The moment Call of the Sea popped up on my radar I know I wanted to play it. The premise of a first-person adventure game inspired by Lovecraftian storytelling seemed very fitting for my taste. I was not disappointed.

When Harry met… Norah

Call of the Sea puts you in control of Norah who’s in search of her lover named Harry. Harry embarked on an expedition to aid Norah with her strange condition but has yet to return. After not having heard Harry in a while, she sets out to join the expedition to an unnamed mysterious island. Once Norah sets foot on the island, she discovers small bits and pieces of what happened with Harry and his crew through letters left behind. As Norah progresses more and more, she’ll start to find out more than she initially hoped for leading to a grand finale set in an otherworldly setting.

Intricate puzzles

The island in Call of the Sea is well locked through crazy contraptions keeping Norah from progressing. These present excellent crafted puzzles for Norah to solve. At first, these seem simple enough but they’ll get more and more challenging as you dive deeper into the story. Each puzzle seems seamlessly woven into the lore to give the puzzles a sense of belonging instead of just being a means to progress to the next area. The variation in puzzle elements kept me invested until the end. The originality at hand has to be greatly applauded.

Handy journal

Having so many great and often hard puzzles is bound to have the player confused. I was confused more than a few times during my playthrough. Luckily the game has a way of helping you divide the lore from the actual puzzle clues. Norah writes everything down in her journal and allocates these to the right section. With a press of a button, you can view what you’ve already discovered and try to make sense of it all. If you happen to be stumped by a puzzle, it probably meant you’ll have some adventuring to do in order to find that one clue necessary.

Beautiful scenery

Call of the Sea uses a very nice palette of colors to show off some very beautiful scenery. With 6 chapters to get through, you’ll notice a different style each time a new chapter starts. The use of lights and colors gives you a sense of delving deeper into the otherworldly mystery waiting for you in Call of the Sea. Music is referenced throughout the game and will start to make more sense as you progress the story. The voice acting by Cissy Jones feels very comforting and keeps you clinging on through the adventure.

Exploration is key

Call of the Sea is Lovecraftian inspired but without the usual horror associated with H.P. Lovecraft’s work. Lovecraft is ever-present in the way the story is told. Through the use of letters and found artifacts, the story of Harry is told all while Norah is writing her own. This way of gradually eating away at the full picture takes you through a great journey. The odd nod to the work of Lovecraft in the architecture of the island and the depicted murals is subtle but always present. Exploring every area and taking time to really soak in the environment will greatly benefit your enjoyment of the game.

Conclusion

Call of the Sea takes about 6 hours to complete and features some of the coolest puzzles I played in a long time. The fact I had to get a pencil and paper to solve certain puzzles means I had a challenge but I enjoyed it thoroughly. I would greatly recommend this game for any fans of adventures, escape rooms, and puzzles in general.

9/10

Tested on Xbox Series S