Whether I was creeping Kay through a dark hall of red-eyed shadows whispering sickening threats or frantically clambering atop a raft just beyond the reach of a giant swimming monster’s teeth, close encounters of psychological terror led to some heart-pounding moments. Quite literally.Īlthough I wouldn’t classify the game as belonging to the horror genre, there were moments that pushed it as close to the borderline as it could get. As you venture on, Kay will encounter menacing dark monsters and uncover memories revealing the reason for their existence, finding the determination to right the wrongs of her past and restore calm to the corrupted storm that overshadows her world. You journey as Kay, a young woman mysteriously transformed into a dark shape of her former self, with nothing but a glowing light and a speedboat to help her traverse the flooded city that looms deep below the sea. While minimal features and a noticeably short playtime (I managed to beat the game in less than four hours) offers an experience that is almost fleeting, its tragic story and heartfelt message leaves an everlasting impact. It envelops a highly mature and nuanced depiction of mental illness through gameplay that is simple and symbolic. Jo-Mei Games’ latest project, Sea of Solitude, is a prime example. When it’s done right, however, you’ll feel rewarded with so much more than just a completed playthrough. Incorporating these real-life themes into an interactive story is a daunting task for developers, as the traumatic and harrowing situations caused by mental illness must become the experience of the player. To be fair, when such a sensitive topic is represented through a commodifiable form of entertainment, it’s easy to see why. It is frightening and tense every time you have to enter the water.Mental health is a precarious subject for video games to tackle. Timing your swimming with how far away the monster is will be absolutely imperative to your survival some of the gaps you need to cover provide only a moment of grace before it is right behind you and quickly consumes you whole. Kay’s boat handles nicely on the water and rocks with the waves, and her ability to jump is quite impressive, making for a few tense moments where you aren’t quite sure if you will make it. Much like the original, getting around the world is easy. You want to explore more, check every corner, any excuse to stay in the light just a little longer before having to delve into the darkness where nightmares try to devour you, hands reach out from the depths to pull you below the surface, and dozens of voices taunt and insult you to tell you how pathetic and weak you are. After extended periods of navigating the darkness and finding your way into the light, Sea of Solitude makes you cling to these brief interludes of happiness. As noted with the original, the gameplay mechanics themselves are fairly basic and rudimentary, but this isn’t a game you come to for a complex array of gameplay features, rather the incredible narrative that drives right to the heart during every moment of play.
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