King of Seas
A procedurally generated pirate adventure with mythical sea creatures.
King of Seas is an action role-playing game that came out in 2021, developed by 3DClouds and published by Team17. It takes place during the Golden Age of Piracy and offers a procedurally generated world where players can decide their own course, visit new islands, talk to characters, and battle other pirates. Different ships can be obtained along the way, and the game world changes based on the player’s choices. After finishing certain quests, mythical creatures like a Basilisk, Abyssal Fish, Cursed Golem, and Kraken appear for players to fight and loot.
The game was first announced by the Milan-based studio 3DClouds in July 2020, with a planned release later that year on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. In January 2021, the release date was set for 18 February 2021. On 11 February 2021, 3DClouds partnered with Team17, and the launch was delayed to May to improve gameplay quality and add more language options. King of Seas finally launched on 25 May 2021 for all platforms. A free update called the 'Monster Update' arrived in November 2021.
Critics gave the game mixed or average scores, according to Metacritic. Nintendo Life gave it 5/10, praising the promising start, story, and combat but noting that repetition quickly set in and the depth was lacking. PC Gamer scored it 78/100, calling it fun and cartoonish pirating that makes players feel cheeky rather than evil. Push Square rated it 6/10, liking the RPG progression and character art but criticizing the limited mission variety and awkward menus. PlayStation Universe was harsher, giving it 4/10 and saying the game suffers from a lack of visual polish, frustrating mechanics, and dull pacing, resulting in an unremarkable experience that doesn’t stand up to even average pirate games.
Quick Facts
- Title
- King of Seas
- Developer
- 3DClouds
- Publisher
- Team17
- Engine
- Unreal Engine
- Platform
- Nintendo Switch · PlayStation 4 · Windows · Xbox One
- Released
- 25 May 2021
- Genre
- Action role-playing
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
King of Seas was announced in July 2020 by Milan, Italy-based developer 3DClouds, initially scheduled for release later that year on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. In January 2021, the release date was set for 18 February 2021. On 11 February 2021, 3DClouds partnered with Team17, and the game was subsequently delayed until May to improve overall gameplay quality and implement more language options. It launched on 25 May 2021 for all platforms. In November 2021, the 'Monster Update' was released for free.
The game delivers a procedurally generated world where players can acquire different ships on their journey, and the world reacts based on the player's actions. Mythical sea creatures—including a Basilisk, Abyssal Fish, Cursed Golem, and Kraken—are summoned for players to fight and loot after completing in-game quests.
Reader's Guide
King of Seas occupies a modest place in the 2020s action role-playing landscape as a pirate-themed title that attempted to blend procedural generation with player-driven exploration. Its mixed reception highlights the challenges of sustaining novelty in an open-world format: critics noted that while the start of the game felt promising in story and combat mechanics, repetition set in quickly and depth was lacking. The RPG progression and character art were praised, but mission variety was criticized, and menus were described as awkward. Some reviewers found the game visually unpolished, with frustrating gameplay mechanics and dull pacing, ultimately deeming it unremarkable compared to other pirate games on the market. The free 'Monster Update' released in November 2021 added new content, but did not fundamentally alter the game's critical standing. Its legacy is that of a competent but unexceptional entry in the pirate RPG subgenre, remembered more for its procedural generation and mythical creature encounters than for lasting impact.
Did You Know?
- King of Seas was developed by Milan, Italy-based studio 3DClouds.
- The game was delayed from February to May 2021 to improve gameplay quality and add more language options.
- A free 'Monster Update' was released in November 2021.
- Mythical sea creatures in the game include a Basilisk, Abyssal Fish, Cursed Golem, and Kraken.
More in Role-Playing Games of the 2020s, Part 2 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced