After a week-long false start, publisher Gaijin Entertainment and developer Three Whales Studio have brought Age of Water into the roiling and (arguably) crowded seas of multiplayer survival sandbox early access games today.
“Civilization as we know it has vanished into the ocean, with everything we know and love laying at the bottom. However, humanity has survived. Brave captains roam this water world in their makeshift boats in search of food, materials, and knowledge.”
After players complete a tutorial segment, they’ll be free to seize or craft various ships, build a base, take on bloodthirsty pirates, or take on quests, all of which can be done with friends or completely solo. There is PvP, but the devs have previously told us that it isn’t mandatory and that non-PvP players won’t be second-class citizens. Early access will end when the studio believes it’s complete according to Steam, while later updates will bring some more story content and adjust features based on feedback.
Do note that players are already grumbling about the bonuses offered by cash shop and the premium editions of the game. The varying editions offer in-game currencies, skins, and upgraded boats for their purchase price, but players are calling them pay-to-win and have sunk the game’s review rating to “mostly negative.”
“[I]n light of the heated discussions on the forums currently, we would like to run through exactly how these bonuses affect your gaming experience,” Three Whales says.
“All bonuses in the premium editions were designed to give a starting boost to help with the first few hours in PvE, and not to influence success in PvP or PvE beyond the first few hours of gameplay. We want success in battle to depend solely on players themselves, and we will not sell this for money. If we see that the bonuses are not working as they should, we will promptly make the necessary changes to the game as a matter of priority. Currently, the team is carefully studying your feedback and statistics. Also, please note that the additional boats (Dory, Skadi Boat, Sofiya Longboat) will be available for construction at the base. We’ve seen some messages from players who can’t find these in game.”
For those who are eager to set sail in this new moist age, buying in will set you back $30 at minimum on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox X|S, or there’s the expected early access release trailer to ogle below.
