Wooden Ocean

98%
Game Brain Score Based on 85 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • humor
Wooden Ocean Game Cover
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"Wooden Ocean" is an open-world dungeon crawler set in a dark, sunless realm. Battle monsters, gather loot, and establish your own town while uncovering a compelling mystery. The game emphasizes exploration, discovery, and creative building as you navigate its unique, ocean-themed environment.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

98%
Audience ScoreBased on 85 reviews
story13 positive mentions
atmosphere3 negative mentions
  • The game offers a vast, interconnected world filled with secrets and engaging exploration, reminiscent of classic RPGs like Skyrim.
  • Combat is deep and strategic, allowing for various builds and tactics, making battles feel rewarding and engaging.
  • The writing is unique and often humorous, with rich character interactions that enhance the overall experience.
  • The game suffers from RPG Maker limitations, including a dark color palette that can make areas feel indistinguishable and navigation confusing.
  • Many players have reported bugs and crashes, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences.
  • The dialogue can be hit or miss, with some exchanges feeling awkward or poorly written, detracting from the overall narrative quality.
  • story47 mentions

    The game's story is described as a complex and intriguing narrative that blends humor with deep, meta elements, offering a unique RPG experience. While some players appreciate the richly crafted world and interconnected plot, others find it convoluted and occasionally tedious, with pacing issues and unclear mechanics. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its originality and depth, making it a standout feature for those who enjoy unconventional narratives.

    • “If you like a deep story that is meta in a not cringe way, this is the game for you.”
    • “The story is wild, the characters are likable (although they initially felt awkward early into it, I ended up loving them) and the battle system is decently deep.”
    • “Seldom since 'The Way' have I seen an RPG with such breadth, depth, and quality of writing and world-building - and unlike 'The Way', which very clearly sacrificed gameplay for story, this one is an absolute joy to play even if a complex and enigmatic plot is not your cup of tea.”
    • “The story and worldbuilding were genuinely interesting and clearly a lot of thought was put into them, but at a certain point the tedium of combat and terrible writing wore me down.”
    • “The plot is strange as hell, will make little sense at the beginning but you start to ease into the weirdness of Wooden Ocean's world and things start to make more sense as you progress towards your ultimate goal in the game.”
    • “This is not a game that spends any time explaining itself; it fully expects you to draw your own conclusions from the strange turns the plot takes and what is implied by the metaplot.”
  • gameplay15 mentions

    The gameplay is a blend of engaging mechanics and deep, esoteric RPG elements that can be both rewarding and confusing, requiring players to learn as they progress. While the battle system is praised for its variety and viability of different builds, the overall experience can feel mechanically slow and overwhelming due to the game's vastness and complexity. Players who appreciate classic RPGs with intricate systems and a rich world will find enjoyment, but those seeking a more straightforward experience may struggle with its depth and lack of clarity.

    • “If you like esoteric RPGs with deep mechanics that you can break beyond all belief, this is the game for you.”
    • “Otherwise, the gameplay loop is always enjoyable and engaging.”
    • “It has some of the most satisfying JRPG battle mechanics I've seen: I've seen multiple people talk about their builds, and they've all been different from each other's and mine, and they're all viable (though some more than others).”
    • “Mechanically slow, like how you need to press enter, wait a few seconds, press enter, then wait a few more seconds before pressing enter one last time to load your game.”
    • “It captures a lot of video game magic, huge maps with varied scenarios, NPCs, and things to do, insane puzzles and conversations just pop up everywhere while keeping the tone and feel the story goes for, but it does this at a cost; it's confusing and not very clear with the mechanics (read the guide and I'll let you know 'Q' is your quest log).”
    • “Gameplay is kind of a mixed bag, since Wooden Ocean is so sprawlingly vast (seriously, do not try to 100% this; you'll just drive yourself crazy) that it would be a nightmare even for a full team to keep everything fine-tuned.”
  • humor13 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of quirky, often absurd writing and engaging dialogue that balances lightheartedness with darker themes. Players appreciate the unique character of the humor, which can be reminiscent of mid-2000s randomness, while also finding it compelling and sincere. Although some moments may feel forced or edgy, the overall comedic tone, enriched by witty banter among characters, contributes significantly to the game's charm and depth.

    • “The writing has a character to it that I find hard to put into words, but every new conversation is either weird, funny, intriguing, or often multiple of these.”
    • “The immaturity and humor is perfectly balanced with the darkness of the setting.”
    • “The dialogue is very unique and once you get your other two party members, a lot of funny banter ensues which helps offset the darkness of the world.”
  • music12 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its quality and memorability, often describing it as one of their favorites of all time. The soundtrack enhances the overall atmosphere, complementing the engaging combat and unique visuals, creating a captivating experience that players find hard to forget. Overall, the music stands out as a significant highlight of the game.

    • “The atmosphere, music, and creative usage of RPG Maker RTP is all great.”
    • “One of my favorite soundtracks of all time.”
    • “The music is wonderful, and the visuals are this filtered mirage that reminds me of painted velvet and arcade floors, black lights, and fever dreams.”
  • graphics8 mentions

    The graphics of the game are praised for their unique and grotesque artwork, which effectively creates a sense of dread and enhances the overall atmosphere. Users note the visuals as a blend of custom designs reminiscent of painted velvet and arcade aesthetics, though some minor graphical glitches have been reported. Overall, the graphics receive a solid rating of 8/10, indicating a strong visual appeal despite some imperfections.

    • “The music is wonderful, and the visuals are this filtered mirage that reminds me of painted velvet and arcade floors, black lights and fever dreams.”
    • “The setting lore and the often grotesque artwork convey a creeping sense of dread, one that builds as the protagonist slowly confronts the nature of her existence.”
    • “This is the final evolution of runtime packaged, stock graphics'd, one-man poverty-dev'd games.”
    • “Usually if it's a game-breaking/crashing bug it gets addressed pretty fast... if it's little things (like I tend to find) like some graphical glitches, layer errors or typos... not exactly high priority but they do get done.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is described as somber and dreamlike, effectively drawing players in with its unique and jarring contrasts. The combination of atmospheric music and creative use of RPG Maker assets enhances the overall experience, making it both intriguing and occasionally unsettling. Overall, the game is noted for its strong atmospheric presence that captivates and immerses players.

    • “The trailer doesn't show much of the game, but it was enough to pique my interest when it was on sale, and the prologue continued to do that, establishing this somber and dreamlike atmosphere that I wanted to see more of.”
    • “This game oozes atmosphere.”
    • “It's jarring, and the contrast between its earlier tone and atmosphere to that is something that I feel would cause most people to drop the game a few hours after.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, and creative usage of RPG Maker RTP is all great.”
    • “The trailer doesn't show much of the game but it was enough to pique my interest when it was on sale, and the prologue continued to do that, establishing this somber and dreamlike atmosphere that I wanted to see more of.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, with some being game-breaking while others are minor graphical issues or typos. While critical bugs are addressed quickly, less severe problems are prioritized lower, indicating a need for ongoing patches and fixes to improve overall stability.

    • “Bugs and glitches are rampant in this game, some of them inconsistent.”
    • “Usually if it's a game-breaking or crashing bug, it gets addressed pretty fast. However, smaller issues like graphical glitches, layer errors, or typos are not exactly high priority, but they do get fixed eventually.”
    • “Patches for glitches and bug fixes obviously can come later on down the line.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players generally find that the grinding in the game becomes tedious over time, leading to repetitive gameplay, particularly in the latter stages where spamming abilities becomes the primary strategy.

    • “Eventually, the grinding wears out its welcome, and the latter half of my run was simply spamming bombs to clear out enemies.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
    • “The constant need to grind for resources becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the experience.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Players note that the game features a complex new game+ system, suggesting significant potential for replayability, although some have not yet fully explored this aspect.

    • “It seems like there's a very complex new game + system, so there's potentially a lot of replayability, but I haven't gotten quite that far.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The game skillfully balances between cynical misanthropy and authentic, heartfelt character development, creating an emotional experience that resonates with players.

    • “The game threads a knife-thin gap between obnoxious misanthropy and genuinely clever and heartfelt character writing.”
    • “The emotional depth of the characters left me reflecting on my own life long after I finished playing.”
    • “I was genuinely moved by the story; it resonated with me on a personal level and made me feel a range of emotions.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Wooden Ocean

Play time

64hMedian play time
49hAverage play time
17-80hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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