Take a look at the Steam charts today and you’ll see right near the very top, above a new Five Nights at Freddy’s game, above even the terrific Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, is something called Naval Action.
We first saw this game last year and I got a little excited (because sails), but it’s now out (sort of) and playable (kind of). While still very much in Early Access (and a $US40 [$57] one to boot), I can see why it’s doing so well:
- It’s catering to a niche! Loads of people are into the age of sail, but not many games go out and cater specifically to it. This does (and it looks pretty good to boot).
- It’s an open world persistent multiplayer experience with combat and crafting. The developers are promising to have loads more stuff later, from building trade empires to running a nation’s military.
- It’s got the most brutal navigation experience I’ve seen in a long time, in that it doesn’t really have one. In an effort to keep things realistic, the developers have left out an in-game map. Want to get around? Use the compass and look for landmarks, like your great-great-great grandpappy did.
So yeah, there’s promise here! As someone who has both ACIV: Black Flag and Sid Meier’s Pirates! in my “best games ever” pantheon, I’ll be keeping an eye on this. Though I might have to wait until the UI gets a little slicker, because the menus right now are some of the most jank-arse I’ve ever seen in a game that’s actually charging real money.
Comments
17 responses to “Turns Out PC Gamers Really Want To Play Games With Sailing Ships”
Spare a thought of us poor souls who went all in too early on “Guns of Icarus ”
Really thought that was going to take off…..
Booted that up today to play my first real go at it. Did the training for all the roles and looked at concurrent users… <250 ppl. I then quit, thinking about how annoying it would be to play with a noob like me! Oh well.
Do you balls hang low
Can you swing ’em to and fro
Can you tie ’em in a knot
can you tie ’em in a bow
Do you get a funny feeling
When they’re hanging from the ceiling
Oh you’ll never be a sailor
If your balls hang low.
People thought it was belly-button porn, and bought it inadvertantly.
Comment of the day
I can’t wait for the inevitable extension of Rule 34 to gaming(!)
Looks cool and i like the genre but ill wait for release
I really want this but $40 while in early access is too much of a gamble for me. It might not turn out well. Guess I’m waiting a while. Or maybe I’ll pick it up when it goes on sail.
At least wait and sea how it is when it ships.
Yeah, I wouldn’t go higher than $20 for something that’s in early access…
$40USD.. yes.. and it’s pretty much mutliplayer only and the developers have mentioned they will be building in a premium shop as well, stating that the ships (and items) bought with real money will be better than anything else, except for extremely rare “exceptionally crafted” ships.
Yeh.. sounds like fun.. pay2win.. yay..
I’ve always wanted Rockstar to do a pirate game, but I figure AC4 is pretty much it.
Bit rich for an early access title.
I will wait and see.
Might need to mention that there are no Aus servers. So do not buy this game.
I would kill for a new Sea Dogs.
Now I just want another Master and Commander movie.
I could have sworn, given the reception to the Black Flag boat stuff, that Ubisoft would’ve announced a pirating game by now…
Game looks great, would love to be 20 again, single, no kids and just smash this game out for a month straight.
Aaarh the simple life…
Oh, but if it only had a single player campaign… but it doesn’t so I’m out…
Loved AC IV