I remember vaguely hearing about Sea of Solitude when it was first released back in 2019. The narrative-based game from Jo-Mei Games was said to explore mental health in a fascinating way, but due to my own schedule during its original release, I never managed to try it out. Earlier this year the game found new life on the Nintendo Switch with Sea of Solitude: The Directors Cut. With another run of its physical version releasing today (affiliate link), I was given the opportunity to finally check it out! After doing so, all I can say is I was not emotionally prepared for this journey.

Story

Kay has experienced loneliness to such a degree that it has turned her into a monster. She now wanders the desolate flooded world around her filled with other monsters in a journey to rediscover her own humanity. 

Gameplay

Sea of Solitude is classified as an action-adventure title but to me, it totally falls within the narrative genre. There is no combat to speak of within the title, with all the focus being on exploration and narrative. This has quickly become one of my favorite categories in gaming over the last few years and Sea of Solitude: The Director’s Cut has become one of my favorites. The exploration of mental health issues is instantly relatable within Kay, and as she goes through her journey, other hard topics like bullying and suicide come into play. The way each of these issues gets brought into play feels so real you can tell that the team behind it has great respect towards helping others learn more about them.

I must admit there were a number of sections throughout the game’s modest 3-4 hours of playtime that the themes hit very close to home. Balancing one’s relationships and work time, maintaining a proper relationship with your kids and wife, finding joy in your chosen path, bullying... Sea of Solitude had me thinking about them all. Because of the way these narrative themes played out I couldn’t help but play the game from start to finish in a single go. I had to see what would become of Kay and I will say the ending did not disappoint and the overall message given is one of hope. 

The journey to reach this conclusion was also enjoyable unto itself. The world around Kay reflects the desperation or hope she feels in the situations being portrayed, and the ever-present threat of one nasty fish creature while traversing the world outside the safety of your boat can be unnerving. While nothing in the game is overly complex, including the few puzzles scattered throughout, I really didn’t mind. Working through this world and finding the next path to progress was more than fulfilling. If you do happen upon a segment that leaves you a bit confused on where to go next, the game’s flare gun mechanic can help point you along the way. A nice touch for those hoping to move along with the story efficiently. 

Visuals

Visuals in Sea of Solitude look great, even on the Switch’s lower specced hardware. While you might be able to notice the slight resolution drop from the past versions of the game, the art style portrayed throughout Kay’s journey works perfectly for the system. The submerged and desolate landscape, and unnerving creatures found throughout them, all shine through and help put you into the experience. It was cool to also find that there was a TAA sharpness slider included in the options to help sharpen out the game’s pixels if you so choose.

Audio

Audio is where the biggest improvements come in Sea of Solitude: The Director’s Cut. The entire script has been reworked to better suit the story as well as an all-new set of voice work to accompany that! The audio does an amazing job of capturing the emotional aspects of each moment and really sell you on it. I can still hear different scenes playing in my head even after finishing the game.

Replayability

Again, Sea of Solitude: The Director’s Cut isn’t the longest of titles, but exploration is rewarded. Within the game world are a number of different collectibles such as seagulls or pages from Kay’s journal. These pages show her thoughts that can directly relate and expand upon what she is experiencing throughout her journey and are definitely worth keeping an eye out for. 

What It Could Have Done Better

Overall, Sea of Solitude: The Director’s Cut is a fantastic update to the original game, but there are 2 Switch-specific updates that weren’t really that important to me personally. Those are the inclusion of Gyro aiming and a photo mode. This isn’t an action game, so being able to move your flare around with gyro controls never really felt super important. As for the photo mode, I know a number of people really love the feature but I don’t know, it seems like it didn’t really fit in this version of the game and its lower resolution.

Verdict

I am glad that I have finally gotten to experience Sea of Solitude and its emotional journey. While the playstyle found throughout might not appeal to everyone, the story contained within is top tier. Mental health is something that many of us have either dealt with, continue to deal with, or have someone in our lives who have. To see it portrayed in such a way really helps it hit home and bring awareness to even the smallest things some might find insignificant. Kay’s journey is a unique one and one that I hope will change the way we all think about mental health.