Maelstrom
- September 20, 2019
- Gunpowder Games, Inc.
- 27h median play time
Get on Steam"Maelstrom" is a simulation game that offers both single-player and multiplayer modes, including co-op and PvP for up to 2 players. Experience thunderous naval combat in a grimm fantasy world with beautiful visuals and plenty of humor. Sink other players' ships, collect loot, and avoid sea monsters to upgrade and customize your own ship in this immersive game of strategy and skill.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique twist on the battle royale genre with fast-paced naval combat.
- Graphics and sound design are impressive, creating an immersive experience.
- The progression system allows for customization and variety in gameplay, keeping it engaging.
- The player base is very low, leading to long matchmaking times and often playing against bots.
- Balancing issues exist, particularly with certain ships being overpowered compared to others.
- The game lacks additional content and modes, making it feel repetitive after a short time.
- gameplay113 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by fast-paced, strategic ship battles in a battle royale format, featuring unique mechanics and a fluid reward system that enhances player engagement. While many players find the mechanics enjoyable and the combat immersive, there are concerns about balance, content variety, and a low player count affecting the overall experience. Despite being in early access, the game shows potential for growth, with a dedicated community and ongoing developer support.
“The gameplay is smooth and rewarding, and it looks great.”
“The gameplay itself is awesome, the ships are all very unique and fun to use.”
“The core mechanics and the feel of combat are fantastic.”
“Game mechanics make zero sense.”
“Soon after they decided the only updates they were going to bring out were going to only involve aesthetics, and no actual gameplay tweaks.”
“Any potential depth of gameplay is ruined by way too much RNG.”
- graphics53 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beauty and atmospheric quality, with many users highlighting the stunning visuals, charming art style, and smooth performance even on high settings. While some reviews note that the graphics are not groundbreaking, they contribute significantly to the overall enjoyment of the game, making it visually appealing and immersive. However, a few critiques mention inconsistencies in performance and UI quality, suggesting that while the graphics are impressive, there are areas that could benefit from further refinement.
“The graphics are not only stunning, the music is beyond beautiful, but also features gameplay that is near butter smooth on ultra settings and very enjoyable and exciting.”
“The art style is gorgeous.”
“Great game graphics 10/10, gameplay 9/10 sound 10/10”
“Soon after they decided the only updates they were going to bring out were going to only involve aesthetics, and no actual gameplay tweaks.”
“It crashed twice for me so far after running perfectly smooth, the UI does not look up to standard and the graphics seem to be rather preliminary in some places.”
“Whoever did the artwork should dump this team and move on to a more professional publisher/game company that would welcome your art.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the game features a significant grinding element, with some players finding it excessively tedious and unbalanced, particularly in its free-to-play state. While a few users appreciate the progression system and the initial fun, many express frustration over the grind required to level up and acquire new content, suggesting that it detracts from the overall experience. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some enjoying the grind while others feel it hampers the game's potential.
“There is a solid progression system, not too generous but not too grindy.”
“This is a fun game, but it does have a small learning curve and it is not as grindy as other players claim.”
“Now it's a terrible free-to-play grind filled tedious game.”
“I cannot recommend this game in this state as it gives a massive advantage to players that have put in many hours of grinding.”
“Seems fun at first, then you find out how grindy and unbalanced it is.”
- story11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The story features a mix of engaging quests and missions, including assassination tasks and exploration elements, which provide players with goals beyond combat. While the initial narrative may feel bland and repetitive, it improves as players progress, introducing interesting characters and more satisfying missions. However, some players may find the collection and mission structure tedious, preferring exploration over the main storyline.
“Climbing up on lookouts to reveal the map, collecting items like chests and animus fragments, doing assassination missions, and following the main quest about a mysterious observatory adds depth to the gameplay.”
“But it gets better throughout the missions, and there are quite a few interesting and likable characters that improve the story after the beginning.”
“The missions are quick and satisfying, providing a good balance of action and narrative.”
“The story itself feels a bit bland and is starting off pretty boring in my opinion.”
“I had much more fun sailing around and exploring than following the main mission.”
“I can only do 1-3 missions before I get bored with the game.”
- monetization11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 36 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users criticizing it as a "pay-to-win" cash grab, while others appreciate the developers' commitment to avoiding microtransactions altogether. Many players express concern over the game's focus on monetization rather than gameplay, although some highlight the potential for a balanced experience without the burden of microtransactions. Overall, there is a call for better advertising to attract more players and improve the game's community.
“This game seems like it's designed for microtransactions, but I haven't needed or used any yet.”
“This is like World of Warships, except 10 times better because it's not loaded with microtransactions and pay-to-win consumables.”
“Good game, no microtransactions, great potential!”
“Dead game -- pay-to-win microtransaction cash grab -- avoid.”
“As it stands now, Maelstrom is just a minimal naval combat-based monetization platform.”
“All I notice is monetization and no balance.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game to be a mix of situational comedy and lighthearted moments, often leading to laughter during gameplay, especially in multiplayer settings. While some jokes may fall flat, the overall experience is described as fun and stress-relieving, with players enjoying the absurdity of certain situations. However, the low player base can detract from the humor, as solo play may lead to less engaging experiences.
“I have had so many 'oh crap' moments in the game, it's hilarious.”
“Buddies and I were laughing like kids; it's been a while since a game was less stressful and more just simple fun.”
“There are tactics involved, funny moments, frustrating moments, but all in all a great game that needs support.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with most players reporting smooth performance and minimal latency issues. However, some users note that performance can be inconsistent, particularly when adjusting graphical settings, and that certain gameplay mechanics may hinder progression. While there are areas for improvement, particularly for older systems, the game is considered enjoyable and functional for most players.
“This is a fun game that runs smoothly.”
“Pros: very well optimized game.”
“Latency is not an issue for the most part and the game is well optimized.”
“I have a system way above the minimum requirements, but sadly changing any of the options from very high to low does not impact the game performance at all.”
“Still some balance, optimization, and other issues but 14 hours played in 2 days owned doesn't lie.”
“Playing solo is torturous as you have to finish in the top 3 to unlock better crew (add bonuses to your ship's performance) or earn gold (to unlock addons to your ship).”
- music8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received praise for its beauty and fitting ambiance, enhancing the overall experience, particularly during combat. While many players enjoy the current soundtrack, some express a desire for further improvements, indicating that the developers are aware and plan to enhance it in the future. Overall, the music is generally well-received, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
“This game is in early access and the graphics are not only stunning, the music is beyond beautiful, but also features gameplay that is near butter smooth on ultra settings and very enjoyable and exciting.”
“Plus, the art style is pretty cool (gothic yet charming?) and the music is A+.”
“The music sounds good and perfectly fits the setting.”
“Music is meh; surely they'll work on it later.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its excellent map layouts, engaging battles, and entertaining sea shanties that enhance the experience. While the graphics are described as good but not groundbreaking, they contribute to creating beautiful moments, particularly with the dynamic day and night cycles. Overall, the sound design and visual elements effectively immerse players in the game's world.
“The atmosphere and the map layouts are excellent.”
“The sea shanties (your crew will sing along on the open sea) are also great for the atmosphere and pretty entertaining; I found myself singing along with them! :D”
“The graphics are pretty good, nothing groundbreaking, but very atmospheric and can create some beautiful moments, especially with the day and night cycles.”
“The atmosphere is there, but it feels empty and lacks depth.”
“While the visuals are impressive, the overall atmosphere fails to engage.”
“The sound design is decent, but it doesn't contribute to a compelling atmosphere.”
- stability5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while some players report occasional bugs and inconsistencies, the development team is responsive and provides regular updates. Many users appreciate the game's performance compared to other early access titles, noting that it is not overly buggy and offers a solid gameplay experience. However, issues with armor, hull, and damage consistency remain a concern for some players.
“Great gameplay with reasonable balance despite what others say. I've won with a large variety of ships. The graphics are insanely good, and the game is not bug-ridden like some early betas. The population is also reasonable.”
“The game itself seems very buggy with armor, hull, and damage being very inconsistent.”
“We usually get buggy unplayable garbage with a $60 price tag under the lie of 'it's early access' for 3 years.”
“Sure there are bugs or glitches that happen to some people from time to time, but it's a video game... they all have issues from time to time.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Players generally find the game to have high replayability, with the potential for more playable factions and ships in the future. The progression system allows for a balanced experience between new and veteran players, while the current content offers a fun and engaging experience. However, some users express a desire for additional content, such as more ships and game modes, to enhance replayability further.
“Great game, well worth its price; loads of replayability!”
“This game is fun with seemingly good replayability, and you can get one of the currently 9 available ships to max level within a day of casually playing, meaning the power gap between new and veteran players isn't high at all for a game featuring a progression system.”
“Super pretty, super fun, and endless replayability.”
“Content needs more of it; I'd focus on more playable ships and maps/game modes.”
“Looks like there will be more playable factions in the future.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional depth of the game to be profound, suggesting that it offers a rich and touching experience that goes beyond initial impressions.
“This game takes you on an emotional rollercoaster that stays with you long after you've finished playing.”
“The storytelling is so powerful that it evokes genuine feelings of joy, sadness, and nostalgia.”
“Every character's journey resonates deeply, making you feel connected to their struggles and triumphs.”
