Nautical warfare is about to get a lot more intense this summer thanks to a couple of pirate-themed titles. Survios announced Battlewake last week, filled with sea monsters and co-op gameplay. The other is Crooked Waters by Dutch indie team Craft Game Studio, which is due to leave Steam Early Access next month.
For the launch, Craft Game Studio will be releasing a major update called Crooked Waters: Conquest which will add a bunch of new features including a completely redesigned world. However, the biggest addition is the new game mode which should hopefully alleviate one of the bigger issues with the original version.
To begin with Crooked Waters was a multiplayer focused combat experience, pitting four vs four against one another, with each team member having a particular role; one to steer, one to fire the cannons, one on the sails and one as a lookout. As VRFocus found in its preview, this meant that if no one else was available to man the ship, it wasn’t entirely feasible on your own.
The new Conquest mode addresses this by offering solo, co-op and versus all in one package. For the first two options, players have to fight their way through enemy territory in a bid to secure the guarded treasure by destroying three outposts. In the versus mode, two teams are vying for the same three outposts, meaning that at some point they’ll come in close proximity with one another and fight it out.
Once those objectives have been destroyed players then have to contend with a huge fortress that is stationed in the centre of the map. Its outer defences might be gone but players will still have to deal with heavy fortifications including cannons, mortars and pesky skeletons.
The update will also add new mechanics for sailors to get used to, such as repairing and adjusting sails. Plus, a smaller two-person ship will be introduced. Fans of the original deathmatch mode will be pleased to know that it has been retained.
Crooked Waters: Conquest will be made available on 21st June via Steam as a free update for current owners. For those yet to play the videogame Craft Game Studio will be running a free weekend on Steam to celebrate. For any further updates, keep reading VRFocus.