Rogue Waters, presented by Tripwire Presents and Ice Code Games, takes you on a mature-rated, turn-based tactical roguelite RPG adventure that brings to life the pirate world with a supernatural twist. Dive deeper into the game with our Rogue Waters review!
In Rogue Waters, you step into the shoes of Captain Cutter, a pirate on a quest filled with power struggles and revenge. The narrative kicks off with you finding the coveted treasure at the Temple of the Goddess, only to face an unexpected twist. A voice in your head warns you as you lose an eye to a mysterious crystal, from which blue energy starts to surge. This doesn’t sit well with Captain Blackbone, who immediately orders a knife to extract the crystal from your skull. Unsurprisingly, you escape but find yourself on a solitary path, betrayed and needing to assemble a crew to face Captain Blackbone’s wrath. Returning to the world fourteen years later, everything has changed.
Your adventure offers four different difficulty settings: Story, Normal, Hard, and Heroic I. If you’re in it for the tale, the Story mode is your go-to with its focus on plot over punishing battles. For a balanced challenge, Normal mode increases the stakes a bit and also boosts your rewards with a 10% bonus to XP, Blueprints, and Glass. Hard steps it up, presenting formidable opponents and a 20% bonus in rewards. The ultimate challenge awaits in Heroic I, featuring even tougher foes with a 30% bonus to XP, Blueprints, and Glass.
Throughout Rogue Waters, you’ll engage in various skirmishes, facing off against rival pirate crews. Each skirmish is turn-based, with both sides getting their move before passing the turn. Your goal is straightforward: eliminate all adversaries. Every crew member can move and perform at least one unique attack per turn. Regular attacks inflict steady damage and can push foes back, potentially knocking them into obstacles or off the field for extra impact. Units can also bump into one another, providing strategic room for maneuvers.
At the start of these skirmishes, deploy up to four of your crew members, choosing their initial positions wisely. Control each unit with strategic use of your console’s analog sticks, navigating and zooming in as needed. Movement is generally limited to two cells unless influenced by specific in-game buffs or debuffs.
One notable feature is the Prepare ability for each unit, allowing them to brace for impending attacks by healing slightly, removing bleeding, and adding temporary armor. The ships you’re fighting on boast interactive environments, with tools like ropes that once used, allow characters to cover more ground in less time. Winning a skirmish comes by defeating every enemy or overwhelming them with fear, an outcome triggered by inflicting substantial excess damage.
With each victory, your journey continues on the Region Map, similar to node maps in other roguelites. Each node represents potential encounters, from enemy ships ripe for plundering to bustling ports for upgrades, and event spaces where new challenges arise.
Sea battles unfold as you close in on enemy ships, spending command points for actions like cannon fire. Your strategy could involve disabling opponents’ weaponry or their crew before boarding. Raids allow you to employ rescued mythical sea monsters to turn the tide, no pun intended, perhaps summoning a Kraken to wreak havoc.
Pirate’s Cove acts as your main hub for upgrading your fleet and crew, using resources earned in battle. The shipyard lets you customize your vessel with better cannons and other enhancements while managing your loyal crew’s progress.
Chasing that coveted Platinum trophy? You’re tasked with completing the storyline through various acts, maximizing character levels, and outfitting both crew and ship to their highest potential. Investing in upgrades for crew and ship alike is also on the to-do list, and of course, you’ll want to hone your tactical skills to perfection.
Rogue Waters casts you into a richly atmospheric world of tactical skirmishes and eerie supernatural twists. Step into Captain Cutter’s shoes as you face betrayal, navigate the seas of vengeance, and command a formidable crew. Priced at $29.99, this game is available now on PlayStation 5.
Our review is based on a copy of Rogue Waters provided by Tripwire Presents.
