▲ Recommended
10 hrs
I don't know why this game isn't getting more attention. It's a solid side-scrolling brawler with a fun premise, an interesting map, and cool characters. There are definitely some early access rough edges, but I've been having a blast wandering the game's open world sea map, attacking raiders, and destroying raider hideouts.
▼ Not recommended
17 hrs
Seems cool at first, but gets very repetitive and boring. Mashing the same basic attacks while waiting for abilities on cooldown that actually do something effective. Blocking is pointless, especially as the enemy group size scales up, and there's no parry. Maybe fewer big moves on cooldown and more moves the player can do without cooldown... I mean, there's already stamina to limit what the player can do in combat, why also introduce cooldown abilities? The jump is super floating and slow. It forces you into some repetitive minor running jumps and is only redeemed by an ability you get later.
Upgradeable equipment follows a very linear and boring 2-step process for every character's slot save for some special amulets. And even if there was more, where's the depth of game to match?
Commanding your squad seldom matters. Tell them to do their abilities, leave them on charge. Occasionally you'll have to tell them to hold because of traps that you'll have to navigate through, but there's no puzzle in that.
Enemies are pretty bog standard, and don't require much unique strategy until near the end of the game. then you'll start facing cheese like high damage projectiles that go through walls, bosses with constant knockdown attacks in a game with no knockdown recovery. Most big fights are just a "blow all cooldowns to start and then wack away at whatever's left standing. You'll just repeat that nearly all game. You're not really given any tools to deal with large numbers of enemies other than do a running or jumping cooldown ability.
Controls are sufficient, but movement doesn't feel that great. Running makes things tolerable, but stopping isn't snappy, you stumble step out of it thus and you have a few frames at the start before you get going. This limits the ways in which you can use run to get around for short distances. It's also more of a left-right run, you still move up-down pretty slow. Not novel, but also not a very good way to implement the running mechanic even if it is a bit conventional.
Adding the ability to navigate a ship around to your fight destination just doesn't contribute anything. You'll quickly learn that there's very little reason to engage ships in trade or attacks. You can navigate your ship around to salvage lost cargo, but that's just too little too late. At some point in the game, having the ability to boat around in this world just feels like a chore. The game is already very linear in its story, and the alternate "quests" just don't seem to do much. The narrative here isn't going to win any awards just as it wouldn't for any beat 'em up, but it seems like the game leans on its narrative and "open world" format to entice the player, but they both ring hollow and pointless in this style of game.
So a big no from me on the RPG elements, the story, and the open-world exploration, And combine that with middling combat, and you have a game that is easily out-shined by many of the beat 'em ups (2d and 3d) that are on steam already. This might be worth a play-through if you're someone who loves beat 'em ups of all kinds, but it'll be hard to overlook its many shortcomings.
