Windrose is the new hope in the sea of survival games. Even MeinMMO author Linda Baumgartl is excited and still can’t get enough of the pirate adventure after 10 hours of gameplay in the Steam demo.
Who wouldn’t like to feel like a pirate every now and then? At least I find the theme pretty cool, but unfortunately, I haven’t found a game on the subject that has really captivated me so far.
All the more I was looking forward to the new pirate survival game Windrose. As part of the Steam Next Fest, a free demo was released on Steam, which enjoys immense popularity. Expectations were high – and I was not disappointed.
From Pirate to Shipwrecked
Windrose starts with a short tutorial sequence that immediately creates a pirate feeling. Our ship is under attack and is currently being boarded by other pirates. We fight our way to the deck but are shot down by the enemy captain and go overboard.
After that, it’s time to stop with the big pirate action. We wash up on a deserted island and craft our first humble base in the best survival style. While Windrose doesn’t reinvent the (steering) wheel, it implements familiar elements well.
- As soon as you collect a new resource, associated recipes are unlocked.
- Through quests and exploration, you earn experience that can be used to level up character stats and talents.
- Weapons and equipment can not only be crafted but also improved.
After a short time, the moment finally arrives: I get my first ship. Well, you can’t really call it a ship – more of a small boat. I won’t win a sea battle with that. But at least I can now explore the surrounding islands.
That’s really fun. Especially since the game looks simply great. The map marks interesting places such as ruins, ore mines, or pirate camps for me. Once I’ve looted all important objects, the marker on the map is immediately checked off – really practical.
Soulslite Fights with Muskets
On the way, I quickly encounter the first enemies: Dodos and wild boars. The developers describe the fights as “Soulslite,” which I would definitely agree with. Even the cute fluttering creatures, which I consider quite harmless from my experience with other games, deal quite a bit of damage. Proper timing, blocking, and dodging are therefore essential.
In addition to sabers, rapiers, and halberds, there are also ranged weapons. They feel surprisingly realistic – long reload times included. I can’t just shoot wildly. However, I actually like this part because it forces me to proceed more thoughtfully. I opt for a combination of musket and saber, which I alternate between.
Overall, the fights are challenging but not frustrating. They fit well into the setting and feel wonderfully pirate-like.
For the Naval Battles, I Don’t Have to Recruit Anyone
After a few hours of gameplay as a landlubber, it’s finally time for the first big naval battle. In the meantime, I have built a proper, combat-ready ship and hired a few NPCs as a crew.
Since my partner is also playing with me in co-op, we quickly divide the roles: I’m at the helm, he’s at the cannon. However, we quickly realize that our plan isn’t quite working out. While we can walk around on the ship, real interaction is only possible from the helm.
This is, on the one hand, the greatest strength, but also the greatest weakness of Windrose.
In other pirate games, especially Sea of Thieves, I often felt at a disadvantage as a single player or in a duo with my partner. The really cool big ships can only be sailed with several people there.
In Windrose, this is not the case. Here, I can also live out my dreams of being a captain in single-player mode without having to recruit three of my friends as crew members. I sail, shoot, and repair the ship all by myself, comfortably from the helm.
I personally like this. However, I can also imagine that some might be disappointed with the naval battles because they would prefer to set out together on a ship in co-op.
I Build My Own Tortuga
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to reach a large pirate city in the Windrose demo yet. But if I can’t get to Tortuga, I’ll just bring Tortuga to me!
The building mode is surprisingly good and already offers a decent selection of structures and decorative items. They not only look nice, but also increase our comfort level, for which we receive a small buff.
Conveniently, we automatically access material in our chests. And the upgrades for the workbenches can be placed at will, as long as they are somewhere within the radius of the base. Such features are not a given, especially in a demo, but they greatly ease the gameplay.
I quickly lose myself in building my own small pirate settlement. My initially rather shabby house is expanded and enhanced with additional buildings and a pier.
Although I have already spent nearly 10 hours in the demo, I am itching to keep building my settlement. By the way, I’m not alone in this. The building mode is apparently so popular that the developers have started a building contest (via Steam). Anyone who loves base building will definitely have fun in Windrose.
More Survival than Pirate Game?
Windrose already feels like a really solid survival game in the demo. Familiar concepts work well and are rounded off by a cool theme. Those who liked games like Ark or Conan Exiles will probably have fun here as well.
At the same time, this could particularly disappoint some players. It’s not just a pure pirate adventure, but at its core remains a classic survival title as you know it. MeinMMO author Ody also felt more like a fish out of water in Windrose. In his experience report, he explains why the game was more of a flop for him: I wanted to feel like a pirate, but a new survival game on Steam made me into a stranded Tom Hanks
