In this game, the player controls one of several different playable characters onboard a passenger liner in the early 20th century when it hits a storm and capsizes. The player character must navigate the shifting ship's destroyed corridors and rescue and lead to safety as many passengers as possible, all while the ship gradually fills with water.
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A technological wonder on the SNES
I felt pain playing it. And I think that it's the purpose of it, so it fits.
Unique, ambitious, and far ahead of its time, SOS (aka Septentrion) is an adventure platformer that thrusts you on a sinking ship. Over the course of a real time hour, you have the option to save several passengers or leave them behind. Depending on who you save, you get a different ending. As the time progresses, the ship wobbles and tilts, sometimes 45 degrees, sometimes 90, sometimes more. With this in mind, platforming becomes focused on strategic maneuvers to prevent characters from falling to their death. The Mode 7 work here is really impressive, rotating the sprites around in a way that I haven't seen before on the SNES.
With that all said, this is a game to be appreciated from afar, through longplays and such, rather than playing it in my opinion. The controls are quite cumbersome and the NPC AI is really clumsy and often feels frustratingly suicidal. The concept and mechanics here are really cool though, the devs of this would go on to refine a lot of what's here for their later games like the beloved Clock Tower.
With that all said, this is a game to be appreciated from afar, through longplays and such, rather than playing it in my opinion. The controls are quite cumbersome and the NPC AI is really clumsy and often feels frustratingly suicidal. The concept and mechanics here are really cool though, the devs of this would go on to refine a lot of what's here for their later games like the beloved Clock Tower.
Gotta love the people at Human. They watched Phenomena, and went on to make Clock Tower. Watched Twin Peaks and made Mizurna Falls. For this one, they clearly spend one night watching The Poseidon Adventure and decided it was a cool idea to turn into a game, and they were right. This game has a ton of ambition. No shame in using a guide for this one, the gameplay is quite complex and the map is not as user friendly as it could be. I will beat this one day...
No solo un concepto interesante, también una ejecución a la altura. Un juego con la arquitectura, el espacio y la navegación que funcionaría por sí solo, pero es que encima el marco narrativo suma a la experiencia y convierte la escapada del naufragio en toda una aventura de supervivencia, fluida y sujeta a nuestras acciones. Un buque en constante cabeceo, alterando cómo percibes y navegas sus cubiertas con cada rotación. Y un reparto de personajes variado, humano, reservando dignidad hasta para el último pasajero. Donde cada vida que salvas importa. Una pena que a veces se rompa esa ilusión por el funcionamiento errático de la IA, el mayor punto débil del juego. Sin una mano invisible que te guíe por el barco, estás solo en medio del naufragio. Orientarte entre bodegas y camarotes, intentar salvar supervivientes por el camino y encontrar la salida en el límite de tiempo depende de ti. Tus decisiones son solo tuyas. Tus errores y la gente dejas atrás también.
from the moment SOS' ship tilted the direction i didn't want it too, and all five of my fellow survivors fell to their death and leaving me to escape the ship on my own, i was hooked. it felt like something that would have actually happened in a real disaster. i had gotten my own tale out of this old SNES game that felt truly unique. truly unforgettable