The Inner Sea

About

The Inner Sea is a single player role playing game. It was developed by dsquare and was released on March 30, 2016. It received neutral reviews from players.

The Inner Sea is a sandbox like game with RPG elements set in the XVII century in a mysterious archipelago. You'll build up your fleet from a single ship, hire crew, engage in naval battles, embark on missions and trade your heart's content away!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

56%

Audience ScoreBased on 36 reviews

story4 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

The game has beautiful graphics and a calming gameplay experience, making it enjoyable to play after a long day.
The developer is responsive to community feedback, which gives hope for future improvements and content additions.
The game offers a unique concept of trading and exploration in a procedurally generated world, with potential for expansion.

The game appears to be abandoned by the developers, with no updates in over two years, leading to concerns about its future.
Gameplay is currently limited and repetitive, with a lack of content and depth, making it feel unfinished.
There are numerous bugs and technical issues, including crashes and awkward controls, which detract from the overall experience.

story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The story in this early access game is minimal, primarily revolving around navigating a storm and completing missions without a clear plot or ending. Players can choose from three factions and engage in trading and ship battles, but the missions offer little experience or incentive, leading to a focus on combat rather than narrative progression. Overall, while the game has potential, its storytelling lacks depth and coherence.
- “After a short story, you can choose your ship from three different factions: the Old Continent, Cathay, and Arabia.”
- “Following other ships around, either for a quest or just hoping to find a new location, showed me that most ships have certain trading routes, and if you keep close to a location to fill your hulls with fish and ivory, you will notice the same ships returning frequently to the harbor.”
- “For an early access game, it is very reasonable, but as far as I can tell, there is no plot other than getting caught in the eye of a huge storm. Is there an ending?”
- “No known benefit for completing the missions.”
- “You travel from port to port, doing missions against very powerful foes.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
30%
20%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its fit within the game and its beautiful, catchy melodies, particularly the seafaring themes. However, many users express a desire for more variation, noting that the tracks can become repetitive after extended playtime. Overall, while the soundtrack enhances the experience, an expanded music library is anticipated as the game develops.
- “I was struck at the menu screen with the beautiful music - though I did find it a bit repetitive after being in the game for 20 minutes.”
- “Lovely seafaring music.”
- “The epic catchy looping music, the beautifully designed map (literally a map) with all manner of objects scattered around.”
- “There needs to be a lot more music tracks.”
- “The music gets old and needs some additional tracks.”
- “The other irritation right now is the repetitive music.”
gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The gameplay is described as casual and calming, ideal for unwinding after a long day, with a focus on building an empire. However, players have noted issues with collision mechanics that hinder maneuverability and frustrating moments related to targeting due to limited visibility. Overall, the experience is enjoyable, despite some gameplay challenges.
- “Kind of like the thought of building your own empire, and the gameplay is nice and casual.”
- “The gameplay is calming – except for those moments that you finally find your target ship and you lose it again because the sailor in the crow’s nest is apparently wearing an eye-patch, limiting his line of sight to that of a mere few metres – so the game is great to play after a hard day’s work, too.”
- “Gameplay is fun.”
- “Costs seem fixed with no supply and demand mechanics.”
- “The problem is that the collision mechanics seem to mean that your own 'wingman' ships prevent your lead from turning quickly.”
- “The gameplay is calming – except for those moments that you finally find your target ship and you lose it again because the sailor in the crow’s nest is apparently wearing an eye-patch, limiting his line of sight to that of a mere few metres.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
31%
19%
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, described as simple yet beautiful, fitting the overall style effectively. While they are on par with current genre standards, some users noted that the visuals could become repetitive over time. The user interface is praised for its clarity, and the game is accessible even on lower-powered machines.
- “Aesthetically, it's downright beautiful.”
- “The graphics are good, and on par with current genre games.”
- “The graphics are rather simple but do have a certain beauty about them which fits in nicely with the whole style of the game.”
- “The UI is easy to understand; the graphics are simple but pretty; the music could use some more variation in my opinion but still fits in well with the game; and the concept of the game is very nice and dare I say: rather unique.”
- “Graphics 3.5 (positive on this can be played on lower power machines)”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players finding certain moments both hilarious and infuriating, leading to a blend of enjoyment and mild annoyance. Overall, while the comedic elements can be entertaining, they may also frustrate some players.
- “Some parts infuriating, some parts hilarious.”
- “Twas hilarious but mildly annoying.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The game currently runs smoothly, but players note that there is significant room for optimization and additional content to enhance the overall experience.
- “The game runs smoothly in its current state, although there is definitely room for improvement and a lot more content to be added.”
- “The optimization is impressive, making the gameplay experience seamless and enjoyable.”
- “I appreciate the ongoing efforts to enhance performance, as it significantly improves the overall experience.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is noted for its stability, with users reporting no glitches or crashes, which contributes to a smooth gameplay experience. Players are advised to be cautious in their interactions, indicating a challenging environment that requires careful strategy.
- “It's tough; you have to be pretty careful who you pick scraps with, and there are no glitches or crashes.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game unsatisfactory, noting that the experience and gold rewards from quests, particularly walrus farming and ship battles, are minimal and do not justify the effort involved.
- “The experience and gold per quest are insignificant when it comes to walrus farming and ship battles.”
- “The experience and gold per quest are insignificant when it comes to walrus farming and ship battles.”