Although I can’t sympathize with people who suffer from mental issues, after playing this title, I feel I can empathize a bit more. I can’t recommend Sea of Solitude enough, especially to fans of adventure games. The uncomfortable conversations feel real, not scripted, and left me feeling chilled to the bone in a way games rarely accomplish. If that weren’t enough, the voice acting is some of the best I’ve witnessed in an indie title in quite some time. I found myself staring as the water movement and even puffs of dust emanating from Kay’s feet as she walked through the world. The pairing is truly something to behold, especially with the clever use of animation. The artwork expertly crafts vibrant cel shading with contrasting dark themes. The best phrase I can use to describe the look of Sea of Solitude is “hauntingly beautiful”. Neither are incredibly difficult to find and serve as a way to entice you to explore the world of Kay’s mind. The seagulls, however, are just shooed away and add a bit more replayability to the title. The former offer a bit more insight into Kay’s mind, as each has a message hidden inside. On top of the story, platforming, and puzzles, you’ll also have collectibles in the form of bottles and seagulls. Instead, expect a rich narrative experience, which is what this game is selling. If you go in expecting deep mechanics, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. I never felt even the slightest bit of boredom, because the pacing is near perfect. I didn’t mind the simplistic gameplay this time around, however, since it gave just the right of interaction to make me feel a part of the story. It reminds me of what I wanted out of Journey, a game that didn’t quite deliver for me personally. You control Kay in 3-D with minor platforming and puzzle solving. My only caution to those intrigued by Sea of Solitude is that it’s barely a game in terms of mechanics. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I couldn’t put the game down. As someone who personally doesn’t deal with these problems as much as most, it opened my eyes in a way I wasn’t expecting. Sea of Solitude isn’t afraid to touch on such issues as bullying, spousal abuse, and depression. The conversations Kay has with her friends and family are legitimately uncomfortable (in a good way). What makes this story stand out from others like it is how it doesn’t pull any punches. In essence, the game is a metaphor for Kay confronting her own demons. I’ll just say that the monsters in this world are personifications of her own issues with people in her life in the real word. To divulge much more could potentially ruin the experience. Kay, herself, has partially transformed into one of the creatures, and she must explore to find out why. SEA OF SOLITUDE REVIEW FULLYou play as Kay, a young girl who wakes up in a submerged city full of red-eyed monsters. Although it’s more of an “experience” than a “game”, it’s one that’s very much worth your time. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised by how artistically beautiful this game turned out to be. The last thing I wanted was a sermon or distasteful look and the reality of real-world problems. When I first booted up EA‘s Sea of Solitude from German developer Jo-Mei Games, I was cautiously pessimistic. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a recent example of one that did it remarkably well, but it’s hard to find quality titles. Games that tackle issues like mental health can be difficult to pull off successfully and respectfully.
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