Bon Voyage
The sea is vast and intimidating. Its mysterious nature is both enticing and frightening, holding as many tales of horror as it does glory. Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition on the Switch does a great job of conveying these elements. From the get-go you are thrust into a world of nautical mystery, with only some cash and a dream in your heart. However, you will soon learn that the Sunless Sea is not a simple flight of fancy and it may take a bit longer than expected to achieve destiny.
Maritime Melancholy
The world of Sunless Sea is a bleak one. After naming your captain, reading up on the basics and ultimately selling the tutorial book for much-needed funds, the slow-paced adventure across the dark waters begins. Your quest is ultimately a directionless one as the seas are yours to wander. Personal fulfillment, immortality and other vague goals are at the end of a quest that will prove to span a legacy of Captains. Combat and navigation control easily and always serve to enhance the experience. From fighting off pirates with the aim-and-shoot nature of the combat or turning off the lights of your vessel to avoid detection, everything adds to the dangerous atmosphere of the dark ocean.
The hand-drawn art brings the dark world to life in this title. Colorful monsters and magnificent galleons pop against the dark blue waters, the cloudy fog adds a tricky element to navigation and the vibrant locales each have their own personality. From run-down settlements that mirror the gloom of the ocean, to titanic cities of industry whose flames roar day and night, the world of Sunless Sea is deceptively lively. Though exploration is paramount and controls are simple, this title never backs down from throwing a challenge your way.
Dead Man’s Chest
The vast world of Sunless Sea hides behind a steep learning curve. While the basics are explained, such as needing supplies to feed your crew and fuel to power your ship, it is up to you to determine the importance of these elements. Death is certain in Sunless Sea and you will leave a legacy to your next character in the event your current one dies. This element is never shy and simply travelling towards the open ocean will result in hostility from monsters, pirates, or other obstacles that can prove fatal to the unprepared. There are also a great deal of small systems within the game that are tough to make sense of at first glance.
Nearly everything you do in Sunless Sea is catalogued in some way. Your friends, acquaintances, missions, knowledge, and so many more elements riddle every decision you make. These each serve as their own form of currency and are overwhelming to take in all at once, especially given the rapid rate you are earning and spending these elements. This makes it even more difficult to understand the consequence or rewards of your actions. If you manage to stick with it, however, you will find a cleverly-woven world with strings of fate hanging off of every decision you make. Understanding these deep elements is key to enjoying Sunless Sea and the many stories within its world. If you manage to learn how your decisions impact the world around you, it is a very rewarding feeling to take control of your destiny on the high seas.
Rime of a Journeyed Mariner
Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition offers a vast world of deep storytelling and tons of replayability on the Switch. The dark waters of the ocean make the perfect backdrop for visuals that pop, adding a ton of personality to the mysterious seas. Moving through the world, fighting its inhabitants and finding new lands is a fun and rewarding experience that will always bring a smile to your face. This charm and adventure is only a reward to those who dedicate time to learning the language of Sunless Sea, however, as the laws of the ocean are brutal and unforgiving. It may take many playthroughs to get a firm grasp on what exactly your goal is and even more to find a route to obtaining it. Leaving a legacy for your next playthrough is a fun way to cushion the blow, but the sting of failure can be great in Sunless Sea and it will no doubt test anyone who is willing to give it a shot. Unless you are ready to dedicate time and effort to this title, which is is not difficult due to the portable nature of the Switch, wait for a sale on this one.
