Sunless Sea

Sunless Seas has a wealth of stories. I'm a hundred hours in and still finding new events; there are still things hinted at that I haven't found; there are still possible endings I'm looking for. The gameplay is less involved, but hardly lacking. Ship combat is simple but effective; and there's plenty of options for changing your ship's equipment. Knowing when to fight and when to flee is important. Resource management is an important aspect of the game; I reckon there are seven different "life bars" that will kill you if they empty. Trading is a minor aspect of the game, but still useful on occasion. If there is one big criticism I have, it's that it is often unclear what you are supposed to do. Plus, while the game keeps track of some goals and objectives for the different side quests, others lack details. Be prepared to either take a lot of notes, or make heavy use of the wiki.

Love it

It's an eldritch horror that still feels like I'm goming hope everytime i play

This is an interesting game, with a number of strong features. Its not for everyone. The strengths of the game include its story, atmosphere and intriguing thought provoking gameplay. Its light on combat, but its my favorite taking a boat around kinda game (better than Sid Meier's Pirates or Windward) - Tropico 2, Anno and Conquest of the New World are not quite the same type of game. Its not a trading game, its closer to an adventure, but it really is its own kind of game. It can be an immersive pleasure. You have to dive in and take chances, and the game offers meaningful choices. The DLC expansion zubmariner for it was a little weak, not a crucial one imho.

The above describes both the game itself and its setting, an enormous subterranean ocean full of ancient secrets and monstrous creatures, where your Victorian-era captain must explore, barter and battle to survive. The controls and graphics are pretty simple, but this game is enormous and addicting for those invested in uncovering the lore of this detailed and fascinating world. Every encounter is laced with ambiguous, ominous threads and it's rewarding to try and piece together the clues- the writing is strong and draws you in, and you'll be pleasantly surprised to find that bits and pieces of varied spookiness eventually do meld together to form a larger picture, rather than the lazy route of being there at random. The Lovecraft and steampunk influences are subtle- you won't be meeting Cthulhu or wearing goggles with gears on them, but you'll feel the wrongness of your surroundings, and British imperialism is evident in many of the characters. The gameplay is challenging but not unfair- it's a roguelike in a sense, but not a merciless one where one mistake will end your game. If you're cautious you'll rarely run out of supplies or fuel, and soon you'll find ways to set aside bonuses for future captains in case the worst happens, with the result that each new captain begins with more wealth, experience and knowledge. The controls are simple, as is combat, and most of the challenge lies in resource management and avoiding encounters that are beyond your ship's abilities at that moment. The replay value is enormous- there are hundreds of choices to be made in the game, each leading to different possibilities, and many quests and storylines to pursue. Exploring the game to a satisfying completion took 5 captains and over 100 hours, and that's only in pursuit of one victory goal out of several, taking only one of the multiple choice paths for most quests, and barely scratching the surface of the Zubmariner DLC. Highly recommended for those who like story-heavy games.