Sunless Sea Critic Reviews

Sunless Sea's method of storytelling isn't unique, but it has never been realised with such impact and elegance.

It is a game crafted by those with an irrepressible love, and possibly hunger, for words and tales.

It's not earned easily, but if you are proficient in English and you also have patience to get in picture in a fantastical world, your reward will be a true treasure among current games.

A haunting and unforgettable journey to the heart of what made video games fascinating in the first place. The 'Zee is endless, the 'Zee is dark, the 'Zee will kill you. Your heart belongs to its dark gods now.

The realm of possibilities seems endless, and every time I set sail I find something new.

More action-focused players will be unable to enjoy Sunless Sea at first, but I hope they take their time to learn what it has to offer and enjoy their trips in the Unterzee, with all the emotion and the frustration that comes packaged in them.

Sunless Sea sparks my curiosity and it is beautifully designed. The exploration of a Lovecraftian ocean is well crafted and well told.

An extremely good game which just doesn’t feel properly finished. It’s not quite a final draft. It’s still damned good fun though.

Sunless Sea is a game for a very specific audience. It requires a patient player who loves reading and has a big imagination. But if this is you, then you'll know how does it feel to long for the open sea while remaining seated in your room.

Sunless Sea is a narrative masterpiece that is inspired by gothic literature. With minimal sources this game shapes a bizarre world with a great feel of atmosphere and detail. Too bad this game often is a tad slow.

Real history can be a bit boring, so that's probably why Sunless Sea is set in an alternate world of 19th century where the city of London was transported underground by bats. The player is a steamship captain who must explore the vast underground sea, battle monsters and solve different types of quests. The writing and the atmosphere in the game is excellent, which is why I was really drawn into the events that were happening. It's a shame that the combat mechanics are oversimplified and simply not fun. The game is also too difficult for beginners.

Sunless Sea gives you a wonderful world to explore and packs it with memorable written vignettes. Its permadeath flirts with repetitiveness, and combat is disappointing, but it’s far from running out of ways to inspire one more trip back across the Unterzee.

A sandbox game with a fascinating world that is worth of exploring, with a fantastic narrative inherited from Fallen London and lots of nice touches. However, it can be really slow, requires patience and backtracking. Not a game for everyone, but worth playing for anyone looking for something different.

Sunless Sea is special, though it is not for everyone. That's okay.

Indeed, one of the best things about Sunless Sea, apart from its beautifully crafted elder-horror stories, fantastically drawn artwork and generally creepy atmosphere, is the feeling that the decisions you make within the game are shaping the narrative, and that by playing, you are writing yourself into that story.

Sunless Sea is an interesting game that’s worth playing for those that appreciate a dark yarn, players that love exploration, and even the “let’s find out how to game the system perfectly” roguelike crowd. It’s a unique mix of genres that’s a finely crafted experience, marred by a few cracks in the cabin.

The static narratives and roguelike gameplay in Sunless Sea don't always gel together harmoniously, but Failbetter Games has succeeded in delivering a tense and engaging experience and a rich and atmospheric setting.

The action may not be up to quite the same standards as the writing, but the bizarre world of the Underzee is more interesting to explore than almost any other recent game world.

Wonderful writing resting on top of infirm foundations. Almost a classic, Sunless Sea falls a few leagues short of its final destination.

The dark world of Sunless Sea is an amazing place where players who love exploration will enjoy a lot. This is an interesting game that offers a unique mix of genres like a roguelike and static narrative.