Review for Sea of Solitude. Game for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 05/07/2019 The version for PC came out on 31/12/2019 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 31/12/2019 The version for Xbox One came out on 31/12/2019
Anyone could face phases of life in which the problems deriving from interpersonal s lead to a state of closure, loneliness and confusion, perfectly summarized with the metaphor of the boat adrift in a boundless ocean where there is no safe harbor. This could have been the inspiration that led Cornelia Geppert to create Sea of Solitude together with the German independent studio Jo-Mei Games but, before going into the review of the title, it is good to premise that the topics covered are primarily subjective. In fact, although they are one of the reasons of greatest interest of the title after the announcement at E3 2018, together with the inclusion in the EA Originals program, they are fruit of the author's personal experiences and memories.
Having made the necessary premises, we can set out to discover the Sea of Solitude with our motor boat, plunged from who knows where into this very particular sea where, between submerged cities and sea monsters, we will accompany the inner journey of Kay in search of herself, of the lost affections and of the pieces necessary to recompose a life apparently shattered. Waking up on the boat, without memories, Kay will find herself in a dark world of which she will soon understand its essence thanks to the few but decisive encounters she will make during her journey.
If on the one hand we will cross our paths with people dear to Kay transformed into gigantic black monsters, on the other hand we will find other particular beings who will be interconnected in some way to our protagonist. It follows that the story will be an attempt by Kay to free loved ones from the monstrous envelope and at the same time to understand and accept her loneliness, finding in this situation a foothold and a companion to continue in the ten chapters that make up the work created by Jo-Mei Games with the help of Unity.
Although the initial colors, very lively and assisted by graphics that can remotely recall a The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, may suggest an exploratory and adventurous title, the reality of Sea of Solitude is very different. Indeed, we will face a story driven adventure with platforming phases and some puzzles minor, even if there will be some more action sections in which we will have to escape from enemies or reach certain places before being devoured or wounded by monsters.
Already from the appearance of the protagonist, with human features but characterized by very dark skin and red eyes, it is evident how the dualism of color and grayscale wants to represent the psychic torments and the search for inner peace of the protagonist. However, the important themes that are at the heart of Sea of Solitude soon disperse in the various fragments of past conversations and in the inner dialogues of the protagonist. The consequence is that, unlike expectations, Sea of Solitude does not return that sense of empathy and emotional involvement that we find in similar titles, such as Last Day of June, where the narrative, to be the protagonist, does not need to be overwhelmingly explained.
The little emotional involvement in the interesting and demanding thematic is not helped by a very simple yet effective gameplay, Kay will immediately have the power to throw a light from her left hand thanks to which she will be able to activate some mechanisms and safe light zones in various situations. In general, Sea of Solitude includes sections on board the boat, in which often we will not have to do is go ahead and listen or read the subtitles on the screen, which alternate with classic platform dynamics with jumps and runs on the roofs of buildings that resurface from the sea and other game locations.
In these stages we will always be able to locate our target with Kay's throwable light and in the meantime we will be able to discover hidden collectibles (seagulls and messages in bottles). The backpack worn by our protagonist will instead be the container of corruption that we can remove, thanks to our second particular ability, from monsters and objects and will allow us to reach new sections of the game as well as, of course, save our loved ones from the monstrous envelope that it has thrown them into a situation of despair.
This important skill is closely linked to the development of the plot but, perhaps due to a lack of epicity in the very act of taking on the evil of others, it does not transmit strong and compelling emotions useful to embellish an interesting, on paper, narrative fabric. The many dialogues are dubbed exclusively in English although the rest of the title has been completely localized in Spanish in an impeccable way. The soundtrack created by the English composer, as well as regular collaborator of Jo-Mei, Guy Jackson, which effectively accompanies the various phases of the game with calm and relaxing tones, breaks the game and comment phases.
As for the graphics sector, we cannot fail to underline some flaws regarding the animations and the fluidity of the title that, although it has affordable hardware claims on PCs, they often prove to be fluctuating and not in line with other similar productions. As for the longevity, the title is rather short and can be finished in a handful of hours, however the presence of 22 objectives on Origin, as well as on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One counterparts, will allow most to extend the duration of the experience. game in order to unlock each achievement.
Sea of Solitude is a courageous title and touches on important and always current themes, however it fails to fully breach with its attempt to convey strong emotions due to a narrative that is not always engaging and gameplay only at times inspired. It follows that Jo-Mei's work works intermittently and although the dialogues and the transition from darkness to color mark a sharp break in the various phases of the game, they do not ultimately represent anything new or exclusive. Certainly Sea of Solitude deserves an opportunity especially because Cornelia Geppert has tried to bring to the screen some topics historically little dealt with in the gaming world but which, nowadays, are making this medium become more mature every day.
► Sea of Solitude is an Adventure-indie game developed and published by Electronic Arts for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the game was released on 05/07/2019 The version for PC came out on 31/12/2019 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 31/12/2019 The version for Xbox One came out on 31/12/2019
