Sea Horizon | PS5 Review

Mythology and seafaring adventures of the roguelike deckbuilding sort hits the PS5 with more bang for your buck in mind. Featuring a dice and card based system of combat, 10 classes of characters to play as, and three main modes to play in you'll find enough gameplay features to sink hours of your day into within "Sea Horizon". The replay value is high and the gameplay, equally as addictive. It is an easy to learn, but hard to complete pick up and put down type of experience that takes place in a world of mythological creatures, and deities which spans an entire world. 

With risk being rewarded for the attempt brave this world's wilds those who are willing and worthy will reap all the loot needed to complete the quests laid out before them. Should you fancy more than just lore there are two randomized modes offered after the main adventure that will keep you preoccupied.

Sea Horizon is a game built upon a honeycomb divided playing field where tiles that feature randomized opportunities help the player's party members become better equipped both on the equipment, and the card selection front. Things like combat encounters, camping, cooking to restore HP, and several looting opportunities fill the themed layouts featured on both land and sea. This system of traversal is, in turn, tied to a food meter that gauges and limits how many spaces your party can move in each dungeon or on each map. A commodity that can be refilled only at campsites found along the way for a price of the anchor currency that is earned from won battles or looted elsewhere. Needless to say your completion or lack thereof in each playthrough depends wholly on your choices made with each turn on these honeycombed continents.

In accordance to modes, 'Sea Horizon' definitely has a few to choose from. There's the plot filled Story mode where the characters/classes have a scripted adventure laid out before them. It is here that you'll find the initial gameplay tutorial, and the following mission objectives that tie into the character's storylines. Each character, whether it be the Adventurer, Wanderer, Explorer, or any of the other unlockable characters out of the collective ten, have a decided designation and end goals with limited looting opportunities between. Ending with an epic boss fight against a monstrous deity. Meeting the set requirements is the key to completing a playthrough in the mode.

In addition to the Story mode there exists two similar yet distinctly different modes known as 'Dungeon', and 'Exploration'. Dungeon mode is, in all regards, the Story mode, but without the injected plot. In it you also gain access to three party members instead of the one solo character in Story. The same party setup goes for 'Exploration' mode, but in it the map is much more larger, and less confined. Leaving the need for the traversal portals of Dungeon out of the equation. Also in 'Exploration' objectives are objectively different. More so tied to the defeating of different enemy types including bosses and mid-bosses. Whereas the previous two modes involve a collective effort that tallies such things as looting, and other side efforts outside of combat. Milestones that reward you bonus items at the end of a completed playthrough or a GAME OVER depending upon how far you made it and what you managed to accomplish.

When it comes down to combat in these modes it is a turn based system that first accounts for the roll of resource dice (Think Magic the Gathering), and then a playing of your five available/equipped cards based on the resource cost, and the available resources. You'll find defensive, offensive, and complimentary cards that play into the individual mechanics of each character/class. Characters or classes each carry their own type of weapons and equipment, and as a result have cards that play into their weapon/role type. Allowing for the creation of character builds based upon cards assigned. Earning cards can be done on special event, merchant, or treasure tiles. That or as a reward after a won battle.

After the dice is rolled on your character's turn your cards will be made available to choose from. With said cards you can deal damage to enemy creatures, inflict status effects on enemy creatures, heal your character, buff your character, or prepare defenses for when the enemy takes their turn. Just as you deal damage, and can afflict the enemy with status effects or ailments so too can the enemy unto you. Taking damage from an enemy will take away from your HP (Health), and when your health reaches zero it will be GAME OVER. The only exception being in Dungeon, and Exploration mode where there are three party members instead of one. In that situation the game isn't over until all party members' HP has been reduced to zero by the enemy/s. Alternatively a GAME OVER can also be achieved by running out of food on the map.

In tandem with the card, and dice mechanics comes an equipment system that acts as an RPG element. Giving additional buffs to each character based upon color rarity. There are a handful of equipment pieces including a weapon, off-hand item, body armor, and trinket. That, and a potion or rune. When it comes to potions and runes they can either deal effect damage to enemies, effect card play, or even heal your characters. These equipment pieces also bring with them dice resources that change the pool of dice from which your roll each turn. Making sure you have cards, and dice that compliment each other is crucial to making the most of each turn. 

Outside of the modes, and gameplay lies the purpose behind your grind. That purpose is to unlock characters, and character skins. In 'Adventure' mode, in particular, completing character playthroughs will unlock the other characters. Playing the other modes and meeting objective milestones there will, alternatively, unlock character skins. That's basically it for endgame rewards.

The Verdict ...

If all this sounds vaguely familiar I covered a similar game not long ago titled, "Pirates & Outlaws". This game is pretty much the same thing, but with added dice/resource mechanics. In all honesty it's a bit copycat, in my opinion. That being said it still looks a good bit different and brings with it it's own mythology. It also plays slightly different than the previously mentioned game. 

For what it's worth it's a solid roguelike with a resource based deckbuilding spin. It has the fun factor, and is quite addictive. I found it hard to put down once I started playing. Having played it for hours I also saw no flaws or problems. It's smooth sailing from start to finish though a playthrough depends a lot on RNG. A lot of the challenge is getting the right cards, and equipment. If you're not up to snuff when you face a boss your as good as dead. This may or may not turn people away, but there is still fun to be had in this kind of game.