Sea of Solitude

I could go on and on about this game, but just know that games like Sea of Solitude are important. It personifies Kay’s journey with mental health issues, and brings to light different types of situations that people suffering from MHI might encounter. It also brings with it perspective that some people absolutely need should they know someone going through MHI and potentially a starting point when it comes to getting help for that individual.

Sea of Solitude makes one o the better and more realistic recreations of some mental issues that are more common that most people think.

A brave, harrowing exploration of a troubled psyche which proves very powerful indeed. [Issue#180, p.83]

Sea of Solitude on Xbox One is too short, some of the gameplay doesn’t ever push hard enough in terms of what could be done, and the last act isn’t as interesting as it could have been. But the way the story and the journey are crafted and told through its characters, themes, visuals, and audio is superb.

Sea of Solitude offers a surprisingly deep adventure that not only toys with perception, but inadvertently encourages you to look inside yourself. Whilst the gameplay would have benefited from a bit more depth, what’s present is well balanced, well varied, and well paced. Collectively, this makes for a massively involved journey that showcases its developer’s heart remarkably. Whilst slightly flawed, Sea of Solitude is unlike anything else.

Sea of Solitude might be flawed but that makes it more human than any perfect game would ever be. There’s a little bit of classic Ico in the game, especially in the way the journey is concluded, and more than a passing resemblance to Hellblade as an imaginary pilgrimage through a retrospective hardship. When Sea of Solitude states it’s a personal journey, it really is so. It could be about anyone’s passage to understand better not only themselves but also the people around them and that’s the game’s biggest strength.

The game from Jo-Mei is committed to a powerful narrative and visual beauty, but forgets to take risks in the gameplay side.

Looking through my review notes felt like I was reading the journal of an increasingly depressed individual. There's amazing praise at first but that quickly turns to frustration, irritation, and even anger at times. With that said, I'd recommend Sea of Solitude for the school chapter alone. The entire adventure is also only a few hours long so thankfully, it won't overstay its welcome.

Sea of Solitude is as unique as it is charming, and certainly a title to check out if you’re looking for a break from looter shooters and multiplayer.

Sea of Solitude certainly has a unique look and feel to it, but the novelty alone is not enough to carry the game. Your enjoyment of it will come down to how much you connect to Kay and her story because the gameplay alone will not be enough to compel you to play until the end. Even if you're just in it for the story, there are times when that story will also feel like a slog, especially when you face the monsters that represent Kay's endlessly bickering parents. The game is certainly an unusual experience, but it will probably leave you wishing that it was a more compelling one.

Quotation forthcoming.

Even tough the story is a bit unevenly told; we cannot stop playing Sea of Solitude until Kay has reached the end of her journey. Partly because the story always manages to motivate us to go further, partly because the adventure is not long enough for the shortcomings to become too intrusive. When it is all said and done, Sea of ​​Solitude is a gripping but uneven journey that is worth taking.

Raw and emotional, though let down by some annoying or wonky design issues, Sea of Solitude is a worthwhile and beautiful journey through loneliness and regret.

Despite a gorgeous look, Sea of Solitude lacks of a complex narrative or level design that puts it into pair with recent games inspired by mental issues.

It’s a pretty decent game. The focus on mental health is heavy, yet I don’t think it was done flawlessly. I failed to care about the character, thinking they were taking things a bit too seriously because the problems they had seemed insignificant compared to problems such as death or mental abuse. I know everyone can feel this way for any reason since it’s human nature. It seems to fall short in comparison to games such as Hellblade and The Missing.

I was baffled by how a work could be as beautifully designed and earnest as this yet so hackneyed as to short-circuit any emotional investment.

A wondrous world and keenly felt themes are slighted by unsubtle writing.

I wish I could say that Sea of Solitude excels in every way a game can. Though it offers an honest, raw depiction of how unfortunately disparate life can be and the toil that goes with that, it fires few shots as an interactive experience. A rather barren world and repetitive core loops only serve to mar what is an otherwise overwhelming sensory treat.