Whereas some free-to-play on-line video games would possibly attempt to hook you with a bombastic opening, I truly recognize how quiet and wordless my first foray into Sea of Remnants is. Going hands-on with a reasonably early construct of this open world pirate recreation, my mitts are instantly full of oars – having me row a small boat in the direction of a vibrant horizon on a ghostly sea. Presumably, I’ve copped it, fairly presumably at sea.
But, earlier than I could make it to the opposite facet of that horizon, the water rises above me to dam entry to my cloaked character. As an alternative, a picket, ramshackle ship emerges from behind, beckoning me to board. I actually love how Sea of Remnants focuses on creating this intriguing ambiance from the off, drawing me in to its mythological tackle the ocean and the pirates that search to nab treasure from it.
Doll up, doll up
Key information
Developer: Joker Studio
Writer: NetEase Video games
Platform(s): PC, PS5, iOS, Android
Launch date: 2026
From there I am woken up by Sigmund, a doll repairman, going over my wrecked physique that appears to have drifted its approach to the island group of Orbtopia. That is proper, Sea of Remnant’s beautiful puppet character designs aren’t only a visible selection, however labored into the storyline – the character creation that follows is actually you getting a brand new physique made out of new doll components.
Affected by amnesia, you have no concept what occurred to you, or the mysterious lady you wakened alongside (who Sigmund tells you is out for the depend). Your solely clues are the sport’s opening, and the lockbox that everybody who washes up appears to have. For you, that features some mysterious torn flags and maps, and a helpful dandy compass that – Pirates of the Caribbean-style – factors you to your goal.
Assembly up with R.S., a younger misfit who uncannily resembles the doll you washed up with, you be part of forces towards Whitebeard and find yourself assembling a crew to hunt for treasure and discover out extra about your previous. My hands-on solely encompasses this single-player opening to the sport, not the extra totally open world on-line part that follows, however there’s rather a lot for me to sink my tooth into adventuring by this introduction.
A turn-based RPG at coronary heart, there’s so much about Sea of Remnants that’ll be acquainted to anybody who has performed Honkai Star Rail. Your social gathering members slash at enemies to provoke battles, throughout which you combine collectively primary assaults, abilities, and ultimates, with a power-up meter that fills as turns progress.
However the way you spend that power-up meter is among the key variations. Revolving round cube, you may spin as much as three to additional enhance an assault, which – when revealed – will be matched towards an enemy’s vulnerability quantity. Beating that quantity together with your cube will then enable for a Rogue’s Luck additional flip, that means you may pile on bonus hits whereas additionally souping up injury. Likewise, getting the leap on enemies additionally takes the type of an initiative roll to see how a lot benefit you get.
Discovering hidden treasures rewards poking across the islands you got down to go to, and there is heaps to be discovered – rewarding all kinds of the standard currencies you’d count on from the style that allow you to degree up and enhance your character. Piles of colourful gems can be utilized for upgrades. They’re the kind of collectibles Honkai Star Rail and gacha gamers will probably be conversant in, although it is not completely clear how a lot of a gacha recreation Sea of Remnants is.
Whereas R.S., along with her cannons and methods (not in contrast to Arcane‘s Jinx), is definitely a named character, later crew members are immediately foisted into my lineup by the handful. All of them have abilities and nodes to enhance and degree up as you’d count on from this type of recreation, however it does look like the best way new characters will probably be deployed could also be a bit totally different.
Quest for booty
With that stated, getting my head round an entire host of latest gems and cash a mere handful of hours into a brand new recreation is hard, and, as this can be a very early growth construct, I am advised lots of content material and balancing is topic to vary. At this level, I haven’t got a transparent sense of the complete construction of the sport, aside from the sensation that it performs fairly equally to Honkai Star Rail at this stage.
I do like Sea of Remnant’s piratey tone, although – and the way open the maps and sea at massive really feel. Whereas nothing I’ve performed has been totally open but, crusing between mission goals is a pleasant contact. I like that past being set-dressing, the ocean elements in mechanically too. One of many earliest quests has us saving a dealer from an attacking gorilla… who then finally ends up pursuing us on a pirate ship of its personal, turning right into a real-time trade of cannon fireplace.
I additionally actually love the cooking mechanic within the recreation that has you create a skewer of meals in your sword after which barbecue it over a campfire in first-person. The artwork type is absolutely interesting, and moments like this add to the immersion of feeling such as you’re on this unusual world.
All I am undecided about for the time being is whether or not I’ve room in my life for an additional on-line gacha recreation once I’m not solely already invested in so many earlier releases – however the place these releases have undergone years of content material and quality-of-life updates already. Sea of Remnants is setting itself aside with its distinctive cube, crew, and ship mechanics, however till I see extra I am curious if it will be seaworthy sufficient to catch as much as the competitors.
Fancy extra piracy? We have been taking part in Murderer’s Creed Rogue: Murderer’s Creed Shadows can wait – I spent 40 hours mopping up the map within the one recreation within the sequence everybody skipped
