by Raw Fury in 2020, Call of the Sea is a first-person adventure video game available on Windows, Xbox, and PlayStation. Set in the 1930s, you play as Norah, who is trying to find her missing husband on a mysterious island. Heavy on plot, the game has no combat, but a whole lot of puzzles.
An otherworldly tale of mystery and love — The search takes place on a strange but beautiful island in the South Pacific, filled with secrets waiting to be unearthed. It is an otherworldly tale of mystery, adventure, and self-discovery. — Call of the Sea website
Call of the Sea is the debut title for Out of the Blue, an independent studio in Spain, and the team consisted of twelve people. The founder of Out of the Blue, Tatiana Delgado, said that they drew inspiration from Lovecraft, SOMA, and Myst among others.
Review
I should call out right away that, although this game features a lot of Lovecraftian elements, it’s not really a horror game. Still, I really enjoyed it and I loved spotting the little Lovecraftian elements throughout the game. I love games with well-developed story and well-rounded characters, Call of the Sea had both. It also had an amazing aesthetic and beautiful settings, it was a feast for the eyes.
I got sucked in right away and loved exploring the island with Norah, as we searched for her missing husband. The story slowly unfolds, revealing the secret behind Norah’s illness and the fate of her beloved husband. The ending was as perfect as it was poignant.
The only potential downside for me was that some of the puzzles weren’t easy and I did have to look up help for some, but that may just be me being bad at puzzles.
I would recommend this game for people looking for a story-based game that leans more on puzzles and plot than combat. The game is very linear and, while there tension since Norah’s husband is missing, there’s not a lot of suspense as there isn’t a threat of danger. For some that might be a downside, but for me, it made for very cozy gameplay.
10/10
x PLM
