Rogue Waters is a tactical Rogue lite with a turn based system that is the story of Captain Cutter the pirate who is immortalized and finds a an adventure that is more than he thought possible.
Leo who is a player who lives in LA is aware that this strategic rogue lite as straight fire.
It has a lot in common to Darkest Dungeon 2 particularly with its map based branching game system.
But Rogue Waters distinguishes itself with its thrilling narrative combat between ships and more lenient way of dealing with encounters.
Ice Code Games created a thrilling experience. It was made available on PC in 2024. It is currently available to play with PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.
Gameplay Loop and Structure
Leo is aware that the game is extremely thrilling. The players begin in an underwater cavern and serve as the hub.
In this place they can find members from the tavern and upgrade their vessel and level up their characters as well as complete a variety of tasks prior to beginning their adventure.
If theyre ready they can begin a new adventure by selecting from three choices which progress the story in the third they can enjoy reward and adventure.
Each quest is unique in its length and difficulty. The difference can be seen prior to.
People who are struggling to complete a encounters can take advantage of side raids that can help them gain resources as well as exp.
When Captain Cutter embarks and sets sail a map of branches appears that shows possible interactions.
Leo recognizes that you may determine your course by analyzing the events.
You can take on the most powerful ships go to shrines or ports for repairs to their vessel with gold.
In the event of encountering several ships along an arc gamers can view what rewards they can earn from their enemies which can influence the direction they choose to take.
Ship to Ship Combat
The ship to ship battle is the highlight part of Rogue Waters. As per Leo the games director this is quite unique.
The players use cannons to shoot at enemy vessels carefully picking their targets. In particular they could select modules that offer bonus health of the enemy or the crew.
Additionally they could destroy the ships cannons in order for the purpose of reducing damage to their own ships.
This is a new additional layer of strategic planning beyond the typical grid battles which can have important implications.
If players can eliminate all group of enemies prior to the boarding stage the team will win quickly and can continue to sail without having to board.
They can also cause damage to Captain Cutters boat damaging useful modules and weakening crew prior to the boarding phase.
Combat between ships makes every battle unique.
Boarding Phase and Tactical Combat
After a couple of rounds of battle between ships the boats are close enough to allow boarding.
In this game Rogue Waters uses classic tactics based on games such as XCOM. Both enemies and allies fight on a grid.
Players use the weapons they have and their positions for their advantage. The players can chase enemies away from the boats edge.
Battlefields can be dangerous such as the burning of planks spiked pillars and burning planks. Leo is a good example of how to utilize the surroundings to benefit you.
Rum barrels are a great option for players for restoring health or ropes for swinging around to get more efficient placement.
Making use of the surrounding and distinctive skills keeps fighting current.
Captain Cutter is also able to use the curse of his spell to summon marine monsters such as the kraken that can eliminate enemies.
Difficulty and Forgiveness
Rogue Waters is designed to be accessible for gamers of any level.
There are fifteen levels of difficulty including Story mode allowing players to be focused on the story of Captain Cutters adventure in the face of challenging battle.
The players can alter the difficulty prior to each battle to receive bonuses. Certain features however can degrade the difficulty of the game.
While boarding the players are able to undo moves. Leo believes its a little too over the top. The players can reverse their movements all the way to the start of the turn.
This can alter the actions of every member of the crew. Even though this can be lenient it does not take away the effects of strategic choices.
Making a mistake is not a bad thing However manipulating a complete cycle is simply too simple.
While sailing sailors encounter islands where they have options like sacrificing a crew member to get gold or using the gold to help an individual.
In addition players are able to skip the island without making any decision which makes this turn rather pointless. Ice Code Games made the game more accessible for beginners.
Story and Characters
Captain Cutters tale has strengths as well as its weaknesses. The story is filled with betrayal as well as supernatural aspects.
The narrative explains the game rules showing the fact that captain Cutter and his team are immortal because of an unlucky curse.
They return to their abode whenever they die to free the ancient sea creatures that were captured from Captain Black bone.
The voice actors are good and the audience should be prepared to read quite a bit. The script is funny and captivating.
Certain emotional scenes may seem unnatural but they add to the original pirate ambiance.
Leo completed the story in just 21 hours. He also changed difficulty as well as doing raids.
Overall Impression
Rogue Waters may not appeal to everybody but lovers of adventure games with a pirate theme are sure to find something unique.
The game draws its inspiration from similar games but it is still its own.
The lenient combat system allows it to be played by players of all levels.
About the Author: Yo Im Leo a Los Angeles native gamer fanatic. Driven by a passion for revisiting great video games I have had more than one year under development dreams for fashion and aptitude in lifestyles. Catch me chillin at 90034 3215 Overland Ave Los Angeles California…
FAQs
- What type of game is Rogue Waters and on which platforms is it available?
Rogue Waters is a tactical turnbased roguelite game where players follow the story of Captain Cutter an immortal pirate.
It shares similarities with Darkest Dungeon 2 particularly in its branching map system.
The game was initially released on PC in 2024 and is now available on PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.
According to Leo a gamer and reviewer in LA Rogue Waters brings its own flavour with a pirate story ship battles and gameplay thats not too harsh.
- How does the gameplay loop work in Rogue Waters?
The gameplay loop starts in an underwater lair where players can recruit crewmates upgrade their ship and level up characters before embarking on a raid.
When starting a raid players are presented with three choices: one progresses the main story while the other two offer adventure and rewards.
These raids vary in length and difficulty. A branching map shows potential encounters allowing players to choose their path whether facing elite ships visiting shrines or docking at ports.
- What makes the shiptoship combat unique in Rogue Waters?
Ship to ship combat is a standout feature of Rogue Waters. During these encounters players strategically use cannons to target enemy ships aiming for modules that provide health bonuses or targeting the enemy crew or cannons.
Eliminating the entire enemy crew before the boarding phase results in an early victory5. According to Leo this part is straight up awesome.
You blast enemy ships with cannons choosing your targets wisely. You might aim for modules that buff the enemys health or target the crew and this adds a layer of strategy that goes beyond the usual grid combat with big consequences.
- How does the boarding phase work and what tactical options are available?
Following ship to ship combat the game shifts to a boarding phase drawing inspiration from games like XCOM.
In this phase crew members engage in tactical combat on a grid utilising weapons and positioning to their advantage.
The battlefield includes hazards like burning planks and spiked pillars as well as boons like rum barrels and hanging ropes.
Captain Cutter can also summon sea monsters like the kraken to aid in combat.
- Is Rogue Waters a difficult game and what features make it more accessible?
Rogue Waters is designed to be approachable for players of all skill levels offering 15 levels of difficulty.
The lowest difficulty setting Story mode allows players to focus on Captain Cutters tale without overly challenging combat.
Players can also change the difficulty at the start of each raid for bonus rewards. The game includes an undo option during the boarding phase.
However this feature along with the ability to avoid choices at islands may undermine the games challenge.
Resource
https://gamerant.com/rogue-waters-review/
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