Call of the Sea

Developer Out of the Blue’s debut game is a gorgeous homage to the films and games that inspired it. Through engaging Myst-style puzzles and a captivating story, Call of the Sea triumphs in bringing its island alive, along with the characters that have explored it. It delivers a short-lived but engrossing experience through stunning art direction and an excellent voice cast, with the biggest of its minor annoyances being a slow movement speed. If a fun, but emotionally affecting adventure is what you’re searching for then Call of the Sea most definitely answers that call.

Call of the Sea's original setting, narrative, and overall feel totally hooked me – even when I wasn’t playing I found myself working over the puzzles in my head. If you’re a fan of emotional stories and challenging logical puzzles then you should dive straight into this adventure.

Call of the Sea has plenty to offer puzzle and walking sim fans alike. The story kept me going even when the puzzles felt difficult and excessive. The puzzles can be tough and seem unfair at times, but overall feel very solid in how they were crafted. The conclusion to the story of Nora, her illness, the previous expedition, and the true nature of the island left a satisfying feeling once I had completed it.

If you’re not a huge fan of puzzles, then you might find Call of the Sea‘s gameplay more frustrating than satisfying. But if you enjoy solving logic problems, there’s a lot to love here. The game looks beautiful, and the island you find yourself on, complete with all of its mysteries, begs to be explored. Its few bugs aside, Call of the Sea is a satisfying adventure that will keep you gripped from start to finish.

While it wasn’t a flawless adventure, Call of the Sea has engaging puzzles, fantastic visuals, and a Lovecraftian story about love and sanity that make it unlike any other game from 2020. If you’re looking for a new game that takes advantage of what your next-generation system can do, this is an engrossing puzzle game that’s too beautiful to pass up. 8/10

If the writers weren’t so eager to spoil their own surprises, I think we’d be looking at one outstanding narrative-driven adventure here. As it is, Call of the Sea is a pleasing piece of pulp fiction and a decent test of your puzzle-solving skills.

Call of the Sea is a visually stunning game offering a compelling story hidden behind a mixed bag of puzzles and a few frustrating pacing decisions.

Call of the Sea puts all its eggs into its puzzles. They're fun to solve and feel as rewarding as slaying a boss in some of the most difficult games. The mysterious island Norah explores is gorgeous and full of mysteries that even Nathan Drake would appreciate. It's just a shame that its narrative is such a letdown. Norah may be the main character but I think Harry's adventure would have made a more compelling narrative.

Who would have thought that the solution to madness might be marriage?

If you want to investigate a mystery by exploring a beautiful location and solving puzzles whilst also learning about Polynesian culture this is a good place to do just that.  I have played numerous games of this type over the years and this is another that I really enjoyed. I certainly felt a sense of achievement at the game’s conclusion.

Call of the Sea’s intriguing piecemeal story and beautiful setting falls to the wayside when its lack of signposting and overall artificially obtuse puzzles take center stage for much longer than acceptable.

It’s a solid adventure title that’s shrouded in mystery and easy to dive into. Sure, the gameplay can test your patience, especially if you’re not a fan of backtracking. Still, with strong puzzling, amazing atmosphere, and a decent story, it’s hard to ignore just how challenging and charming the title is.