Nintendo Switch Critic Reviews

Sea of Solitude: Director's Cut will be an indie game I'll remember for years to come, just like Celeste and What Remains of Edith Finch. Its powerful storytelling, excellent performances, and stunning world will eventually invite me back to play it once again.

Sea of Solitude does an incredible and masterful job of expressing what it means to suffer from depression, so much so that should you be interested in jumping in and have your own mental health issues I would suggest playing only in short bursts and when you are feeling quite strong. Many of these segments are far too relatable and quite vivid in their depictions of mental distress. The changes made to the Director’s Cut offers subtle enhancements to the game with new voice work that makes it hit home a little harder for American audiences and a photo mode that – while enticing – feels more likely to break the immersion. This is every bit as powerful as it was in 2019, and if you are looking for an emotional story to be fully enveloped in, I can’t imagine something being more passionately and beautifully put together than this game.

Sea of Solitude lands on Nintendo Switch with a superb port that makes little changes on the screenplay and dubbing and adds new options, making it the "definitive version" of a personal view to real world problems that videogames doesn't show often. If you love videogames with a message, don't sleep about this one.

Sea of Solitude: The Director's Cut is a very personal and beautiful narrative adventure that deals with some topics in an interesting way. Although it may not connect with everyone, it will surely appeal to players looking for a different proposal.

Technically very clean Switch port of this equally atmospheric as well as beautiful adventure – now with photo mode and gyro controls.

Despite the lack of subtlety, Sea of Solitude is largely successful in bringing its positive affirmative message to a colorful world. The events that play out are often powerfully voice acted and complemented with incredible art. It wears its influences on its sleeve and is profoundly direct with its, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Even though the gameplay is flawed with clumsy and inaccurate platforming, it’s not enough to capsize a strong overall presentation.

Sea of Solitude The Director's Cut is a new game, yet it is still itself. It's not much better or worse, it's just a different way of saying the same thing.

This beautiful adventure lands on Switch with some adjustments, while keeping all the good and bad things of the original.

Sea of Solitude: Director's Cut doesn't fix elements some players found wanting, with light gameplay and an experimental feel that won't be for everyone. Even so, it's a powerful and engaging game that a specific type of player will love, and those quality of life improvements seen in the Switch release do add a lot to the overall experience. Although Sea of Solitude loses its impact in handheld mode, overall this Switch release is a strong one.

I'm aware that parts of this review may sound negative, but I'm glad to have played Sea of Solitude: Director's Cut on the Switch. It felt fresh and had an important message that it mostly succeeded in conveying. It's good if taken as an interactive experience, but it falters when taken as a video game. That's not necessarily bad, but it limits the potential a bit and may not sit well with everyone. Given how well this port turned out, it's worth a look if it piqued your interest and you haven't had a chance to try it elsewhere. This Switch iteration may be the best version of the game that you can currently play.