Beneath its air of a little independent game, Sea of Solitude is actually the result of a long and dense journey. Announced in 2015, it entered the EA Originals program a year later and was then supported by the publisher's superpower: a boon for the German firm Jo-Mei Games, which probably could not have dreamed of better for its… very first game. An introduction to the subject noticed during the first trailer: it must be said that the title has something to entice, both in its darkly dreamy world and its interesting mature words. As much to tell you from the outset, Sea of Solitude is not a game with ambient joie de vivre, on the contrary: as its name suggests, it is an adventure whose main theme is loneliness and all his psychological strains. The director of the game, Cornella Geppert, also admits to being largely inspired by her own experience to denounce the facts through an interpretation, in the end, very personal. In short: if you're feeling slack these days, maybe you shouldn't get into Sea of Solitude, whose overall events deal with some pretty tough stuff, but not without some warming upbeat notes. heart.
VERY BAD TRIP
In Sea of Solitude, the player embodies Kay, a young girl mysteriously transformed into a hairy monster lost in an extremely tortured world. The goal of his quest is simple: to discover the why and how and, ideally, to find his human nature (which is practical in everyday life). She, her boat and her little light serving as a guide will then have to navigate the streams of a flooded city, with dark waters and permanent dangers. From the outset, the tone is set: the journey promises to be trashy and nightmarish. The monsters that stalk our little heroine are not only ultra-scary, they are also morally difficult to take. Constantly, the kind of Nemesis who will follow Kay throughout the game will take pleasure in belittling her, literally insulting her and reminding her of her less-than-nothing nature. Nice, welcome.
Kay, she is totally lost. Defending itself as best it could, the little being can in no way attack but simply dodge the mortal attacks of its assailants, mainly on foot or by swimming. She will then explore several universes, each centering around her traumas: selfishness, depression, family discord, love breakups... We should not look for concrete or relevant meaning in the universe of Sea of Solitude: it it's actually a huge metaphor for all these highly intellectual subjects, materialized by misshapen creatures and an apt contrast between dark and colorful tones. Undeniably, it is this psychological writing, coupled with a flashy artistic achievement, which is the strength of this unique software: it lends itself to reflection and succeeds rather well in the treatment of its various subjects. To tell the truth, some may even recognize themselves in it and will be able to draw lessons from it for their personal lives… which is frankly not nothing.
DEEP SEA TRAP
A real adventure game, Sea of Solitude essentially revolves around fairly basic phases of ground platforming, swimming or boating. Even in general, the gameplay and the level design turn out to be relatively simple: we just go from point A to point B, dodge a carnivorous sea monster, and play with a little timing to escape or trap a few rare opponents. Not enough to break three legs to a duck, even if the game makes the effort to renew its experience with some new mechanics, all very ephemeral. This is probably where the shoe pinches a bit: if Sea of Solitude does not need to be fun to tell its story, it could have done without being a little boring at certain times, repetitive and uninspired concept. It's a shame because it tarnishes the rhythm from time to time and, very clearly, Jo-Mei Games does not shine with its mastery of game design.
...the elegance of Sea of Solitude is one of its great strengths and even if it sometimes pulls the tearful rope a little too much, it's hard not to be touched.
The talent of the Germans definitely remains in the establishment of an impressive atmosphere and raised words: as his quest progresses, Kay will be able to purify areas and completely change the atmosphere. Without sparking technically, it is impossible to deny this ultra-slick artistic direction, sometimes abominable, sometimes warm, with a constant mystery that takes you very quickly to the guts. Similarly, special mention to the refined OST by Guy Jackson – moreover available on streaming platforms – which does its job devilishly well: the elegance of Sea of Solitude is one of its great strengths and even if it sometimes pulls a little too much on the rope of the tearful, hard not to be hit. The correctness of certain morals is to be underlined and, above all, Sea of Solitude is neither too short nor too long: between four and five hours to complete the dozen chapters, it is a relevant lifespan for a poetry of this scale. Above all, in view of its few small shells of pure and hard design, more longevity would have been wronged and we therefore end up with a correctly balanced game, especially for the twenty euros that it asks for.
