Tempest

I'm really enjoying this title. I've been searching for a good pirate game since binge watching Black Sails and this is hitting that satisfaction for me. I just wish the devs would give more attention to the gog version.

Personally I am very pleased with this title, I think its a strong pirate/naval RPG. This game follows the same basic type of setup as Sid Meiers Pirates, you sail around a fictional ocean world completing quests and missions. There are 6 or 7 factions where you can complete missions for them and win their favor or sink their ships and fall out of favor. There is a basic pirate tutorial that teaches the very basics of the game, and then the advanced game techniques you figure out with time. I think the grahics and engine are very good, the sailing through water is great, the Naval battles are terrific (why do we play pirate games anyway). The AI is pretty standard, not great, but good enough to make the battles fun. The broadsides are enjoyable. When you board a ship it shifts to 3rd person view and you take sword and pistol to take over the enemy ship. The AI isn't really smart here and pretty much is a bunch of computer NPCs hacking each other; its not bad, but it does begin to feel generic after a few runs. The boarding fights are cool in comparison with other games like PR or Tortuga in which boarding is a roll of the dice and there is no interaction. There are several different types of ships that are customizable in ordinance (not just round, chain, and grape) and give you different advantages. This game also has a fantasy/magic component with runes you can get to upgrade your ship, things like rain of fire, shield, or summon the Kraken. The sea monster aspect to this game is really cool. It has a cool fantasy/arcade feel to it, it really sets it apart from dryer pirate titles like the Port Royale series or Tortuga. The land missions are a cool element, you may have to fight skeletons or other pirates to find hidden treasures (or similar on land). Again the AI/engine does not shine here but it's ok. If you're into pirate games, you can't miss this one for only $13.00. I think its a 4 out of 5 all day long.

Developers are advertising this as a Mac game too, but the Mac version is abandoned since 1.2.2 (Windows is 1.5.1, so I'm guessing Mac version is not updated since 2018!) I sent them a support e-mail last week, but no reply at all! Do not buy this for its Mac version... developers are not honest (I'll avoid them in their other games too). P.S. The old Mac version is 64bit and runs on Big Sur, so they don't have an excuse for not updating it!

I like boat games, but I did not enjoy this boat game. I'll admit not having much playtime on this one. Played once, I think, and then stopped. Didn't grab me. It might be good for you if you are primarily interested in sailing around (not terribly quickly?) and shooting cannonballs (lots of cannonballs) in (mostly) 3rd person. But I found it got old quickly. Also, the POV changed around a lot, from driving around to fighting to boarding to inventory screen, which felt more like inconstency than variety to me. I know—all the elements sound fun, but I found the game to be less than the sum of its parts, unfortunately. Keep in mind I did not go far past the tutorial or do many quest lines. I like the economy/RPG elements most in these sorts of games, and if you are looking for the same thing I would plot a course away from this one. It's not that it's bad, per se, but there are other games that are a lot more fun. Instead, I'd steer you towards Sunless Sea (currently playing that one now and really enjoying it) or the great old Tradewinds games (pretty simple but satisfying trading fun, with humorous little quest lines and turn-based combat). Did not try the multiplayer.

The art impresses me - the overall effect, with its fantasy touches, vast monuments and thrashing rain, is coherent and evocative. Manoeuvring the ship feels good, too. The ability to upgrade your ship and level up its crew appeals. I really rather like it: perhaps because I see a lot of my problems with it dissolving as development progresses, but mostly because I find this game to be strangely charming. I feel like my captaincy, through sheer ineptitude, has achieved at least some sort of infamy, and isn’t that ultimately what any pirate wants? Ayeee!