Battlewake

Sep 19, 2019

Survios has another winner on its hands with Battlewake. Instituting an anti-sea sickness technology should allow people who are more prone to this to actually enjoy the game. While the single player allows for getting the premise and feel of the game down, it truly shines in multiplayer. Multiplayer is seamless and works extremely well and people can hop on with friends. Single player will get redundant, but what is done here will go towards the multiplayer experience. Motion tracking is wonderful along with the controls but will take a little bit to master as there is a lot going on at times. The visuals are vibrant and vary based on environments. Battlewake is the only game of its kind and even better, it retails for only $30 on PS4. Battlewake is a must-have game for VR owners.

Sep 12, 2019

Battlewake is a bit of a mixed experience. While its looks great and handles very well the multiplayer definitely carries the whole thing as the campaign is a little lacklustre. The combat is a good laugh once there are a few of you to banter with but it does get somewhat repetitive and so do the locations. Sea of Thieves in VR this certainly is not, on the other hand, for those not after sinking dozens of hours into a videogame to get anywhere Battlewake will have you wondering where the rum’s gone.

Oct 24, 2019

With fantastic graphics, balanced and engaging gameplay, and a brief but fun single player campaign, Battlewake is an amazing VR pirate combat game. The only thing it doesn’t have is a larger audience. My crew is ready, and it’s time to set sail -- who’s with me?!

Oct 9, 2019

Though a bit bare-boned, Battlewake will satisfy those looking for a solid VR seafaring adventure. It has a reasonably lengthy single-player campaign and enough multiplayer modes to tide you over – provided you can find other players. It’s just a shame that there isn’t more to the gameplay to keep repetition from setting in because, at the end of the day, blasting holes into enemy ships is glee-inducing fun. Battlewake is simply missing that extra – but very necessary – oomph to elevate it into a must-play.

Sep 20, 2019

Battlewake is a very solid pirate ship combat game that has great presentation, fun gameplay, and good core mechanics, but it just doesn’t have enough depth. The campaign is over just as you feel like you’re coming to grips with each character, multiplayer lacks the breadth and depth it needs, and generally it’s missing a unifying framework to tie it all together more strongly. It feels like Survios expected the multiplayer to really take off here, but without cross-play or a good reason to keep playing for weeks and months on-end, the buried treasure in this pirate conquest loses its luster far too quickly. Battlewake is out now on PC VR headsets via Steam and Oculus Home as well as on PSN for PSVR.

Oct 1, 2019

Battlewake can be a blast in small doses and is a good way show off the PSVR’s potential (unless the person you’re showing it is prone to seasickness). Waving your arms around like an idiot as you watch cannonballs soar past you is entertaining for a while and I can see myself returning if the multiplayer mode ever gains traction. But it’s a little anaemic for a mid-price release and feels like the foundation for a better, bigger game. If Survios can take Battlewake and steer it into deeper waters, I’d be interested in a lengthy voyage.

Sep 17, 2019

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Sep 11, 2019

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Nov 25, 2019

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Sep 22, 2019

Well…Battlewake is a mixed bag. The campaign is disappointing and offers little replay value. It acts as an extended tutorial for each Pirate Lord rather than a meaningful experience for the gamer. Graphically it’s impressive, and it plays well, if you like the Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag naval missions, but as a whole, it lacks the depth to stand out to be the next must-play PSVR game. Rather than the Black Pearl sailing the deep seas, it’s more like a turd floating in a puddle. Unfortunately, it’s shallow experience with some solid ideas, due to that I give this a Thumb Culture Bronze Award.