Sail the High Seas in Rogue Waters: A Swashbuckling Adventure with Tactical Combat

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The game titled “Rogue Waters” is a tactical, turn-based roguelike that offers an engaging narrative about Captain Cutter, a mischievous immortal pirate whose fate surpasses anything he could have imagined. If you’ve played “Darkest Dungeon 2“, you might recognize some similarities, such as the interconnected map at the start of your voyage. However, “Rogue Waters” swiftly carves its own niche with a swashbuckling storyline, ship-versus-ship combat, and a more lenient encounter system. The developers at Ice Code Games have successfully crafted a unique gaming experience, and while it was initially launched on PC in 2024, “Rogue Waters” is now playable on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.

In the game Rogue Waters, the gameplay loop is usually captivating. Players start in their hub, a submarine lair where they can hire crew members from a tavern, improve their ship, advance their characters’ levels, and manage all their affairs before embarking on an expedition. Once prepared to sail, players can initiate a new raid. On the selection screen, gamers are presented with three options. One option always advances the roguelite’s narrative, while the other two offer opportunities for adventure and collecting rewards. The length and difficulty of each raid can be observed before making a decision. If a player is struggling to complete a story-driven raid, it might be beneficial for them to participate in additional raids to gather resources and XP.

After Captain Cutter departs, the player will be presented with a diverging map that offers a sense of the types of challenges they might encounter. Players can select their own route, opting for battles against powerful vessels, exploring shrines where they’ll need to make decisions, or docking at ports to fix their ship and spend some earnings. Additionally, when confronted with multiple ships on a branching course, players will be able to view the potential rewards from each enemy, which may influence their decision about the direction to take.

Ship-To-Ship Combat Keeps Every Encounter Fresh in Rogue Waters

In intense battles against rival ships, the Rogue Waters truly excels. When players encounter another vessel, they’ll dive into ship-versus-ship combat. During this stage, gamers will deploy their cannons to attack the enemy, making tactical decisions about their targets. For example, a player might choose to aim for modules (such as upgraded cabins) that enhance the enemy’s health. Alternatively, they may target crew members or disable the enemy ship’s cannons to minimize damage to their own vessel. These tense moments introduce an additional layer of strategy beyond traditional grid combat, and the outcomes can frequently have far-reaching effects.

As a gamer, if I can wipe out the entire enemy team before the boarding phase kicks in, it means I’ve scored an early victory and get to keep sailing without ever stepping foot on their ship. The game’s got a way of turning even the most mundane situations into nail-biters since whatever we can do to them, they can do to us. The enemies have the power to damage Captain Cutter’s advantageous modules, which means my crew could be boarding their ship with reduced health, mobility, or even fewer fighters. The ship-to-ship part of the game ensures that no two encounters are ever the same.

Following several skirmishes, the ships will be near enough for the game’s players to invade the adversary’s vessel. In this regard, Rogue Waters adopts a traditional method for tactical combat, borrowing ideas from games such as XCOM. Players and opponents will line up on a grid, leveraging weapons and placement to their advantage. For example, if the player successfully targets an enemy at the ship’s edge, they may often have the chance to knock them off the boat.

On the battlefield, you’ll frequently encounter additional perils such as flaming planks, spiked columns, and tar. But don’t forget about the advantages – rum barrels that replenish health or ropes for pirates to swing on for improved positioning are also part of the environment. The combination of using the surroundings with a unit’s unique skills keeps battles exciting, interactive, and fun. During the boarding phase, Captain Cutter can leverage his curse to summon sea monsters as allies. In tight spots, you can even unleash the kraken, which will lash out with a massive tentacle to clear multiple foes.

Rogue Waters May Be Forgiving to a Fault

In the game “Rogue Waters,” Ice Code Games has effectively crafted an enjoyable experience suitable for players at all skill levels. This engrossing roguelike includes 15 distinct levels of difficulty, with the easiest being “Story” mode, which enables gamers to emphasize Captain Cutter’s narrative over intense battles. At the start of each raid, players can opt for a new level of difficulty, with every choice bringing increased challenges and bonus rewards. Although these features are commonplace, some other aspects weaken the game’s complexity and obstacles.

During the initial stage of conflict, players possess the power to employ a “reverse” function. This empowers them to correct a move they unintentionally made, which can be quite beneficial. However, it can be easily misused since there are no set boundaries. Players can reverse actions right back to the start of their turn, enabling them to retrace the actions and skills of every team member. While this feature provides leniency, it also weakens the concept that these situations and strategic decisions carry weight. Reversing a single action seems reasonable, but being able to manipulate an entire turn might appear excessively forgiving.

In much the same vein, Captain Cutter’s sea voyages may lead him to islands or places where the pirate has several options. For instance, he might decide to give up a crew member for gold, or spend gold to heal someone on the ship. Yet, it’s also possible to just set sail without making a decision. Although this leeway can make the situation seem insignificant, in a realm where roguelikes are notoriously tough, it’s hard to fault Ice Code Games for providing these choices. They significantly contribute to the game’s accessibility for those seeking a more relaxed gaming experience.

The Story of Rogue Waters Is Both Fun and Predictable

In the narrative of “Rogue Waters,” Captain Cutter’s storyline might not be its strongest aspect, but it does offer some appealing elements. As anticipated, there’s a dose of treachery, deceit, and a hint of the unexplainable. The most captivating part of the tale is that it illuminates the workings of the gameplay loop. Thanks to a curse (or potentially a blessing), Captain Cutter and his crew are essentially immortal. Each time they perish, they resurrect in their underwater hideout, prepared to embark on another journey. Their ultimate mission is to liberate ancient sea monsters that have been held captive by Captain Blackbone.

The voice actors excel at making characters feel real, but players should be prepared for plenty of reading since the narrative is primarily text-based. In essence, the writing showcases cleverness, humor, and an exhilarating sense of adventure. At times, the more emotional scenes might come off as overly dramatic, yet this adds to the game’s allure when crafting a thrilling pirate story.

I wrapped up the main tale of Rogue Waters in about 21 hours, but I frequently tweaked the game’s difficulty level and joined additional raids along the way.

For enthusiasts of the swashbuckling genre captivated by the concept of an extraordinary adventure, the game Rogue Waters provides a distinct and unparalleled gaming experience. It effectively draws from various sources without losing its individuality, ensuring that players of diverse abilities can easily engage with it due to its lenient combat style.

The game “Rogue Waters” can be played right now across various platforms including Nintendo Switch, personal computers (PC), PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox One, and the latest Xbox Series X/S. For this review, we received a PS5 code from Game Rant.

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2025-02-10 04:54