Sea of Solitude

Despite some shortcomings in the narrative, Sea of Solitude champions its storytelling. It lands solidly on its own two feet, for the most part, and presents a fairly cathartic look at loneliness and depression.

Sea of Solitude is a deeply personal experience, but it carries the nervousness of a studio desperate not to be misunderstood, delivering this allegory via spoon-feeding.

At the heart of Sea Of Solitude is the idea that all emotions can have a positive or negative form -- love can be twisted to be something unhealthy or saddening, for example, just as being alone can be quiet solitude or debilitating loneliness. I’ve no doubt that Sea Of Solitude might seem facile to some people, but that just means it isn’t for you. I think it’ll probably be for a lot of other people.

The real brilliance of Sea of Solitude is how each of the manifestations that Kay experiences have significance to a person or event in her own life. When someone is afflicted by a mental illness it may not be visible to the human eye, but on the inside it feels like a real monster, twisting around – and that’s what is represented during this short adventure game. Sea of Solitude gives an invisible illness a real, physical, conquerable form and that itself is extremely powerful. Taking only three or four hours to complete, Sea of Solitude is a lovely, thought-provoking adventure game with a co...

Sea of Solitude stands out as heartfelt, almost painfully sincere, so much so that I hesitated to actually put a score on this review at all. It felt almost crass to do so, like being allowed to read a relative’s diary, only to give it a thumbs-up or -down. Though engaging gameplay and meaningful messaging aren’t mutually exclusive in games, Sea of Solitude is squarely one of a growing number of titles that challenges the notion that “fun and entertainment” should be a game’s main priority in every case.

Alone at sea.

Sea of Solitude’s potential is never fully realized. It’s beautiful to look at, but it ends up being a lovely splash in a shallow pond. The story was compelling enough that I wanted to see it through to the end, but the repetitive tasks within it lost their charm in the first half. While not a long game, by the end of Sea of Solitude I just wanted things to be done. It felt like it ran out of things to offer me long before it ended. There are some enjoyable, even magical moments, in Sea of Solitude but they’re mixed in with some mediocrity that make it just a decent experience rather than subl...

Sail the loneliest sea there is in a gorgeous adventure with mixed messages.

Sea of Solitude was revealed during EA PLAY 2018, perhaps as a reminder of EA’s small but seemingly persistent devotion to publisher smaller, indie titles. Developer Jo-Mei has finally released their stylized adventure game which deals with depression, family issues, and other weighty topics. Does it deliver like other EA Originals titles before it?

EA’s Originals program has seen the release of a few great and unique games that couldn’t be more of a departure from the Battlefronts and Battlefields that we usually see from them. The most recent release under the banner is Sea of Solitude, which is a puzzle-based adventure game that puts personal stories of loneliness and struggles with mental health right at the forefront.

A thoughtful exploration of the monsters people can unwittingly become, although it often struggles to offer a compelling gameplay experience.

I'll send an SOS to the world.