Call of the Sea Reviews
Call of the Sea is a success. Taking the best of Firewatch as well as Lovecraft's books, Out of the Blue has managed to digest its inspirations to mix them and offer a moving story.
Review in French | Read full review
Call Of The Sea is a real surprise. A perfectly-paced puzzle adventure that manages to pour more than the expected amount of heart into its story, it manages to combine a number of disparate elements into a hugely enjoyable game, and certainly not one to be missed.
What a surprise Call of the Sea was! Out of the Blue's debut title shows off its own well-defined personality through a very accurate artistic direction and attention to details. All puzzles have their own logic and the idea of proposing them in blocks, separating the adventure into sealed chapters, helps to focus attention on a limited number of elements. With its crazy atmosphere and an eight-hours duration, which prevents any kind of fatigue, Call of the Sea is a highly recommended game for adventure's (and Lovecraft's) lovers.
Review in Italian | Read full review
When I finished Call of the Sea, I couldn’t help but smile. It was such an incredible journey with an intriguing story and a well-thought-out ending. From start to finish, with the exception of a couple of frustrating puzzles, I truly enjoyed this game. Considering it’s is launching on Xbox Game Pass, there is absolutely no reason for Xbox Series X/S or Xbox One gamers to not give this gem a try. The sheer amount of love and care that went into crafting this world should be the new standard that all devs strive to achieve. I can’t wait to see what Out of the Blue have in store for us next, and I truly hope we’ll return to the world of Call of the Sea in a future title.
Call of the Sea is a gripping, interesting, and creative take on the Lovecraftian formula. It moves away from the oft-trodden horror roots and creates an imaginative and immersive puzzle adventure with none of the lingering racism you might expect.
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.
In short, Call of The Sea is a title that everyone who approaches it will enjoy, discovering a good story, with touches of Lovecraft and showing that not everything has to be horror and fear, but that there is space for paradisiacal islands and irrational mysteries.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Call of the Sea is an interesting but imperfect experiment, denoted by some (legitimate) error of inexperience. In general, the feeling is that of an adventure written in a pleasant and on average enjoyable way to play, but never get to that status of small gem to discover.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Releasing early in the new gaming generation, Call of the Sea sets the benchmark for story-driven adventure puzzle games moving forward. It's an experience full of surprises, from its lush game world that takes advantage of next-gen graphic capabilities, to its emotionally impactful story that puts a fresh spin on the Cthulhu Mythos. It's also surprisingly challenging; so much so at times that the frustration over its obtuse puzzles damages your sense of immersion, and goodwill towards the game.
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 might be short, but it's a highly rewarding puzzle game with a fascinating narrative that keeps getting better and better as the game slowly reveals the truth to you. It's a fully engrossing experience that showcases the best parts of the Lovecraftian genre, but makes it fully accessible to players who want to experience the mystery but none of the horror.
Call of the Sea might have an overly familiar premise and some less-than-stellar puzzles, but it's a gorgeous, enjoyable game boosted by strong production values and involved world design.
A thoroughly enjoyable first-person adventure brimming with mystery, intrigue and intricate, well-thought-out puzzles, Call of the Sea is a journey into the unknown that proves both rewarding and memorable.
With attention beneficially split between puzzles and story, Call of the Sea charms with an enjoyable pulp adventure.
Call of the Sea is a well-executed Adventure game that feels both familiar and distinct, with imagery evocative of both Monkey Island and H.P. Lovecraft that comes together in a fun and concise adventure game.
Issues aside, though, Call of the Sea is pretty good. It was nice to play through a new story with new characters, even if the story design was somewhat familiar and the outcome (essentially the same despite which ending you choose) was fairly predictable. Solid voice-acting, good writing, and pretty graphics (nothing show-stopping, but they’re good) make for a nice presentation package on top of an alright game. If you’re looking for a more casual, story and character driven game to play this holiday, Call of the Sea is worth considering.
Call of the Sea is a charming adventure that immediately hooks you through its period-appropriate mystery, that slowly builds intrigue and excitement. The various puzzles you encounter along the way are thoroughly engaging, while at the same time offering enough of a challenge to not be too easy or annoying.
I think Call of the Sea has something to offer a variety of gamers. The puzzles are fun, challenging, and genuinely make you learn more about the world around you and Norah's personal challenges. On top of that, learning more about Norah herself and what has caused her illness is a huge draw – it's one of those mysteries you want to figure out more and more as things progress. The bright, popping visuals and simplistic gameplay all tie this into a pretty good bow for those who want to give it a shot.
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.
Fitting for this studio’s name, Out of the Blue's puzzle-adventure debut resonates due to its mechanical challenge and atypical approach to Lovecraftian fiction.