Rogue Waters is a tactical turn-based roguelite that seeks to regale players with the tale of Captain Cutter, a rascally pirate made immortal whose destiny is greater than anything he imagined. Gamers who have played Darkest Dungeon 2 may notice a number of similarities, such as the branching map when one starts their adventure. Fortunately, Rogue Waters quickly establishes its own identity with a swashbuckling story, ship-to-ship combat, and a more forgiving approach to encounters. Ice Code Games has managed to create a memorable experience, and while it was initially released for PC in 2024, Rogue Waters is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
The gameplay loop of Rogue Waters is often compelling. Players begin in their hub, an underwater lair where they can recruit crewmates from a tavern, upgrade their ship, level up characters, and generally handle all of their business before setting off on an adventure. When one is ready to sail, they can begin a new raid. On the selection screen, gamers are given three choices. One option will always progress the roguelite’s story, while the other two are purely for the sake of adventure and a chance to collect rewards. Each one will vary in length and difficulty, which can be seen before committing to the raid. If a player is having difficulty completing a story raid, they could likely benefit from engaging in side raids to gain resources and XP.
Once Captain Cutter sets sail, the player will be shown a branching map that gives them an idea of what kind of encounters they’ll come up against. Gamers can choose their own path, deciding whether they want to face elite ships, visit shrines where they’ll be asked to make choices, or pull into ports where they can repair their ship while spending some gold. Furthermore, when faced with multiple ships along a branching path, gamers will be able to see what rewards they’ll acquire from their enemies, which could factor into which direction they choose to go in.
Ship-To-Ship Combat Keeps Every Encounter Fresh in Rogue Waters
Facing off against enemy ships is where the Rogue Waters really shines. Once players come up against another vessel, they’ll engage in ship-to-ship combat. During this phase, gamers will use their cannons to fire upon the enemy, choosing their targets strategically. For instance, one may wish to take aim at a module (like upgraded cabins) that gives the opposition a health bonus. The player may also try to target members of the crew, or take out the enemy ship’s cannons to prevent damage to their own boat. These moments offer a layer of strategy outside the typical grid combat, and the results can often have significant consequences.
If gamers manage to eliminate the entirety of the enemy crew before the boarding phase, they will claim an early victory and continue to sail without setting foot on the enemy vessel. Anything that can be done to an enemy can also be done to the player, making situations tense. Enemies have the opportunity to destroy Captain Cutter’s beneficial modules, meaning the crew may board the enemy vessel with less health, less movement, or even fewer combatants. The ship-to-ship portion of the game makes every encounter feel unique.
After a few rounds, the vessels will be close enough together for the player’s crew to board the enemy ship. This is where Rogue Waters takes a classic approach to tactical combat, drawing inspiration from games like XCOM. Allies and enemies will face off on a grid, using weapons and positioning to their advantage. For instance, if the player manages to engage an enemy on the edge of the boat, they will often have the opportunity to push them overboard.
The battlefield will often be filled with other hazards, like burning planks, spiked pillars, or tar. On the flip side, players will also be able to utilize environmental boons, like rum barrels that restore health or hanging ropes that allow pirates to swing around to gain better positioning. Using the environment in addition to a unit’s unique abilities keeps combat fresh, engaging, and entertaining. The boarding phase is also when Captain Cutter can use his curse to command sea monsters to aid him. In a dire situation, the player may choose to use the kraken to sweep away several enemies with a massive tendril.
Rogue Waters May Be Forgiving to a Fault
With Rogue Waters, Ice Code Games has managed to create an experience that’s approachable for players of all skill levels. This atmospheric roguelite offers players 15 different levels of difficulty, with the lowest one being Story, which allows gamers to prioritize the tale of Captain Cutter over punishing combat. Players are also given the ability to choose a new difficulty at the beginning of every raid, with each one offering a rise in challenge along with bonus rewards. While these options are welcome and fairly standard, a few other features undercut the game’s choices and challenges.
When in the boarding phase of combat, players have the ability to utilize an “undo” option. This allows gamers to take back a move they may have made by mistake, which can be quite handy. However, it can be abused, as there’s no real limit. Players can undo actions all the way back to the beginning of a turn, allowing them to backtrack the moves and abilities of every crew member. While this is certainly a forgiving feature, it also undermines the idea that these encounters and tactical choices have consequences. Undoing a single move feels fair, but being able to manipulate an entire turn can seem almost too forgiving.
Similarly, while traveling the seas, Captain Cutter will run into islands or locations that offer the pirate a few choices. It could be something as simple as choosing to sacrifice a crew member to earn gold, or losing gold to heal someone on the ship. While these choices seem compelling on the surface, you can also sail away without making a choice at all. While this is, again, rather forgiving, it makes the whole turn seem a little pointless. However, in a world full of challenging roguelikes, it’s difficult to criticize Ice Code Games for giving players such options, as it truly makes the game approachable to newcomers seeking a casual experience.
The Story of Rogue Waters Is Both Fun and Predictable
Captain Cutter’s tale is one of the weaker points of Rogue Waters, but it isn’t without its charms. As one may expect, there’s betrayal, skullduggery, and more than a touch of the supernatural. Perhaps the best part of the story is that it helps explain the actual mechanics of the gameplay loop. Due to a curse (or perhaps a blessing), Captain Cutter and his crew are essentially immortal. Every time they die, they rise again in their underwater lair, ready to set sail once again. Their ultimate goal is to free ancient sea monsters that have been captured by Captain Blackbone.
While the voice actors do a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life, players should also expect to do a fair amount of reading, as the story is largely told through text. In the end, the writing is full of wit, humor, and a sense of adventure. Some of the more emotional moments can feel a little heavy-handed, but that’s all part of the game’s charm when telling a rousing pirate tale.
It took me 21 hours to complete the main story of Rogue Waters, though I was often shifting the game’s difficulty and partaking in extra raids.
This game may not be for everyone, but for fans of the genre intrigued by the idea of a swashbuckling adventure, Rogue Waters offers a truly special and unique experience. It manages to pull inspirations without sacrificing its own identity, and its forgiving approach to combat means gamers of all skill levels will likely find it approachable.
Reviewed on PS5
- Developer(s)
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Ice Code Games
- Publisher(s)
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Tripwire Presents
- Great turn-based tactical combat.
- Approachable for gamers of all skill levels.
- A unique take on ship-to-ship combat.
- A somewhat lackluster story with predictable twists and turns.
Rogue Waters is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant was provided a PS5 code for this review.