King of Seas Review

King of Seas is often compared to Sea of Thieves. The two games share a similar title and place the player in the shoes of a pirate who explores open seas. That's where the similarities end, though, with this new game being an entirely single-player experience. King of Seas is a unique experience that doesn't live up to its potential.

Your character (you can choose to be male or female), comes of age, and is given the command of their own ship. After completing a short mission, you will be able to become a captain and sail the oceans full-time. However, things quickly go wrong with the murder of your monarch father and you being held responsible. The Royal Navy ships quickly surround the young heir and sentence him to death. You survive the chaos and are rescued by the last remaining pirates. You are taken to their secret base, and you start your life as a pirate on a run.

King of Seas isn't a story that stands out among the rest. The idea of a child being accused of the murder of their parent is not original and the plot isn't particularly compelling or exciting. It serves as a backdrop that frames the action as you travel across the ocean completing various tasks and objectives. It's not something that grabs you and makes you want to know more.

Unfortunately, the gameplay is a mixed bag. As an open world RPG, King of Seas essentially tasks the player with carrying out jobs and taking on opposition ships to steal their loot. You will need to transport goods or escort ships to ports. The missions are very basic. These jobs are not exciting, but they do give you plenty of experience and gold to quickly level up.

As you would expect from a game about pirates, the ship-to-ship battle is the main action. There are many battles, from simple encounters where you only have to take down one enemy ship to more complex ones with multiple captains trying their best to sink you. Each ship is equipped with a broadside or portside set (with a short cooldown) and a range of custom special abilities, such as a flamethrower. These can be used to give you a variety of options for how you approach battles. There are strengths and weaknesses to each type of ship. Smaller ships are faster and easier to maneuver, while larger galleons can carry more cannons or other items.

These extra options keep the combat interesting and fresh throughout the entire campaign of 10+ hours. In other games, such as Sid Meier’s Pirates where you can only circle the enemy ship and fire off cannons, this is not the case. You can build your own craft, with a wide range of weapons and custom parts. There are always new upgrades and new items available, so players have the opportunity to experiment to find what works best for them.

King of Seas' combat is great, but other areas are less enjoyable. The game's main appeal is exploration, which allows players to explore the open seas and discover new places. However, a few design decisions make it feel underwhelmingly clunky and uninspiring. The map is not filled in when you sail across new areas. Locations are only revealed once you find a lighthouse or pay the resident cartographer. This makes exploration feel less natural. It is also made worse by the absence of a mini map, forcing players to continually bring up the main map during gameplay.

The fact that quests can only be completed at the same level as the player when they first obtained them, also affects exploration. Because experience is given out so often, it can be difficult to complete the missions. It makes it seem like you should rush to get your reward, rather than take your time to explore each area. This is a bizarre decision that can have a significant impact on your King of Seas experience. Your pirate will feel more like a taxi than an adventurer on the seas.

King of Seas has some other activities at each port. However, they must be friendly to you. There are three main factions in King of Seas. Royal Navy ports are hostile to you, while Pirate bases offer safe harbor. The third group consists of independent merchants who will trade with any side, as long as they make money. Once docked, players can trade in goods on markets with unique stock and prices, upgrade their bank accounts, or invest in them. These are not alternatives to combat and missions, but they can provide an excellent boost of gold.

King of Seas has some great ideas, but the execution is often disappointing. The game's most disappointing aspect is its handling of exploration. It removes the natural nature of discovery and replaces it with a system that feels rushed. This game might not appeal to gamers who enjoy being absorbed in the storyline. It makes up for these flaws with some great ship-to–ship combat and a charming visual design.