Shout out to Raw Fury for supplying a copy of this game for a review.
Call of the Sea is... an interesting first-person adventure puzzle game. I'd call it an adventure, thriller, puzzle hybrid that starts out where it should just to gear you up for... to gear you up for a nifty adventure.
Story: Call of the Sea... takes place in 1934, and the story revolves around a female protagonist by the name of Norah. Not only are you in Norah's shoes, but this H.P. Lovecraft inspired story is based on her going on a quest to find out what happened to her husband... who ventured off to find a cure for her. Needless to say, she comes across some interesting things on this island that she doesn't find a need to weapon up for.
Not to rant or anything, but... (hmmm) I just couldn't help but wonder why in the world would someone venture off to an island with unknown dangers... and no weapon(s). Even if the weapon isn't used... I think it would've been more realistic to grab something. By the way, I had to attach thriller to this game, because of the things you come across. It's not considered a horror game.
Gameplay: The gameplay consists of you venturing around an island in the South Pacific, uncovering secrets of a lost civilization while connecting dots to uncover what happened to your husband and where he might be. In order to progress from one section to the next, you have to figure out the clues to overcome a variety of challenging puzzles.
Of course, you aren't just going from one puzzle to the next... you uncover more of the story and history of the island at the same time. The story actually goes from 0 to 20 to 60... and even if it's not considered a horror game, one part of the game (once it switches gears) really was out of the playbook of horror.
While I don't have a problem with the puzzles in the game, I kept going back to Norah traveling alone. There was a missed opportunity to add a survival element to this game with the fact that she was traveling to an unknown island to face who knows what. She didn't know how long the adventure would be, she would need food, and shelter... at least. That would have really transformed this game and took it to the next level.
Visuals: The visuals are like a quality cel shade (at least in some areas), that almost fades into full 3D models and textures after a certain occurrence. This is when the game really came alive for me... while maintaining the puzzle elements and your pursuit of finding Norah's husband. The environment is lush both on land... and in the sea, during those times when you swim the fishes.
Price: Pricewise, Call of the Sea... comes in at $19.99. That's the sweet spot for this otherworldly tale of mystery and love.
