Call of the Sea

The key to a good adventure is to make sure it happens to someone fit for an adventure. Call of the Sea's heroine, Norah Everhart is one such person. At the start of the game, she's presented as more of a frail character due to her mysterious illness, but even in the beginning, she's a character with a sharp mind and a strong will. And over the course of the story, Norah grows even stronger, both physically and emotionally. While the island seems to have a recuperative effect on her illness, it's her internal growth as she copes with the surreal events and revelations around her that players are meant to relate to. It's a good thing too, because Norah is about the only living thing players ever really interact with over the course of the story. There's a constant sense of isolation throughout the tale, and it becomes easy to see how a person might lose themselves in a fantasy rather than face reality alone.

From a gameplay perspective, Call of the Sea offers a decent amount of challenge wrapped up in a colorful and thematic package. While the visuals might not push the boundaries of the Xbox or PC hardware in terms of detail, its vibrant style and fluid motion still make the island setting feel like a painting brought to life. This is even truer later in the game as the events get more surreal in nature. There's no combat anywhere, with players challenged more on their wits than their brawn. The puzzles definite test one's problem solving skills, but sometimes feel too narrow in focus. Each puzzle has exactly one solution and every item has just one singular use. While this makes for a straightforward experience, it also means there's no real replay value and no reason to think outside the box. Also, if players happen to overlook one item, it can leave them stuck and frustrated, forced to retrace their steps to see what they might have missed.