Gaming has steadily grown as a medium that can explore complex human mental disorders through storytelling. Celeste and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice are just a few games that balanced disorders such as depression or psychosis with gameplay, and have achieved in doing so.
Sea of Solitude is the latest to join the roster of games that explore mental disorders and widen the scope of representation in gaming. The release has previously been delayed, but Electronic Arts (EA) has finally announced its release date worldwide.
Exploring Solitude Waters
Cornelia Geppert, co-founder of Jo-Mei Games, introduced Sea of Solitude to the world as a game that explored inner loneliness. Geppert shared that the game was inspired from her experiences, making it “the most artistic and personal project” she’s done.
The overall design is an integral part to the storytelling which takes place in a flooded city. The city’s waters would rise and fall according to the emotional state of the protagonist. The game also utilizes weather and color changes to further demonstrate emotion as the players weaves through challenges.
The protagonist named Kay sets out to explore the world above and below the waters. Along the way, she meets other creatures and learns of their stories while trying to understand her own loneliness. In time, players learn about Kay’s monstrous state and its connection to her loneliness to find a way to become human again.
Jo-Mei Games developed the game under the wing of EA Originals, and will join other indie games like Fe under its label. Sea of Solitude is slated for digital release worldwide on July 5, 2019. The game is now available for pre-order on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Youtube – Sea of Solitude [Trailer + Preview]
Photo credit: All images used are owned by EA and were provided for press usage.
Source: EA
