Sailaway
- February 27, 2018
- Orbcreation
- 22h median play time
Get on Steam"Sailaway: The Sailing Simulator" is a massively multiplayer sport game that offers both single-player and multiplayer options, including PvP. It brings the world's oceans to your computer with accurate simulations and persistent online world. Contrary to typical games, Sailaway focuses on realism with no targets, goals, or mini games, providing a unique sailing experience.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Sailaway offers a realistic sailing experience with accurate wind, waves, and weather conditions, making players feel like they are truly at sea.
- The game serves as an excellent educational tool for beginners, providing tutorials and guidance on sailing terminology and techniques.
- The ability to sail in real-time across the globe and the integration of actual weather data adds a unique dimension to the gameplay.
- The control scheme is clunky and can be frustrating, making it difficult for players to manage sails and navigate effectively.
- There are significant technical issues and bugs that disrupt the gameplay experience, including crashes and unresponsive UI elements.
- The game lacks engaging content outside of racing, with limited single-player options and a sparse environment that feels empty.
- graphics92 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the water and boat visuals while criticizing the land graphics as outdated and lacking detail. Many users note graphical glitches and a need for improvement in textures and overall visual fidelity, particularly in coastal areas and during adverse weather conditions. While some find the graphics adequate for a sailing simulator, others feel they fall short of modern standards, impacting the overall experience.
“The graphics are breathtaking, and the scenery is real - it uses real world maps, and you have access to the entire world.”
“The graphics and the sounds are impeccable and give you a full sensation of immersion.”
“I was shocked as the graphics came on screen, showing detailed enormous waves, wind-driven spray, foam on the waves--exactly as I believe it would look if I were at sea.”
“The game itself is fantastic for simulation, just don't go to any land masses; they look worse than Flight Simulator 1999 when it comes to graphics.”
“Unfortunately, with esail's simple graphics (not good either), esail is the better of the two sailing 'simulators.'”
“The land graphics are poor, gameplay is limited, and there are few boats as part of the game.”
- gameplay34 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this sailing simulator is praised for its realistic mechanics and educational value, making it suitable for both novice and experienced sailors. However, many users find the experience repetitive and lacking excitement, with some expressing disappointment over the absence of damage mechanics and limited updates focused on enhancing gameplay. While the graphics and navigation are well-received, the overall sentiment suggests that the game requires further refinement to maintain long-term engagement.
“I think this game (or rather simulator) would be perfect for anyone with a general interest in sailing, someone who wants to learn mechanics and terminology, or a current sailor who is looking to improve.”
“The great thing about this sim is that it has focused on getting the basics right and now the world is their oyster because they can fine-tune the sailing details, add in more realistic scenery, and take up some of the community gameplay suggestions.”
“Very informative tutorial and plenty of tips during gameplay, basically all you need to optimize the sails and your speed.”
“And ultimately, gameplay is a tad on the boring side.”
“The result is overall boring gameplay.”
“At most this has an hour or two of gameplay and then you will be bored.”
- stability32 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- -6 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous graphical glitches, server connection issues, and a clunky user interface that hampers gameplay. Many players have experienced frustrating bugs that affect core functionalities, leading to a general consensus that the game is poorly made and not recommended until significant improvements are made. While some acknowledge that it is an early access title and may improve over time, the current state is deemed too unstable for a satisfying experience.
“Visibility is great, instructions are clear and simple, and the game runs smoothly with minimal bugs.”
“The game is incredibly stable, providing a seamless experience without any major issues.”
“I appreciate how stable the game feels; it rarely crashes and performs consistently well.”
“Game is buggy as hell; I did the round-the-world sailing achievement along with inviting someone onto my boat, and they have not been applied no matter how many times I re-log, uninstall, reinstall, etc. Until these issues are fixed, I shall not recommend it to anyone.”
“Overall, this is awfully poorly made; the user interface and in-game control are so buggy it's barely usable at all.”
“Unfortunately, despite several tries, I wasn't able to get very far because of bugs and constant freezes.”
- music11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as pleasant and ambient, but it tends to become repetitive and annoying after extended playtime. While players appreciate the option to turn off the music separately from other sounds, some suggest that incorporating more diverse tracks or allowing players to add their own music would enhance the experience. Overall, the music contributes positively to the relaxing atmosphere, but its limited variety may detract from long-term enjoyment.
“It's great, you can listen to music or a podcast on the side, the ultimate game for hangovers!”
“If you want to learn sailing terminology, get educated, and totally relax while seeing nice scenery and the option to listen to an ocean-type song that'll lull you to dreamland in a very pleasant way, this sailing sim is a gem.”
“Beautiful game – installation went well - graphics are great - controls work well - informative & user-friendly – pleasant music - nice experience.”
“Music gets annoying after a few hours.”
“Just ambient sounds annoy after 5+ hours, so setting some own music/ambients on background.”
“99% of playtime you just have to hunt a rope with a mouse and fight terrible UI to get the camera on what you need; 'invert mouse' option doesn't work, music is from 80s porn movies, seasickness is included.”
- optimization9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews. While some players appreciate the accurate sailing simulation and the experience it offers, others report clunky controls, awkward camera views, and performance issues, even on high-end systems. Additionally, there are concerns about network lag and the need for further optimizations to enhance gameplay.
“It has been optimized really well.”
“This game is the most accurate sailing simulator I have played so far, especially on the bigger boats like the Caribbean Rose and the new performance cruiser.”
“Here one needs to be ready for at least some of the challenges and experiences of sailing: working the boat to get the most performance, reading the weather when laying out a course, even dealing with the tedium of long voyages over quiet water.”
“There are no fast performance boats it seems (unless you delve into user content), the camera views feel awkward... it should feel a lot easier than it is to view your telltales and adjust lines; the sailing process just feels clunky.”
“The game has inferior performance even on my latest iMac.”
“- some (network) lags which I cannot explain at the moment (well EA, some work/optimizations to do here).”
- story8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional narrative, focusing instead on providing a realistic sailing experience where players can plot their own journeys and engage in online events. While it offers basic sailing mechanics and some backstory, the environment feels sparse and the absence of missions or trading limits the depth of the story. Overall, it is seen as an early access title with potential for immersive gameplay, particularly for sailing enthusiasts.
“Its early access for sure, but let me tell you my story.”
“It's fun trying to tack upwind to go see a nearby boat of another player, or plot out your own journey.”
“It's still a little rough around the edges, the oceans are a little featureless and the water surface doesn't show the wind, so you can't read it to plot your course, but this early access title is already exceptional value for money, if you value a realistic sailing experience.”
“There's no ports or harbours to aim for, there's no missions or trading to be done.”
“What story?”
“It's still a little rough around the edges, the oceans are a little featureless and the water surface doesn't show the wind, so you can't read it to plot your course.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a cash grab, with players expressing frustration over the introduction of a "pro" license that requires additional payment for features that were previously included in the full game. Many users feel betrayed, especially those who supported the game early on, as they now face extra charges to access content they once had. Overall, the sentiment is overwhelmingly negative, with players advising against purchasing the game due to its monetization practices.
“I bought the full game ages ago, turns out now you have to pay for a 'pro' license to get extra boats and customization; whereas before you had everything. Scummy cash grab from the devs, don't bother buying it.”
“It brought me to a page where it asked me to pay 20 euros to become 'pro'. In this pro version, it seems you get full access to everything. This is a huge load of BS and I'm not happy about what they've done to Sailaway. They seem to have made it a cash grab even for the ones who helped debug and send reports on things to make it better. I have 7 or 8 boats from before the update, and it won't let me do anything but sail them. This is just a filthy thing to do, charge me to do anything after I've paid a full 40.00 USD for this, and no, I don't recommend this.”
“They are just using Steam as a way to make twice the money and for advertisement of the full product.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from its nautical jargon and the amusing stories shared among players, particularly in the crew feature where multiple players can man a single boat, leading to potentially hilarious interactions.
“It's a simulator for people who love sailing, so you'll encounter some nautical jargon, learn a few things from others, and listen to interesting and often funny stories.”
“The crew feature allows you to man one boat with multiple people, and depending on the ships and sizes added, this can lead to some really funny moments.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the game's atmosphere, highlighting that the onboard perspective enhances the overall experience, creating an immersive environment.
“The atmosphere and perspective on board is perfect.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be amazing overall, but the grinding aspect can feel tedious and boring after a few hours of play, making the learning curve less enjoyable.
“The game is amazing, but it becomes tedious to learn and boring after a couple of hours.”
“Grinding feels like a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”
“After a while, the repetitive tasks make the game lose its charm.”
