Windward - Two very different Reviews

The sandbox naval Action Adventure Windward with RPG, MMO and RTS elements in the tradition of Pirates! gets very different reviews so far:

Gamespot rates the game as bad:

The opening portions of Winward have you falling asleep at your computer; later areas have you cursing angrily as every small victory you win is erased by the overzealous enemy AI (aided by utterly complacent allies content to watch town after town fall to pirates). The promise of exploring Windward's world as you see fit is a false one, and Windward never earns its sea legs.

GamersNexus gives the game an Editor's Choice award:

It’s easy to sit down and play Windward for a few minutes in between projects -- or, as we learned, spend the weekend grinding-out the map to have the best ship on the seas. Windward’s multiplayer support expands horizons so that you can conquer the high seas with your mates.

We highly recommend Windward. It’s unintimidating to learn without lacking depth and relaxing to play, somewhat similar to how Cities: Skylines feels. This one gets our Editor’s Choice award.

Steam and Metacritic user reviews are very positive so far.

More information.

I relied on the user-reviews and bought the game.

Originally Posted by HiddenX
I relied on the user-reviews and bought the game.

Let us know what you think, I'll take you opinion over both Metacritic, The Steam vrowd and Gamespot any day.

I had only time to play it for a short time. Too early to recommend it, but it's easy to learn, looks good and plays like Sid Meier's Pirates! without sword fighting.

Originally Posted by HiddenX
I relied on the user-reviews and bought the game.

It's userreviews that helped me decide to never buy it:

The game is a bit grindy and repetitive. My biggest problem with this game is that there are not enough options to defend the territory you have already captured. Once you conquer a region, pirates will continously spawn and take over unless you go out to meet them. And when you have 5-6 pirates all coming in at once from different parts of the map it can get extremely annoying.

Sure, some people say you can build towers, but you can't build them too close together, and one tower is never enough against a pirate, let alone a group of them. Essentially, guard towers only delay the inevitable. Also, you can't control how many ships are in the region to defend your land. Theoretically you should be able to hire more ships to patrol your waters, but such a mechanic does not exist.

With this warning about trashmob respawning endlessly, that "steam crybaby" saved me the money and earned a beer from me. If I ever meet with them.

Joxer, a sandbox game without respawning would feel a bit empty after a while - and 6:1 is just the right challenge for us veterans

Corwin would say his reflexes got rusty, I say my reflexes are still as if I was 15 and I can play even the most demanding arcade - but I refuse to join a guild of needles producing manufactures. Repetitiveness ment an industrial boom, but I bet also the brain degradation. Plus Windward is supposed to be a game, not a job.

Coincidentally I got curious about this game earlier today, watched a video and was liking what I saw, but then saw the arcady battles and that turned me off. At one point the ship almost looked like a cannon machine gun and turning around on a dime like a ballerina. I was looking for something a bit more realistic (I guess like Pirates, but without the dancing mini-game).

Originally Posted by wolfing
turning around on a dime like a ballerina.

Man, why it had to be a grinder?
These words of yours would instasell the game to me, I adore laughing my arse over silly stuff like that!

Someone please make a norespawning mod or something!

Originally Posted by wolfing
Coincidentally I got curious about this game earlier today, watched a video and was liking what I saw, but then saw the arcady battles and that turned me off. At one point the ship almost looked like a cannon machine gun and turning around on a dime like a ballerina. I was looking for something a bit more realistic (I guess like Pirates, but without the dancing mini-game).

Yep, combat looked way too arcadey. If someone would make an Age of Sail game that is more tactical and realistic, I'd buy it in a second.

I bought this game a couple of months ago during early access and find it enjoyable and worth the low indie game cost. It's got good production values, gameplay, and content for what you're paying. And most importantly, it's fun to play. It does get a little repetitive with the way the missions work but you have options between hunting/fighting or trading and there's lots of goodies to find or buy to upgrade your ship components.

Watched some gameplay, reminds me of Age of Booty, which I loved.
Will wait for a few more reviews.

Am I the only one who initially read "Witcher - Two very different Reviews"?

pibbur who tyhinks he is excused since both games start with "Wi".