Age of Water

About

"Age of Water - Gold Edition" offers enhanced starting resources with 3000 Corks and 250,000 Medallions for purchasing in-game goods and decorations. The edition also includes upgraded boats and crew members. You'll start with a Pirate Boat, and have access to Alter Ego, Kitty Sark, and Jack Wiley, each with different early-level skills. Note that all currency and upgrades are earned through gameplay, with no microtransactions.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,004 reviews

story60 positive mentions

grinding158 negative mentions

story
498 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
80%
8%
The game's story is described as engaging yet often ridiculous, with a mix of humor and entertaining characters, though it suffers from repetitive and grindy quest design. Players appreciate the initial fun of missions and leveling up, but many express frustration with the lack of variety and clarity in later quests, which often feel like tedious fetch tasks. Overall, while the narrative has potential, it is hindered by poor quest structure and a lack of meaningful progression, leading to a sense of stagnation once the main story is nearly completed.
- “The storyline is both engaging and delightfully ridiculous, with characters that keep you entertained, even if some of their antics veer into 'hold my beer' levels of logic.”
- “As you follow the story line quests you meet new characters, face other factions, get quests aplenty, and start building an HQ in the starter town.”
- “Crafting, fighting, exploring, and the story make it interesting!”
- “Don't expect much from the quests in terms of story depth and character development, as that doesn't seem to really be the focus of the game.”
- “The quests are not interesting or engaging and I opted to skip the dialog because it was AI voiced, sometimes even switching accents, and took forever to get through the dialog.”
- “The story is nothing special.”
gameplay
228 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
61%
5%
Gameplay in this game is a mixed bag, featuring a fun core loop centered around ship customization and combat, but marred by performance issues, unbalanced mechanics, and a lack of clear tutorials. Players appreciate the engaging PvE and PvP elements, but many find the repetitive quest structure and poorly explained mechanics detract from the overall experience. While the game shows potential with its unique water-based gameplay and crafting options, it requires significant polish and improvement to fully realize that potential.
- “Balanced PvE and PvP elements: you can choose to engage in player-versus-environment missions or test your skills against other players in designated PvP zones, offering flexibility in gameplay.”
- “The gameplay of the game is exciting and varied, and the graphics are made at a high level.”
- “The core gameplay loop is interesting enough, though I can see how it could get old after a while for some players.”
- “Just the wave mechanic in general is just so damn irritating; it's not a fun or challenging part of the battle, it's just stupid and annoying.”
- “Game is very easy and basically the gameplay loop is just going from point A to point B doing very basic quests; you don't ever really get a sense that you are in any danger.”
- “The crafting and customization options, though advertised as a major feature, seem limited and add little to gameplay diversity.”
grinding
160 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
1%
99%
The grinding aspect of the game is a significant focus, with many players noting that resource farming is essential but can become tedious and monotonous over time. While some find the grind enjoyable and engaging, especially in the early stages, others criticize it for being excessively time-consuming and lacking meaningful end-game content, leading to frustration and boredom. Overall, the game offers a mix of fun and grind, but many players express a desire for improvements to reduce the repetitiveness of resource gathering and mission completion.
- “Not grindy and easy to understand and get into”
- “End game is extremely grindy; you either have to spend weeks grinding through dredging for materials or you have to PvP to grind the coins to buy the materials.”
- “The game is buggy and essentially a grinding simulator with no end game to speak of, so no incentive to grind other than the grind itself.”
- “It's just a grind fest that makes the game monotonous, boring, and brain-numbingly tedious.”
graphics
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
37%
5%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their vibrant visuals, dynamic water effects, and immersive art style, which enhance the overall experience. Many players appreciate the detailed underwater and above-water environments, noting that the graphics are well-optimized and visually appealing, even on older systems. While some critiques mention that the graphics are not groundbreaking, they are considered good enough to support enjoyable gameplay.
- “This game has amazing graphics with detailed underwater and above-water locations.”
- “The graphics are a great mix of beauty and almost cartoonish at times animated, the water and buildings look great and the sharks look really ominous.”
- “Took the plunge on purchasing the gold edition of Age of Water and found it to be a very enjoyable early access game, graphically stunning having that Waterworld & Mad Max style atmosphere.”
- “The few fun aspects of the game such as shooting things are quickly suppressed by the annoying mandatory busywork and the game running poorly regardless of lowered graphical details.”
- “Cons: NPC spawn camping you, progression locked behind disabling NPC ships (which includes destroying every single weapon and the helm, but not killing the crew, or sinking the ship while using super janky controls, and a churning sea, that seems to only affect your accuracy but not the NPCs), NPC ships with blown helms outrunning you and training you through multiple enemy spawns, lack of any meaningful story, dialog that was written by a 3rd grader, and lackluster graphics.”
- “Art style and characters seem a bit cringy.”
monetization
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
72%
22%
The game's monetization model has sparked mixed reactions among players, with concerns about potential microtransactions leading to fears of a pay-to-win scenario, despite it being a buy-to-play title. While some players report that current microtransactions are minimal and not overly intrusive, others express skepticism about the game's future monetization direction, suggesting it may lean towards a cash grab. Overall, players advise caution until the monetization strategy is clarified.
- “I don’t think there are microtransactions, just the bundles you can buy in the Steam store, which is nice.”
- “Game is fun; there are microtransactions, but they are not too bad.”
- “Gaijin, I know there's a perception of pay-to-win mechanics and questionable monetization history in some of the other games you've produced, but you're doing great so far - keep it up.”
- “When you play this game, you realize very quickly that the entire basis of the game is built around the idea of microtransactions.”
- “Game has terrible monetization, with more money allowing you to enter into this mainly single-player experience at a different point and needing to grind.”
- “You have to attack convoys protected by much higher-level players, so most attackers just quit. You'll end up attacking with two other lower-level players against five or more high-level protectors just to get a few thousand 'medallions.' The game has two currencies, in-game 'corks' and 'medallions,' that may be microtransactions in the future, which will make this game a total pay-to-win grindfest.”
stability
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and performance issues that disrupt gameplay. While some users appreciate the graphics and overall concept, many express frustration over game-breaking problems, unbalanced mechanics, and a lack of polish, indicating that the game feels unfinished despite its recent release from early access. Overall, the consensus suggests that the game requires substantial improvements to reach a satisfactory level of stability.
- “Near bug free and fun experience for everyone.”
- “Overall, I really like the look of the game graphically, and it runs great on my 12-year-old system (GTX 1080, 32GB RAM, and old i4790K processor outputting to a 32" monitor).”
- “Near bug free and fun experience for everyone.”
- “This game is like a hollow shell of a good game; it looks great, feels great, then you get into the story and upgrade system, and you realize it's a buggy piece of online requirement garbage where you fight for scraps to try and get big enough to compete for resources.”
- “The only non-predatory game to ever be released and it's a buggy mess that's reset my progress twice whilst being plagued with laggy and sometimes crash-happy servers (they get reset twice a day).”
- “Completely ruined by game-breaking bugs and glitches, insanely unbalanced gameplay, and unexplained game mechanics.”
optimization
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
50%
28%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report stable performance and good graphical optimization, others experience significant issues such as server lag, stuttering, and occasional bugs that disrupt gameplay. Despite the game's potential and depth in customization, many users feel that the optimization, particularly regarding server performance, needs considerable improvement. Overall, the game shows promise but still struggles with performance-related challenges typical of early access titles.
- “Game is well optimized graphically and the equipping system is intuitive and unique.”
- “This game has nice visuals and I have not had any performance issues.”
- “Also on the plus side, very few bugs and stable performance for early access.”
- “The game design simply isn't good, and the game is not optimized; it runs poorly even on 'low' detail and low resolutions.”
- “Everything was fine, but the optimization of the game is currently lame.”
- “Gotta have some of the worst server performances I've experienced.”
atmosphere
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
27%
12%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning graphics, lifelike ocean environments, and immersive sound design that evokes mystery and adventure. Players appreciate the vibrant maritime setting, which enhances gameplay through various activities like trading and treasure hunting, while the inclusion of comedic elements adds a unique charm. Overall, the atmosphere significantly contributes to the game's appeal, making it a memorable experience, especially when played with friends.
- “The sound creates an atmosphere of mystery and danger.”
- “The game excels in atmosphere and freedom, allowing you to trade, hunt for treasures, or become a pirate yourself.”
- “Despite all problems with servers and some bugs, I really liked this one because of its setting and atmosphere.”
- “Took the plunge on purchasing the gold edition of Age of Water and found it to be a very enjoyable EA game, graphically stunning with that water world and Mad Max style atmosphere.”
- “Great music and soundtrack will help you immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the post-apocalypse.”
humor
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely praised for its humor, offering a mix of funny moments and entertaining gameplay, especially in multiplayer settings. Players enjoy the comedic aspects of combat and character builds, although some bugs can detract from the experience. While the storyline is considered lackluster, it is still appreciated for its lightheartedness and overall fun atmosphere.
- “An exciting and fun game in the open ocean with a beautiful world. The game has a lot of action and funny moments; playing with friends, the game quickly masters and you get more fun!”
- “The story is kinda bleh, but it's pretty humorous and not meant to be taken seriously.”
- “This is the game for anyone disappointed with Skull and Bones. It does not pretend to be anything other than fantastic fun and hilarious PvP. Get a boat, get your crew, get some fun!”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music and soundtrack in the game are consistently praised for enhancing the immersive experience, particularly in the post-apocalyptic and marine-themed settings. Reviewers highlight the pleasant and engaging nature of the music, which complements the game's visuals and gameplay mechanics, despite some concerns about optimization and pricing. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong asset that contributes positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “Great music and soundtrack will help you immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the post-apocalypse.”
- “The game is set in a unique marine-themed environment with excellent visuals and music.”
- “A multiplayer survival game featuring battles with enemy ships and flying vehicles, complemented by nice graphics and music.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
Players note that while there is significant replayability in the game, particularly in the variety of missions available, the repetitive nature of tasks—often revolving around simple delivery missions—can diminish the experience once players have fully upgraded their characters and completed the research.
- “Much replayability to enjoy.”
- “The missions that are playable offer a variety of tasks, keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging.”
- “Even after you've fully upgraded and researched, there are still plenty of ways to experience the game differently.”
- “The missions that are playable are largely just 'Hey, can you deliver this letter or message to this person at this place?'”
- “But what happens after you've fully upgraded and researched? Where is the replayability?”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while it aims to deliver a poignant journey, the voice acting is often perceived as forced and lacking depth. Moments like the farewell to the rubber duckie attempt to evoke feelings, but the abrupt shifts in tone, such as the transition to combat scenarios, undermine the emotional impact. Overall, players may find some emotional resonance, but it is inconsistent and overshadowed by jarring narrative elements.
- “Resolving these problems will bring about a successful and blessed experience for you, allowing you to fully enjoy the emotional journey that the game promises.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is largely lacking, with many players noting that quests do not offer significant story depth or character growth. Additionally, the character design has been criticized for not aligning with the expected serious tone, leading to disappointment among players seeking a more nuanced experience.
- “Don't expect much from the quests in terms of story depth and character development, as that doesn't seem to really be the focus of the game.”
- “Stupid character design; I was expecting a serious tone akin to Waterworld with a little quirkiness.”