We hadn’t even heard of Ylands before today, but now we wish we had; it’s apparently Bohemia’s 2019 cozy – and very tiny – pirate-themed multiplayer PC-and-mobile sandbox. The PR we got calls it a family-friendly MMO, though on Steam, it’s flagged merely as online co-op. And it’s about to launch on the Nintendo Switch, but apparently, it’s doing so as the fully offline mode that PC fans have begged for and that should safeguard the game against the future (but also that makes it a little less MMOsy).
“Bohemia Interactive is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of Ylands: Nintendo Switch Edition, which will be available exclusively for digital download on the Nintendo Switch on June 20th worldwide,” the studio says. “While Ylands on PC is a free-to-play title Bohemia Interactive has elected for a simpler pay upfront premium model for Ylands: Nintendo Switch Edition.” Bohemia stresses that Switch players will therefore receive all future non-cosmetic updates to the game as part of their one-time fee of $24.99.
As for what you do in the game, it’s all the sandboxy stuff: exploration, fighting, crafting, riding, sailing, and I swear I saw a rollercoaster in one of the videos.
“On their own fully customizable ship, players will traverse six distinct regions, each filled with unique fauna, flora, and random encounters that keep the adventure fresh and exciting. Ylands empowers players to make use of thousands of items to craft and build with, progressing through a comprehensive tech tree that adds depth and variety to the gameplay. The game gently onboards players by recruiting them to the Classy Adventurers Guild, where they embark on an incredible journey, armed with their trusty handbook, and sail towards endless adventures.”
Bohemia is also touting this offline version of the game as a “100% safe gaming environment for younger players with zero microtransaction prompts and no risk of negative interactions with other players” – not to mention no gore or graphic violence.
Over on Steam, Bohemia has just pushed out the game’s 2.3 update, dubbed Elven Expeditions, which adds a new chunk of story, overhauls random encounters, and inserts multiple quality-of-life improvements.
