We analyze Call of the Sea, a first-person adventure game set in 1930, where we will have to explore an island and discover all its secrets.
The indie universe can be surprising when it wants to make its own by emerging great stories and taking adventures that leave you more than surprised with each of its sections, with Call of the Sea they have succeeded. National fruit, developed by Out of the Blue, a multicultural group based in Madrid and made up of developers with years of experience behind them, and edited by Raw Fury. Many were the doubts of when it was going to be its launch since it was presented at an Xbox event and, with a year where the dates have danced a lot, there was nothing concrete. Even so, on December 8, we could already enjoy this supernatural tale with mystery and love set in the 30s. In this adventure we will have to explore a paradisiacal island to solve puzzles and discover the secrets while we search for our husband’s lost expedition.
The version that we analyze is the PC version, although its version of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will work with improved aspects and we will be able to enjoy a 4k resolution or 120 fps, among some of its configurations.
A story that sails the seas – 1934
Harry Everhart decides to undertake an expedition to the far reaches of the South Pacific, a mysterious quest that holds strange secrets and remains of a forgotten civilization. Since he left on his trip he always sent letters to his wife Norah, who suffers from a strange disease and needs a quick cure. For a long time she had not received any information from her husband, only one last letter confirming that he had a cure for her illness. Even being weak and fragile, our protagonist will draw strength from anywhere to find her husband’s whereabouts. Following Harry’s trail, he decides to take an ocean liner and appear in Tahiti, from where he will depart for a paradisiacal island where this expedition is located and many secrets to solve.
As soon as we enter the island, we will begin a narrative exploration adventure where the resolution of each puzzle will be essential to know the whole story even more. It may sometimes make us doubt how everything has come about or what we really do there, but you have to keep in mind that everything around you is important, so do not forget to pay attention to your surroundings and observe every detail. Throughout the island we will discover various camps with letters, images, stories, even a radio, which will allow us to meet each of the crew members, in addition to the events that occurred months ago. It will be composed of an amazing narration by Norah, with dialogues in which he will never reveal anything to us, nor will we feel overwhelmed with a lot of information. Of course, Call of the Sea does not focus on horror, if not on the surreal. It is not a game of fear or horror, but it will have small moments of suspense and unusual surprises that make us feel nervous or uneasy in a scene.
In each puzzle a new challenge
Just as it is important to observe everything that surrounds us to know the history, inspecting and interacting with everything to complete the puzzles will be essential. Norah will carry a diary with her, which in addition to completing each story in the story will also have a section of clues where she will draw small symbols to facilitate the progression of each puzzle. Although it is a linear game, we will not feel that we have to start with one puzzle and end in another, but rather that we will have to go looking for all the possible clues that are scattered, experiment with each puzzle and try to guess the strange solution. In fact, it will be the case that there will be small puzzles that are necessary and complement a larger and more complex puzzle. Of course, getting them completed is truly gratifying due to the great variety that they manage to present.
Difficulty is one of the reasons why the game can be a bit uphill for you and you do not understand what you really have to do to advance. Finding all the clues may lead to the answer, but when everything revolves in a complicated environment and with details that you don’t quite understand, the difficulty certainly increases without waiting for it. In fact, it’s very easy for you to get stuck while looking at notes, tracks, or backing up, but don’t be discouraged because every item you need will be right in front of you. I must confess that there have been times when completing a puzzle has been pure luck and not because of having understood every tool that the game provides us. Even so, when you least expect it, the goal will be closer than ever and you can achieve it without much effort.
If what we want is to create a new challenge in the game, this presents different collectibles that we can guess in the main menu in the option of each level. These collectibles will be divided between the diary notes, the murals that we will be observing and some special item that we can discover. This is where we once again see the importance of exploring and looking around us, without feeling that we are in a labyrinth.
Beautiful, shiny and polished design
Without a doubt, its visual style is truly impressive with very vibrant colors. We believe that if his universe had not been captured in such detail, his narrative would not have stood out in the same way. Build an island that when moving through it in the first person has an impressive immersion, since they perfectly understood everything they wanted to convey. From paradisiacal landscapes, to great catastrophes, to an underwater universe in which you immerse yourself and you will be captured with all its surroundings. It is true that the design of each level helps you want to explore it even more, despite the fact that the relationship between them sometimes lacks connection and can confuse us with the orientation and the story. If you ever find yourself lost or stuck in a puzzle, stand still and enjoy each landscape that is presented to you.
Regarding the sound section, we emphasize the dubbing and dialogues of Norah when she communicates with us. Cissy Jones, who has voiced other characters in Life Is Strange, The Walking Dead or Darksiders III, will voice Norah, and Yuri Lowenthal, who has also voiced anime and video game characters, will double her. husband Harry. Both professionals do a great job, especially highlighting Norah, since there will be occasions that we will also feel like protagonists of the story thanks to each thought of her and each phrase that she directs us with touches of anger, stress and curiosity. The soundtrack is perfect, the piano music that appears at times is very endearing and the developers have chosen well to use more ambient sounds to immerse the player, such as a storm, the singing of birds or the sound of the waves.
CONCLUSION
Call of the Sea is an indie video game delight. They have known how to choose each tool to create an adventure of exploration, mystery and with a variety of puzzles that will undoubtedly leave you hooked since you enter this story of love and suspense. Both the narration, the environments and their ambient sound are very immersive, and you will finally be able to become Norah’s companion on this endearing journey to an unknown island. It is true that the lack of explanation of certain puzzles will make you confused, as will the transition from one level to another, but these small details will not modify the ability to live a great experience in this supernatural story. Every detail is well cared for and when you have the opportunity, enjoy the underwater universe that you can sometimes travel. Whether you are a lover or not of this genre, do not hesitate to give it a try.
THE BEST
- Variety of puzzles with some challenge.
- An impressive visual style with good ambient sound.
- Very immersive dubbing and narration.
WORST
- Little intuitive puzzles.
- Little link between levels.
Very good
A game with a remarkable finish that we will enjoy and remember. A good buy, highly recommended for lovers of the genre. It is well cared for at all levels.
