Sea Walker Saga (Early Access) – Is it worth trying this maritime adventure?

Sea Walker Saga places you in a submerged version of the year 1878, where the world has been swallowed by the sea, and the last remnants of humanity survive on floating island settlements known as Isla Muvimi. It is a steampunk survival adventure with RPG and strategic elements, built around a mobile island that simultaneously serves as a base, weapon, and means of survival. The game is in "early access," and it was sent by the Romanian gaming studio Antelus Games, which is also responsible for several other games, such as Heart of Altai and The Day Before You Gone. What impression did this game leave on me? Quite a good one, but let's go in order.

Presentation - the floating base as the heart of the game

The overall look of the game is quite solid. It is not a game with a huge budget, it doesn't have the famous "AAA" prefix, but that doesn't take away from the charm of the game. The floating islands and oceans that have swallowed the entire world, along with the steampunk elements, give Sea Walker Saga a unique atmosphere and feeling while playing it. Although ocean blues and greens are very much present, the game is colorful and warm with each new level.

As I already mentioned, the entire appearance of Sea Walker Saga is solid, and a bonus is the design of the machines and weapons that the player can use during the game. There isn't much debate here; Sea Walker Saga presents and covers its premise very well, which is commendable.

Gameplay - Life on the floating island

The gameplay in Sea Walker Saga revolves around managing and upgrading the floating island Isla Muvimi, which serves as your base, means of transportation, and defensive fortress. Throughout the game, you explore a vast submerged world, gather resources, complete missions, and uncover clues related to the story of a missing father and the legendary continent hidden beyond the known ocean borders.

You will spend a significant amount of time gathering materials and artifacts needed to upgrade the island, build new structures, and improve defensive systems. Exploration involves sailing the open sea, visiting abandoned locations, diving into underwater zones, and searching wrecks and submerged cities.

Combat occurs on two levels. On one hand, you must defend your island from enemy attacks using domes and other defensive systems, while on the other hand, during exploration, you engage in direct confrontations against pirates and various dangers lurking in the ocean. Progression is closely tied to exploration and resource gathering, as each new upgrade opens access to new areas, challenges, and development opportunities. It is precisely the combination of a mobile base, survival mechanics, exploration, and strategic resource management that forms the core of the gameplay experience in Sea Walker Saga.

Sea Walker Saga also features an option where your main character carries a gun that can shoot at enemies, which is a very interesting option for the player. However, there is one small complaint in this part of the game, which is the repetitiveness of the combat itself. Running from the weapon to the repair machine in the middle of a fight raises the tension of the game, but at some point, it becomes a bit tedious. How will the developers from Antelus Games address this issue? Probably in the final version of the game.

Conclusion - The Journey is Just Beginning

Sea Walker Saga may not yet be a finished game, but it already shows that an interesting idea and clear vision lie behind it. The concept of a mobile island that serves as a base, means of transportation, and defensive fortress manages to stand out among the numerous survival titles on the market, while the steampunk atmosphere and exploration of the submerged world give the game a unique identity.

Although certain issues can be noticed during gameplay, primarily the repetitiveness of some defense sequences and a few rough mechanics, these are shortcomings that are understandable for a title in the Early Access phase of development. What is more important is that the core mechanics work, and the sense of progress and exploration is engaging enough to motivate you to keep playing.

If the developers from Antelus Games manage to further refine the gameplay pace, expand the content, and polish the existing systems, Sea Walker Saga has the potential to become a very pleasant surprise for fans of survival and adventure games. It already provides enough reasons to follow its development, and the final version could achieve much more than what it currently offers. All in all, Sea Walker Saga is still in early access, and the developers have enough time to enrich their project, which definitely has potential.

A copy of the PC version of the game for review purposes was provided by the publisher Antelus Games!