A new piratical adventure is making waves in the gaming world. Windrose, formerly known as Crosswind, has entered early access and is performing remarkably well so far.
Set in an alternative 18th century Caribbean, Windrose begins with players as shipwrecked castaways who must forage and craft to survive in a hostile environment. Soon enough, however, players can escape the island they find themselves on and set sail as pirates. Yarrrgh!
This combination appears to have created a winning formula. At the time of writing, Windrose boasts a peak concurrent player count of 97,981 on Steam, and holds a "very positive" review average on the platform.
One Steam review states, "It’s refreshing to play a survival game that actually respects your time." Another adds, "Perfect game - beautiful, wonderful, and somehow even fragrant." Overall, many players have praised Windrose's building and exploration mechanics, likening it to a mix of Valheim and Assassin's Creed: Black Flag (speaking of which, shouldn't we be hearing more about that remake from Ubisoft soon?).
Of course, there are some complaints within the Windrose community. One reviewer described the combat as "shockingly underdeveloped," but noted that this was their only issue with the early access release. Generally, though, it seems that developer Kraken Express is onto a winner with Windrose.
Initially envisioned as a free-to-play MMO, player feedback during alpha testing convinced the team to pivot towards a more focused premium title designed for one to four players. This decision appears to have paid off for everyone involved.
Our own Matt took an earlier demo of Windrose for a spin and had a shipshape time with it. In Eurogamer's Windrose feature, he wrote, "Windrose already has my piratical heart aflame." He went from being optimistic to completely sold.
The incorporation of user feedback into Windrose's development has supported the game's evolution and allowed it to provide an experience aligned with player expectations. In this context, it can be said that Windrose goes beyond being just a game, facilitating community building among players.
