SUNLESS SEA

Must buy if you enjoy atmosphere and reading

too weird for me!

go dive~

我是自身命运的主宰，我是灵魂远航的船长

this game permanently altered my brain chemistry as a teenager, the prose and worldbuilding of fallen london were absolutely fantastic when this game came out, and there's so much amazing stuff here a bit less so with modern fallen london, and by the time sunless skies came out it's been noticeable that failbetter games lost something important among the writers with the passage of time and changing of staff, though it's still unique enough to satisfy me; but this game is a time capsule into them at their most exceptional! as long as you can deal with some rough gameplay edges, and don't actually try to play it like a rogue-lite

Based Lovecraft game with a cool sequel.

Sunless Sea: A Unique Experience for the Patient Explorer This review has been a long time coming. I've been playing Sunless Sea on and off for years and likely have way more hours than listed on my profile. I'll start by saying that I recommend this game, but only for a select few. For the vast majority, I would probably suggest staying away. There are several people like me who both love aspects of this game and despise others. The game is interesting in that there are phases where I feel like I've figured something new out and really enjoy it, but then monotony settles in. Initial Impressions The atmosphere of this game is incredible. The art style, especially of the islands, is basically perfect. The sound and music complement it well. Starting out, unless you have played Fallen London, most players will likely be pretty confused as to how the game works. It's somewhat like a visual novel with a lot of text and ability to make choices. Layered on top of this is a vast world filled with a TON of lore that is barely ever fully explained. You do start to piece some things together, but there is an intentional ambiguity that I personally find a little irritating. Once you start out, you're given some barebones tutorial-like quests to get you used to some of the mechanics, but this lasts only a minute. The initial exploration of the game feels amazing. It's scary sailing on the sea, not knowing if you'll stumble on anything. Early Game Confusion Pretty quickly, though, confusion sets in. Where are you supposed to go? How do you make money? What the heck is the "something awaits you" mechanic? The design decisions of the actual gameplay boggle my mind. Much of my early play was basically running a loop between a few cities where I knew I could make a little bit of cash, but it was barely enough to subsist and was painfully boring. Everything can be a struggle and a grind and if you die (which is pretty likely) you have to basically start over and do all of these things again which can be brutal if you haven't set up some of the inheritance/legacy system which is also somewhat difficult to figure out early on. It literally took me coming back a few years later to understand some of the rhythm of the game and how to get things going. Gameplay Mechanics One thing the game does, which I can't tell if it is irritating or smart, is that most profitable trade/quest routes will either completely shut down or limit themselves through certain mechanics, forcing you to continue to find new avenues to make cash. I would say the best part of this game comes when you've been reading a lot of these little quest bits with characters from far-off lands, and then you actually make it to those lands and see them firsthand. It genuinely feels cool and like an accomplishment. Late Game Frustrations Following this second spike of interest is where the game mostly started to fall apart for me. The progression in this game is nearly non-existent. The new ships are not that much better or exciting. The fastest engine in the game is still somewhat of a crawl, and you can just feel your time being wasted as you realize you forgot to trade searing enigmas for a dread surmise or to bring enough foxfire candles. The combat feels like an afterthought and is extremely simple. Leveling up your stats really doesn't do a whole lot except help pass skill checks, which sometimes don't even make a difference. There are so many random mechanics and weird things about the game that are just not explained; you need to figure them out or look them up, and I wouldn't say they are all very rewarding. Story and Writing There are a few questlines and stories that are genuinely good and make you think a fair bit afterwards, like the sigil-ridden navigator, but many are pretty vague and hard to follow or connect with. That being said, the writing is excellent and the creativity is off the charts. Conclusion At the end of the day, I'm glad I played the game, and it is incredibly unique. However, I just wish so badly it was implemented differently so it didn't feel like there was so much repetition or that so much time wasn't wasted just sitting there. I absolutely love aspects of this game, but I know there was a way to do this that could have been so much more fun and accessible. For those with the patience and the interest, you'll definitely love this game (but still be frustrated). However, I think many, if not most people, will likely just not be able to stick with it long enough to figure it out. Sunless Sea is a niche game that offers a truly unique experience for those willing to invest the time and patience to unravel its mysteries.