GeorgeZBush

So I recently finished a hidden gem of a game called The Sea Will Claim Everything, an indie adventure game by Jonas Kyratzes, and wanted to write a quick little review to bring it some attention here. It takes place on the Fortunate Isles in the Lands of Dream, where you meet all sorts of interesting little guys - a talking tree philosopher, Socrates, a dwarf from Middle-earth, a medusa, gender-changing lizards, a druid named The, and so on. It has very charming hand-drawn artwork (done by Jonas's wife, Verena), lovely music, and is both funny and moving.

It's also very explicitly political. The Isles are gripped by an economic crisis and are ruled by corrupt mayors who all serve the interests of Lord Urizen. Austerity has been imposed and goods grow more scarce. All of the characters to some extent have something to say about the state of their world, and a lot of it is clear commentary on the real world. Kyratzes is Greek, so there's some pretty clear parallels to the Greek economic crisis, but that, of course, is but a part of the greater crisis of the 21st century, so it should resonate with anyone even vaguely anti-capitalist.

As for the gameplay, it's a basic adventure game. It's slow-paced and comfy. The controls are all click-based and can be a little awkward at times, and the game largely consists of fetch quests which can be a bit obtuse at points. However, it's not a very long game and it's not terribly difficult, and it's ultimately very much worth playing. It actually affected me in a way much like Disco Elysium - a mirror of our own decaying world inhabited by intriguing, well-written characters that tells a moving story. It's only 10 bucks on Steam so give it a shot.