If there’s one thing I know about it is battle royale games. From PUBG to APEX to Warzone, I have played them and enjoyed most of them with a few exceptions. This weekend the good people over at Get Up Games let the masses into Blazing Sails for a limited weekend preview, and I was not disappointed. What could be better than playing a battle royale game as a pirate? Find out in our preview.
Blazing Sails came onto my radar earlier this year as I was accepted into the beta, but due to time constraints, I wasn’t able to jump into it. Now I finally had my chance over the weekend to play the game and I was pleasantly surprised. In a simplistic stylized world of several islands and forts to travel to you find yourself as a pirate. The lobbies are comprised of five four-man teams which each get their own ship. Basically, you sail around the world in your ship avoiding the red zone as it approaches you. Looting the islands is how you will claim the booty and items needed for your ship.
Items are contained within boxes with question marks on them. Things such as cannonballs, wood, and healing items will benefit you later in the ship battles to come. Your weapons are found hidden within chests on the islands. This is where you will find era-appropriate gear such as flintlocks, swords, and crossbows. Once you obtain weapons and gear for your ship set sail to the nearest safe zone to avoid the incoming red zone.
To quote one of my favorite movies, “here’s where the fun begins.” After your ship is prepared for the battle that is just what you will do. Your crew drops the sails and weighs anchor as the sailing begins. This mechanic is actually pretty cool in Blazing Sails. The crew must man the sails using the pulley system attached to the side of the boat. Turning the sails so that the wind catches them will help you speed into battle. There are several long cannons and a couple of bow cannons that can be utilized in battle. Loading them is simple, hold some cannonballs in your inventory and then hold down the spacebar while manning one of the guns. The reload time is acceptable as it’s around two to four seconds depending on large or small cannons.
The battle rages on as the enemy ships head in your direction. With the waves rolling high you must make your best shots to hit the enemy vessel. Damaging it produces holes that allow water to fill it up. Once the boat is completely filled with water it will sink and that team is eliminated. The boats are the respawn point for your crew. As long as it survives you can come back into the game which makes for a fun time. One fun mechanic is jumping onboard an enemy vessel and making for the hold. Each vessel has a plugin it to prevent water from rushing in. Pull the plug on an enemy ship and watch the boat fill with water. If they don’t catch it fast enough say goodbye to that team. As the Highlanders say, “there can be only one,” and once you are the last ship standing you win the match.
I had a lot of fun playing this for the weekend and thank Get Up Games for letting the community have a chance to get an early look at it. I definitely want to check it out again when it’s a little bit further into its early access roadmap. It is normally priced at $14.99 USD for early access and from what I have seen it is worth it. Take a look at the official trailer.
