When Sea of Solitude first released in 2019, it met with a mixed reception from players and critics. Developed by Jo-Mei games, the title received plenty of plaudits for its stunning art style and emotionally impactful themes, but less so for its gameplay. Now, Sea of Solitude is getting a second life via a Director's Cut release on the Nintendo Switch.
Sea of Solitude puts the player in control of Kay, a young woman stuck in a flooded city that is mostly empty aside from seagulls and a variety of strange monsters. Taking the form of a 3D platformer with exploration and puzzle elements, it's an abstract piece that focuses on themes of mental health. It's all wrapped up in its fantastic visuals, which have easily remained just as impressive as the praise of its initial launch.
Indeed, the game has lost nothing of its potency since the original release in 2019. A new console generation may have arrived, but those cel shaded visuals still pack a major punch, particularly with its emphasis on flowing water and the strong contrast between peaceful pastels and those quick shifts to a storm-laded, monster-filled hellscape. All in all, it's still gorgeous to behold.
The Director's Cut of Sea of Solitude does make some strong additions to the base game, too. Photo mode has been included this time around, giving players a chance to get some wonderful snapshots of the game's flooded environments; given how beautiful Sea of Solitude is, it's a seriously useful tool. That's not the only change though, with another noticeable improvement coming with new voice acting.
Unfortunately not all the elements of the Switch release of the game work perfectly. Those who are looking to play the game in handheld mode will witness a major difference in the way Sea of Solitude looks, with a noticeable drop off in the overall quality of the experience. It's fair to say that the game loses a certain something when a user's looking to play the game in its portable form, and although it's hardly alone in this position it may be a title that will look best on the rumored Nintendo Switch Pro.
In spite of this, it's fair to say that the Director's Cut of the game is the strongest version of Sea of Solitude so far, even if it has to remain in docked mode. The title controls just as well on Switch as on other platforms, and the gameplay services the title's themes perfectly well. If someone has yet to play Sea of Solitude and has a Switch at hand, it's probably the best place to go.
After all, there are some fantastic elements to be found here. Sea of Solitude is an artistic story that holds plenty of emotional weight, covering elements like turmoil in family relationships, living with depression, and bullying. In spite of this, it's an uplifting game about finding peace with oneself and coping with loneliness, and an overall cathartic experience.
Sea of Solitude: Director's Cut doesn't fix elements some players found wanting, with light gameplay and an experimental feel that won't be for everyone. Even so, it's a powerful and engaging game that a specific type of player will love, and those quality of life improvements seen in the Switch release do add a lot to the overall experience. Although Sea of Solitude loses its impact in handheld mode, overall this Switch release is a strong one.
Sea of Solitude: Director's Cut is out now for Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided with a Switch download code for the purposes of this review.
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