Windward Horizon
Last updated: 2025-05-24
- Fun, addicting, and relaxing core gameplay loop
- Improved and expanded upon original game formula
- Active developer support and community engagement
- Extensive customization and procedural world generation
- Unintuitive design and poor player onboarding experience
- Constant, disruptive pirate attacks hinder gameplay
- Reviews
(sample size) - 65
- Helpful reviews
- 80%
- Unhelpful reviews
- 20%
- Protest reviews
- 0%
- 75%Helpful reviews with positive sentiment
- 25%Helpful reviews with negative sentiment
- Positive points
- 123
- Negative points
- 102
- Gameplay points
- 42
- Perf. points
- 2
- Rec. points
- 32
- Misc points
- 6
| Point | Description | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Fun, addicting, and relaxing gameplay | The game is praised for being fun, addicting, and relaxing, with improved graphics compared to its predecessor. Many reviewers found the gameplay enjoyable solo or with others, especially as they understood the game's mechanics. The game's positive reception suggests a well-rounded and engaging experience. | 92% |
| Improved and expanded original formula | Reviewers appreciate that the game builds upon the original, retaining its charm while introducing enhancements and quality of life improvements. This makes it a worthy successor for veterans and newcomers alike, with a solid foundation and positive direction from the developers. | 89% |
| Active developer and community support | The developers are actively listening to community feedback and improving the game, even providing in-game support. This responsiveness fosters a positive relationship between the developers and players, enhancing the overall experience. | 64% |
| Extensive customization and procedural generation | The game offers extensive customization options, particularly for ships, and procedurally generated worlds that evolve over time. This allows players to personalize their experience and influence the game's economy and development, adding depth and replayability. | 43% |
| Diverse builds and itemization system | The game features diverse builds and playstyles through talents, ship equipment, and skill points. The item system with rarity tiers and random stats encourages exploration and investment, allowing players to tailor their experience and create unique characters. | 41% |
| Dynamic world with engaging factions | The game features a dynamic and engaging world with factions, quests, and strategic elements. Players can influence provinces, engage in combat, and experience storylines with choices and consequences, creating a sense of progression and involvement in a living world. | 36% |
| Enjoyable and robust trading system | The game features a robust trading system with dynamic economies, making trading runs between provinces an enjoyable way to earn money. Merchant activities seem to be the fastest way to accumulate wealth. | 19% |
| Immersive activities and minigames | The game includes immersive activities like diving, fishing, and treasure hunting, often with minigames. These additions provide a welcome break from the main gameplay loop and offer additional rewards. | 16% |
| Captures essence of pirate games | The game successfully captures the essence of Sid Meier's Pirates, providing depth and immersion in building a seafaring empire. One reviewer noted that the game provides more depth compared to Sid Meier's Pirates. | 12% |
| Flexible character and campaign options | The game allows players to have infinite characters and campaigns, and server owners can lock characters server-side. This provides flexibility and control over the game experience. | 11% |
| Distinct playable factions | The game includes 6 distinct playable factions, each with their own stories and advantages. This adds variety and replayability to the game. | 5% |
| Easy to mod | The game is easy to mod, requiring only a text editor and flexible config files without coding knowledge. This allows players to customize their experience and create unique content. | 5% |
| Readable UI | The UI is very readable, allowing the reviewer to skip the tutorial. This improves the user experience and allows players to jump into the game quickly. | 5% |
| Free reskilling | Players can reskill their characters at any time without cost. This provides flexibility and allows players to experiment with different builds. | 5% |
| Summonable allies in combat | Allies and faction support can be summoned in combat, providing assistance in challenging situations. This adds a strategic element to battles. | 5% |
| Epic raid-like encounters | Larger encounters capture the epic feel of raid battles. This enhances the sense of scale and excitement in combat. | 5% |
| Meaningful long-term progression | The progression system is designed with meaningful long-term engagement in mind. This encourages players to continue playing and investing in their characters. | 5% |
| Dedicated server support | The game still supports multiplayer through dedicated servers. This allows players to connect and play with others. | 5% |
| Visually appealing world | The world is visually appealing, with vibrant buildings and good-looking trees and beaches. This enhances the overall immersion and enjoyment of the game. | 5% |
| Consistent aesthetic tone | The absence of exotic ships improves the game's tone. This suggests a more grounded and consistent aesthetic. | 5% |