Boat Crew
- August 1, 2022
- Tabbing Tabby
- 12h median play time
Get on Steam"Boat Crew" is a cooperative multiplayer game where players work together to navigate a boat through treacherous waters. The game features a variety of tasks that players must complete in order to keep the boat running, such as steering, repairing damage, and managing resources. With permadeath and randomly generated events, "Boat Crew" offers a challenging and engaging experience for players who enjoy teamwork and survival games.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Boat Crew offers a fun and engaging gameplay experience, combining elements of crew management and action in a unique PT boat setting.
- The game features a variety of boats and customizable crew roles, allowing players to tailor their strategies and playstyles.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback and consistently update the game, showing a commitment to improving the overall experience.
- The game can be frustratingly difficult, with a steep learning curve and punishing mechanics that can lead to significant setbacks upon losing a boat.
- AI behavior can be inconsistent, often leading to situations where players feel overwhelmed by enemy forces or their own allies' actions.
- The lack of a proper save system and the need to restart campaigns after sinking can detract from the overall enjoyment and progression.
- gameplay44 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a straightforward and engaging loop, where players launch from ports, raid enemy convoys, and upgrade their boats, reminiscent of the mechanics found in "Bomber Crew." While the game is accessible and rewarding once players grasp its mechanics, some reviewers noted that it can become repetitive in the late game and highlighted the need for improvements in that area. Overall, the combination of cute graphics, historical accuracy, and a fun "lite" simulation experience makes it appealing, despite some bugs and a steep initial learning curve.
“Extremely tight gameplay loop: launch from a friendly port, cruise around raiding enemy ports/convoys until you run out of fuel and/or ammo, scavenge supplies for boat upgrades, repeat as necessary.”
“While the learning curve can be a bit harsh at first, once you learn the mechanics, tactics, and how the game is designed to be played, it is a bucket of fun.”
“Very enjoyable gameplay loop, and the idea of being an absolute menace of a gremlin to the Imperial Japanese Navy is quite appealing to me.”
“U-boat gameplay is very simplistic.”
“I think they need to eventually work on the late game, particularly on how repetitive the gameplay can get once you get over the hump of capturing 75/80% of the map.”
“Game is interesting as a tech demo but the gameplay feels bad once you leave 'early game', as even submerged submarines which historically topped out at 7 knots at flank speed will force you to push your PT boat, which historically ran normally at 20-30 knots at full speed, into flank overheat mode to barely overmatch the submerged sub's speed.”
- graphics36 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a charming low-poly aesthetic that retains detail, particularly on boats, and evokes nostalgia for titles like Call of Duty 2. While some players appreciate the unique style and find it engaging, others feel the visuals could be improved, describing them as simple and occasionally lacking depth. Overall, the graphics are considered decent and optimized, complementing the gameplay without needing to rely on high-definition realism.
“The visual style of the game is quite nice; I like the low-poly aesthetic while retaining a lot of detail on the boats.”
“Unique graphics that, in my humble opinion, inspire imagination from the player.”
“Cute graphics while still maintaining a fair bit of realism in engaging gameplay!”
“The kiddie graphics also don't help - but I guess it helps potato farmers out there.”
“> The graphics do admittedly leave something to be desired sometimes.”
“It's an okay game, but add more guns plus you should improve the graphics.”
- story34 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is centered around naval missions in the Solomon Islands, offering players the freedom to explore and engage in various combat scenarios. However, many reviewers find the mission structure repetitive and lacking in variety, suggesting the addition of more diverse mission types to enhance engagement. Overall, while the premise is intriguing, the execution leaves players wanting more depth and variation in the narrative experience.
“Building on the formula of Bomber Crew, Boat Crew gives you an open map of the Solomon Islands to explore, rather than limiting you to a handful of missions at a time.”
“Add more mission variation, maybe supply islands with your own small fleet of PT boats, and it could be a real Game of the Year type game.”
“Your crew are constantly being blown off their decks, so it turns into a rescue mission.”
“The campaign is tedious and boring; the combat is either an unengaging coin toss or a flat-out gear-check. The missions all play out almost exactly the same every time.”
“- a little repetitive; missions are basically all the same.”
“Add more mission variation; maybe supply islands with your own small fleet of PT boats, and it could be a real game of the year type game.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its solid performance and lack of noticeable bugs, reminiscent of the style seen in Bomber Crew. While the graphics are simple yet appealing, some users anticipate potential balancing and performance issues as it is still in early access. The physics are described as arcade-like, contributing to an enjoyable gameplay experience.
“The graphics are simple but nice in the exact same way as Bomber Crew, and the performance is just as optimized. The physics are just as arcadey, and so far, no bugs as far as the eye can see.”
“No matter if I'm launching a torpedo or dropping a depth charge, it's fun. Granted, I'm sure there are balancing or performance issues, but I expect those; it's still in early access.”
“The graphics are simple but nice in the exact same way as Bomber Crew, and the performance is just as optimized. The physics are just as arcadey, and so far, no bugs as far as the eye can see.”
“No matter if I'm launching a torpedo or dropping a depth charge, it's fun, and granted I'm sure there are balancing or performance issues, but I expect those; it's still in early access.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players report a generally stable experience with the game, noting no significant bugs or glitches during extensive playtime. However, some users have encountered freezing issues when attempting to enter battles, particularly after the recent update to version 1.5, raising concerns about potential stability problems.
“Played for 16 hours, good so far. This was made as of v1.4.2.8 update; it's now v1.5 and I'm having a problem. When I try to get into battles in the campaign, it doesn't work. By that, I mean when I try to enter a battle, the game just freezes. I don't know if it's the game or my PC.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with hours spent on base takeovers yielding little excitement. The campaign is criticized for its monotonous missions and unengaging combat mechanics, leading to a lack of enjoyment in the grinding process.
“The campaign is tedious and boring; the combat is either an unengaging coin toss or a flat-out gear check. The missions all play out almost exactly the same every time.”
“You spend all the hours grinding out base takeovers just to get a territory RP after so long.”
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find the humor in the game to be whimsical and lighthearted, particularly enjoying the idea of unexpected, amusing moments, such as spotting a bomber plane casually flying overhead. This element adds a playful touch to the overall experience.
“Wouldn't it be funny as hell to have a slight chance to see a plane from the bomber crew just way up in the sky, usually flying by.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, surpassing that of Bomber Crew, making it an engaging experience for players looking to revisit its content.
“Solid game with even more replayability than Bomber Crew.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive World War II setting, exceeding initial expectations and effectively capturing the historical context.
“It's even more WWII atmospheric than it appears.”
