Review of Rogue Waters on PlayStation 5

Rogue Waters, a collaboration between Tripwire Presents and Ice Code Games, offers a mature-rated experience that mixes turn-based tactical gameplay with the rogue-like RPG genre, all wrapped up in a thrilling pirate theme. The supernatural elements add an intriguing twist. Want to know more? Let’s dive into the depths of Rogue Waters!

Imagine yourself as Captain Cutter, a pirate ensnared in a dangerous dance of power and revenge. The plot thickens when Captain Blackbone discovers a treasure at the Temple of the Goddess and commands you to seize it. The situation takes a bizarre turn when you hear an inexplicable voice in your head, and before you know it, the mysterious crystal claims one of your eyes, releasing a surge of blue energy. Captain Blackbone’s reaction? He’s ready to carve the stone from your skull. But you won’t just stand by and let it happen. You escape, beginning a journey to build your crew and eventually face the treacherous Captain Blackbone, who betrayed you. After a long 14-year absence from the world of the living, much has changed, and you have some catching up to do!

Your journey can begin on one of four difficulty levels: Story, Normal, Hard, and Heroic I. If you’re more inclined towards an engaging narrative with less aggressive adversaries, Story mode is your best bet. The Normal mode presents a balanced challenge, offering a standard experience and moderately rewarding your efforts with a 10% increase in XP, Blueprints, and Glass. Opting for Hard mode means you’re up for a tougher fight, with enemies showing relentless power, but it rewards you with a 20% increase in bonuses. Heroic I is for those who want to push their limits with heightened difficulty and score a hefty 30% bonus.

You’ll face numerous skirmishes, pitting your pirate crew against all sorts of adversaries. In each skirmish, your task is clear: outwit and vanquish your foes. Each unit can move and usually execute one attack per turn, often using these movements to inflict consistent damage or even knock enemies back into dangerous obstacles or other foes for extra damage. At the start of a skirmish, decide which four units you’ll deploy and position them wisely before confirming your strategy by holding the Triangle button.

In combat, you’ll control a cursor to direct your chosen unit, with the camera giving you the flexibility to view the battlefield as needed. Movement for units is typically up to two cells, but this can vary with any buffs or debuffs at play. Each unit has a Prepare ability to brace for incoming hits, heal slightly, and gain temporary armor, a strategic move particularly helpful against long-range threats. Utilize the environment to your advantage, such as ropes that allow swift traversals across the map, and you can achieve victory by defeating enemies or filling up your fear gauge, which represents the extra blow dealt on vanquished enemies, causing their allies to flee when maxed out.

After battles, you return to the Region Map, steering your pirate ship to the next adventure. Imagine these destinations like nodes in a familiar roguelite map, ranging from hostile ships to potential plundering, ports for gearing up, complex event nodes, or bold raids.

Engage enemy ships in thrilling sea battles, spending Command Points (CP) for decisive actions like firing cannons. Choose carefully, as different cannons vary in range and damage. Watch enemy ship intentions, shown by red indicators. Larger ships offer more CP and rewards if you dare to challenge them.

Pirate’s Cove serves as your command hub, where strategic decisions and resource investments improve your ship, crew, and magical sea creatures. Customize and fortify your ship with modules and upgrade your quarters using the XP and Glass you earn in your adventures. Glass, being a valuable resource, unlocks upgrades and recruits new pirates, each with distinct skill trees.

Your achievements can be crowned with a full trophy list including a coveted Platinum trophy. Tasks range from completing the main storyline acts, reaching maximum levels for various characters, to acquiring all ship and crew upgrades.

Rogue Waters offers a mature-rated experience that uniquely blends turn-based tactical challenges with a roguelike RPG style. As Captain Cutter embarks on a personal vendetta against Captain Blackbone, the game promises thrilling encounters with appealing supernatural twists. Now available for $29.99 on PlayStation 5, Rogue Waters lets you plunge into a world of swashbuckling strategy and daring adventures.

Disclaimer: This review is based on a PlayStation 5 version of Rogue Waters provided by Tripwire Presents.