![]() As you escort the orb up the mountain, the orb will dissipate the fog, allowing you to progress further. Sitting atop this mountain is a massive, overturned ship, the path to which is blocked by a toxic black fog. Once you have completed all of the memories in a “stage of life”, a white orb will spawn and ascend up the mountain situated in the middle of the island. Some of these tasks took me a few tries to figure out, as no set rules are explained, but once I began to play as the game intended the solutions quickly presented themselves, and the emotional impact of the sequences landed. All tie in with the memory they are supposed to represent, and do a good job of communicating the struggles of the heroine outside of her monologues. The activities are varied, with sequences like a game of musical chairs, juggling a set of floating cubes, or running along the beach. Though there is some challenge in figuring out what to do during memory sequences, none are meant to stagger the player for long periods. These puzzles not only reveal more about the circumstances by which Anna became “lost at sea”, but they also serve to help her work through the trauma. There isn’t much to see on the island outside of the “stages of life” and memory sequences, but retreading old ground, and having the island transform to host the various puzzle sequences at different points in the game, keep things somewhat interesting in spite of the redundancy. Ultimately Lost at Sea boils down to a series of short fetch quests. An expanded statement, followed by a piece of art representing the scene, then follows, completing the quest at hand. Once this has been completed, the player can restore the memory by revisiting the “stage of life” from whence it came. After they reach this point, a short puzzle or interactive sequence will play out. Players can then follow a marker on their compass that is linked to an object, hidden somewhere on the island. Following the natural route of past to present will help illuminate Anna's life history in the clearest way, though that’s not to say you’ll be totally lost as to what’s going on if you uncover them out of order.Įach memory prompts a short statement of reflection from Anna, linked in some way to the object or scene discovered. The memories can be accessed and completed in any order. These memories, or “mirages”, are the outline of an object related to a specific event in Anna’s life, like an armchair or bed, for example. There are four main areas, or “stages of life”, on the small island, each containing several memories for players to restore. ![]() Though the exact source of these structures is not immediately clear, the broader narrative quickly comes into focus as you explore the island, and learn of the protagonist's history. Curiously, Anna is not shocked by this discovery. ![]() Shortly after departing the beach, for example, you come to a massive blanket fort filled with children’s toys. ![]() It is filled with objects and structures allegorically connected to Anna’s life. Upon making landfall, it becomes evident that this is no regular deserted island. Shift toggles between running and walking, and CTRL allows you to crouch (though I never found this necessary). Right-click brings up the compass - a necessary tool for directing you to different points on the island. Left-click is used for interacting with points of interest, as highlighted by the cursor. Lost at Sea unfolds entirely from a first-person perspective, and the controls adhere to the standard WASD scheme. This opening section tours players through the game’s basic mechanics, teaching them the controls, as well as introducing them to the surreal setting that awaits. The game opens with Anna floating in a life raft amidst a vast blue ocean. Though unreliable collision mechanics and simplistic visuals do somewhat derail the experience, the game still gets its message through, and the brief time you spend stranded on this tiny island is ultimately memorable, even if it’s not always enjoyable. It's a smart concept, giving a brief virtual tour through the stages of grief. In Studio Fizbin’s Lost at Sea, players take on the role of Anna, a woman in the later years of her life who finds herself wandering a mysterious island purgatory, reliving her trauma. Trauma, and the guilt that may stem from it, can have a debilitating effect on one’s life.
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