
Each chapter provides a different atmosphere without feeling out of place.

As you progress you find yourself in a storm, as well as underground, all matching the tone of the chapter you are in. Jungles are colorful, shipwrecks look dangerous. Early on, when things seem “normal,” the island presents itself as just that.
CALL OF THE SEA RATING FULL
I found the island you are probing to be full of color. As someone who’s trying to be a better citizen of the world it’s little things like this that I appreciate, whether or not that's what they were trying to accomplish. Call of the Sea has the aesthetic without directly tying into the mythos. The look, feel, and time period of the game all fit that classic Lovecraft criteria without being outright Lovecraft. However, once I educated myself on the man behind the famous writings I’ve struggled to separate the art from the artist. I absolutely love this as someone who wants to love Lovecraft. That’s great Nora, let’s work on deciphering this language that no one has ever seen before so we can find your missing husband, ok? I found the conclusion to Call of the Sea to be very satisfying, even if I was able to accurately predict the outcome, for the most part.Ĭall of the Sea is filled with Lovecraftian elements without having any true Lovecraft ties. I don’t need her to tell me that she wished she would have taken engineering classes while she was in school. Everything adds to the story and Nora narrates and adds to what you see constantly. Opening a lockbox might show you a photograph that adds to the story, or a tape player that explains why they went where they did on the island. To get the full story players will have to search almost every nook and cranny the game has. I enjoyed going around in each chapter to learn more about the expedition, the mysterious ichor, and of Nora’s ailment. As Nora I want to know what happened to her husband’s expedition. I found the puzzles to be fun more often than not, but they did test my patience at times, and I broke down and went online for a solution just so I could continue on.Ĭall of the Sea shines in the story department. Riddles and cryptic clues are something I enjoy. I pride myself on being able to solve the occasional Wednesday or Thursday New York Times Crossword puzzle. Am I too obtuse to understand them? Perhaps. Throughout my play I found a couple of puzzles that I simply did not understand. I kicked myself for not understanding it. Once I learned where all of the clues were located I found the solution to be much easier.

I found a puzzle in the third chapter to be so frustrating that I simply gave up and looked online for the solution. Other times they seem so straightforward that they are not difficult but time consuming. At times, though, the logic the developers want you to use to come up with the correct solutions are impractical at times. Overall the puzzles are a high mark, just like the story of the game. The puzzles can range from the simple-especially in the beginning-to grueling. Making sure you travel to every inch available in the chapter is key to filling out Nora’s notebook, meant to make solving puzzles easier.Īs there is no combat in Call of the Sea, the game relies on solving puzzles as one of its main attractions. If the path splits into two parts and you choose one that leads to a puzzle, you frequently do not have enough information to solve it.

It’s easy to miss clues without knowing it. All of the clues you need to complete the puzzles in each chapter are there. You can replay chapters, which you would do only to unlock all of the achievements, or complete your in game notebook.

By solving puzzles and finding clues, you make your way further and further into the island and discover why the locals are afraid to step foot on the island.Ĭall of the Sea is divided into chapters, each one independent from the last. Naturally you pay someone handsomely to drop you off for a few days while you have a look around. She finds that he may be on a mysterious island the locals have zero interest in landing on. In Call of the Sea you play a teacher, Nora, who’s in search of her husband and his expedition team who left some time ago.
CALL OF THE SEA RATING WINDOWS
Originally released on Windows and the Xbox platforms in December of 2020, Call of the Sea has recently been published for the PlayStation 4 and 5.
