Sunless Sea

 PC
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. Level7.nu
    Mar 4, 2015
    70
    Sunless Sea is in many ways a real stunning adventure, that dare to be original. Unfortunately the pacing feels a bit slow, and the dialogues aren’t that existing. Still, it’s a good choice for the hardcore adventures, that seeks something new.
  2. Riot Pixels
    Feb 26, 2015
    70
    There are no breathtaking vistas to behold, but still, Sunless Sea is a great destination for virtual tourists. If you only you didn’t have to suffer through the monotony and fight the hastily implemented, out-of-place rules.
  3. The Escapist
    Feb 12, 2015
    70
    Sunless Sea is a dark game combining Lovecraft-themed exploration with Victorian Gothic visual novels in exciting (and chilling) ways. The end result isn't perfect, but its sense of terror and wonder makes it a worthy follow-up to Failbetter's Fallen London.
  5. Eurogamer Poland
    Feb 10, 2015
    70
    Even the best stories and intriguing atmosphere is not enough if other elements do not match their level. Constant repetition makes the dark sea adventures less and less interesting with each try.
  6. Games Master UK
    May 6, 2015
    69
    Unforgiving and tough, but the exploration of an unusual world can be fascinating. [May 2015, p.63]
    All this publication's reviews
  7. GameSpot
    Apr 3, 2015
    60
    Sunless Sea is an ambitious work that attempts to capture the sheer kinetic thrill of discovery in a bottle without the inevitable entropy of player completion depleting it, and falls well short. The promise of lengthened replayability only makes the methodical pace a joyless grind at times.
  8. CalmDownTom
    Feb 18, 2015
    60
    I don’t want to sound too down on Sunless Sea. Sadly though, it’s one of those games that I respect and appreciate more than I enjoy and one that I find it easier to recommend than to actually play.

Awards & Rankings

47
#47 Best PC Game of 2015
74
#74 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 176 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 116 out of 176
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 176
  3. Negative: 28 out of 176
  1. miranda7
    Feb 8, 2015
    10
    Been playing games since the 80s, and first game I felt compelled to rate. For sure, it not for everyone, but for me it is stunning,Been playing games since the 80s, and first game I felt compelled to rate. For sure, it not for everyone, but for me it is stunning, Atmospheric, different, addictive. Love the fact that you are going to die at the start, but that helps your descendants (or rivals) to progress.… Full Review »
  2. Lobuno
    Feb 8, 2015
    6
    You play as the captain of a steamship in a post-retro-fallen-lovecraftian London UK.

    Nice atmospheric game. Correct graphics and sound for    You play as the captain of a steamship in a post-retro-fallen-lovecraftian London UK.

    Nice atmospheric game. Correct graphics and sound for and indie release. The storytelling is good, a bit confusing at times because of the language used. The game is mainly that storytelling, and a lot of exploration. It can be slow and boring at times because of the sluggish pace.

    Overall a nice indie game, but it sure doesn't deserve the 10's I've seen on several critic/user reviews.

    In mi opinion it deserves: 6.5    … Full Review »
  3. LaughingProphet
    Feb 22, 2015
    0
    If you are thinking of buying this game, I have a better idea. Pack some food and get in your car. Spend the price of the game on gas. DriveIf you are thinking of buying this game, I have a better idea. Pack some food and get in your car. Spend the price of the game on gas. Drive somewhere you've never been. Get out, look around. Enjoy the day. Have a picnic. When the sun goes down, try to get home without running out of gas. You've just had a better time than playing Sunless Sea. (If you don't have a car, put the money in a coffee can marked "Savings for a Car." You will still have a similar experience.)

    This game is truly a waste of time and money. Sunless Sea tries to be a lot of tantalizing things, but does just about all of them poorly. Combat is atrocious, exploration is tedious and unrewarding, movement is inexcusably slow, the "story" seems to be an assemblage of set pieces with no interconnection or apparent coherence.

    My first biggest problem on a game level is a fundamental one. I don't understand why this game calls itself a roguelike, or features permadeath. Since it is supposedly story-driven, if you are expected to frequently die then you just sit through the same story elements every time after every restart. I would opine that the fact that you have the option to turn the roguelike aspect off indicates that it was an early concept that became obsolete during development. I do have more cynical ideas about why it exists, though.

    My next biggest problem is the speed of the game. Your ship is inexcusably slow, even with upgraded engines. Maybe later ships are better, but the price of these ships is so steep I never got a chance to try one (the reward-to-cost balance is an issue of its own). Regardless, to somehow make enough money to buy better ships and equipment, you will waste hours watching your little boat inch its way sluggishly across the pretty but mostly non-interactive environment. A simple fix would have been a fast-forward button, featured in many similar games. I suspect that the choice not to include such a boon, however, was in deference to maintaining the atmospheric quality of the game. I could see the difficulty in progressing as being in deference to the atmosphere of the game. The pointlessness of everything you do as being in deference to the atmosphere.

    These unenjoyable aspects foisted upon the player bring me to the core problem with this game; The creators' artistic vision is allowed to interfere with the player's good time. Every element that would make Sunless Sea a competent game seems to have suffered in favor of story and atmosphere. That could be excused, to a limited extent, if the story were well put together. By the game's nature of exploration and horribly ill-conceived roguelike elements, however, there is little hope for a linear plot. It feels like a series of set pieces strung together ad hoc because it is, out of necessity. If instead of making a game the creators had created a short animated film with a coherent story set in this universe, it might have actually been good. This game is not, and should not exist.

    I was actually excited when I first heard about Sunless Sea. I loved sea-trading games like Port Royale but wished they had better developed worlds, I loved FTL, which some crooked critic compared it to, and sure, steampunk, I'd love to see that done well in a game other than Bioshock for once. Review scores for it were really high. But Sunless Sea is not a game. Every time I tried to give it another chance I quit playing with an unpleasant taste in my mouth, wishing I had my time and money back. Everything in this game is done better elsewhere. The art is pretty, though in no way does it justify a game.    … Full Review »
See all user reviews »