Turns Out PC Gamers Really Want To Play Games With Sailing Ships

Turns Out PC Gamers Really Want To Play Games With Sailing Ships

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.


The Cheapest NBN 1000 Plans

Looking to bump up your internet connection and save a few bucks? Here are the cheapest plans available.

At Kotaku, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

Comments


17 responses to “Turns Out PC Gamers Really Want To Play Games With Sailing Ships”