Call of the Sea (Xbox) Review
Release Date: December 8, 2020
Publisher/Developer: Out of the Blue Games S.L./Raw Fury
Platform: Xbox One (reviewed), Xbox Series X|S, PC
Price: $19.99, included in Xbox Game Pass
In the 1930s, a young woman named Norah goes on an expedition to hunt down her husband, who mysteriously disappeared whilst on an expedition of his own to help find a cure for her mysterious illness. She catches up with the trail on a small island in the South Pacific. Nora has also been suffering from strange dreams, and as she explores the island she begins to see links between her real-world adventure and those from her mind.
Call of the Sea is a first-person adventure story driven game in the vein of Myst. As Norah explores the island, she comes across a variety of puzzles that impede her way. Puzzles are widely varied: timing, memory, rhythm, and many more stand in between you and the truth. Part Indiana Jones exploration, part Lovecraft Lite, play consists of entering an area, locating a puzzle or obstacle, and hunting down the bits and pieces of gizmos or clues you need to overcome. Several times through my adventure with Norah, I felt as if some of the challenge was inverted, as the clues or locations to use the clues at were hard to find whilst the clues themselves were pretty direct. Right at the beginning I found a note scrawled by the previous expedition: a picture of a stone wall, a stone pulled out, and a gizmo hidden beneath that helped open a door. I get that clues in games are vague to make you think, but wouldn’t a previous expedition crew member write “hey, the thing is over there” or even leave the part where it belongs? Instead, my difficulty came in matching up the sketch with the real-world location. Many puzzles felt very gamey and by design rather than naturally logical in the narrative of the story.
That’s not to say it detracts from the gameplay and fun. Once you are able to catch the hint dots amidst the beautiful landscape, puzzles become more natural and intuitive. Norah’s voice actress talks to herself, and her husband is voiced through flashbacks or audio logs, and keeps the mystery going along even though Norah spends most of the game all by herself.
I appreciate a good mystery, maybe even a slightly spooky story, but not direct horror. Despite being influenced by Lovecraftian tales, Call of the Sea keeps it’s spook to a minimum, influencing the tone rather than being some huge driving force. Norah keeps her journal up to date with all the clues and data she locates across her five or so hour journey. This time could have been shortened a bit if Norah had a bit faster gait. Whether walking or running, Norah can’t really bring herself to more than a light trot. Given that clues are scattered around areas and down narrow paths at times, if you are short a clue it can get tedious re-searching an area for that last hint. Sometimes though, finding most of the clues allows you to strong-arm your way through the remaining hint and progress.
It takes a different suspension of belief and a bit of patience, but players looking for a deep story with a strong female lead who’s just a hero on a quest instead of some stereotypical Power Female that some developers try to push. Norah herself is a great part of the game, simply for being an exciting, fully fleshed character out to save the man she loves. Excellent voice acting and a thrilling mystery make Call of the Sea an easy recommendation, especially for those who can grab it as part of their Game Pass subscription.
Pros:
-Norah is a fun and fully fleshed out heroine
-Beautiful landscape and well balanced atmosphere
-Engaging and fun puzzles
Cons:
-Norah walks very slowly
-Some puzzle clues seem very obtuse or strangely specific
Special thanks to Out of the Blue Games S.L./Raw Fury for providing a code for review!