WHEN it comes to pirate gaming adventures it’s hard to look beyond the behemoth that is Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag (with respectful nods to Monkey Island and Sea of Thieves too).
But that’s not to say little swashbuckling gems don’t exist.
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And like One-Eyed Willy’s secret stash – Rogue Waters glimmers in the darkness as a hidden treasure to tempt you.
And now this jolly roger romp is out on Nintendo Switch.
It’s a thoroughly tantalising turn-based tactical number which leaves you as happy and excited as Sloth zipping down the Inferno sails with Chunk clinging to his back.
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It’s great value too, you get a fantastic bang for your buccaneer.
Rogue Waters sees you set sail as Captain Cutter who is out for a bit of revenge after being left without an eye as he is betrayed by the dastardly Captain Blackbone.
After a couple of tutorials, you’re straight into the action.
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The game consists of you recruiting a crew of pirates, building a bigger and deadlier ship and setting sail across dangerous waters as you look to plunder treasures.
You must carefully select your crew as you go. There are six unique classes to choose from, from Rogues to Swashbucklers.
And each offers a variety of different abilities – Gunners deliver damage from distance while Rogues focus more on flanking the enemy.
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Before setting sail, you select your crew and improve your ship at the Pirate Cave – any treasures picked up on the way can be found in your inventory and easily added to your arsenal.
You then set off on your run which will involve taking on different ships and different enemies on land.
The gameplay itself is quick and fun. Choosing the right crew for boarding an enemy vessel is vital – too many pawns and you’ll be overrun, too many Gunners and you’ll risk losing your A-team on the frontline.
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Each character can be moved a certain distance highlighted by white squares and this can be extended further by positioning them near a swing rope.
Your pirate can then be ordered to attack the bad guy or use the turn to armour up.
The enemies can be brutal and tricky to defeat. The game is brilliant in forcing you to think strategically before attacking.
And you can’t just go all-out offensive mode, each run demands a different strategy.
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The levels are cleverly designed and offer up rocks and walls which encourages you to use the surroundings wisely in positioning the crew.
The hand-to-hand combat cutscenes are short and sweet while the summoning of sea creatures is the icing on the cake.
You can order up a kraken, mermaid or giant snail during one of your turns to rain down death and destruction on the enemy when your back is against the wall.
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The game becomes incredibly addictive as you move to upgrade your crew’s skills.
After each run you need to swap out some on your team who took a hiding in the battle before and need time to repair and heal.
Even if you get a pummeling, each run resets your equipment and items so you’re not hindered on the next run. Plus any upgrades gained in the previous run are unlocked permanently.
Back in the cave you can then check out your loot and repair your ship, not to mention add bigger and better cannons.
The skills tree is plentiful and the unlockables help build an unstoppable crew of cutthroat buccaneers.
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Before boarding a ship, you can cause damage by using those cannons. These turn-based attacks see you get a few shots off to either disable the enemy’s arsenal or target its crew members.
Rogue Waters is a fun, versatile game from Ice Code Games which offers a challenging quest.
There are three acts, which just about quenches your thirst for pirate pummelling action but it felt like there could have been a lot more.
That being said, it’s hard to fault Rogue Waters. It’s a brilliant game where you must turn the tide as a cutthroat chessmaster.
I recommend it with all me hearty.
Rogue Waters
- FORMATS: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, PC
- PRICE: £26.99
- PUBLISHER: Tripwire Presents
- DEVELOPER: Ice Code Games
- RELEASE DATE: Out now
- AGE RATING: 16
- SCORE: ★★★★
