Seablip Review

Developer: Jardar Solli

Platforms: Linux, macOS, PC (Reviewed)

Genre: Adventure, RPG

Publisher: Vibedy

Seablip is a 2D open-world pixel pirate adventure RPG. This game was developed by Jardar Solli and published by Vibedy. There are a few games similar to Seablip in relation to its exploration and visual mechanics, like Terraria, Stardew Valley and a few others. This review was done for the PC but is also available for macOS and Linux. Seablip is in early access, which means there are many updates and features to come out in the future. 

Seablip is a single-player game where you are a new and aspiring pirate who happens to meet treacherous waters that leave you washed up on a new island. You meet with an elderly man who helps you settle into your newfound island home and tells you more about the story that follows. Seablip follows the tale of a family legacy where you begin to uncover many secrets that have been led down from your grandfather. This further follows with you taking on several quests from different island locals, taking down wanted enemies and confronting the infamous octopus crew. The story unveils really nicely as you progress through the game by interacting with cutscenes or reading the daily news updates that give players a better idea as to what is happening in the game world. Besides the main story, Seablip offers many side quests that can help your player upgrade, find better items and learn more about other stories. The story is a really good setting into how you become this ‘starting’ pirate, and the dramatic scenes truly set the pirate atmosphere. 

The controls for Seablip are fairly simple. After the film event introducing the opening to the game is over, a mini tutorial pop-up is shown to help players familiarise themselves with the controls. The game does not show controls directly on the screen with icons, but it is easy to understand the mapping of the controls. The game does allow you to play with a controller, which is currently in BETA, so there are bound to be some bugs here and there. When I tried the game with the controller, I found that there were slight delays, and when in combat, it would be a bit difficult to navigate the crew to carry out their tasks, which would not work out well. I did like playing the game with keyboard and mouse as everything worked smoothly, and it helped when in combat. 

The art style for Seablip is quite charming. It is pixelated but reminisces about the games like Stardew Valley/Terraria. The visuals pair so nicely with the animation and make the world so much more lively. For instance, the open-world map where you can steer your ship is very picturesque. The world itself can look so simple, but the clouds, the bright blue sky, and the details from the trees, rocks, and even the details on each of the ships you encounter add so much to the game. The game does a great job at seemingly blending vibrant environments through colours and dynamic lighting to have them resemble real-world areas. I like how some islands have different themes to them; for instance, one was prison-themed, and another had a Japanese vibe to it. The visuals are really pleasing and go so well with this game because it adds a level of detail even without it looking so realistic. The visuals are enriched with a soundtrack that offers a melodic and tranquil environment whilst exploring and traversing. The soundtrack when walking through the islands is a blend of instruments that create this beach-like tone, with sound effects from the patterned walk of your character to seagulls squawking. The change in music when encountering a cutscene or engaging in a battle is so subtle but makes a whole difference to the game. I love the atmospheric vibe the sound effects and music brings to the game. For instance, when it is raining in the game, the sound of rain is so realistic, and when entering a building, you can hear the faint sound of the rain in the back. Just the visuals and audio go hand in hand in creating an almost relaxing environment in this pirate journey of yours. 

I love the character designs for the different island people on the various islands found in Seablip. Each of them has a unique personality and such interesting character designs. My favourite designs would have to be for the Octopus Crew wanted criminals as each is so distinctive from the others. When interacting with the characters, the text speech has their character on the right with expressions to express their feeling, which is a nice touch to the game. Some characters allow you to take upon their quest or even help them in completing ‘showcases’. I do have to say that I quite liked the customisation of your character when starting the game, and there were a good number of options to choose from, which allowed players to fully customise their characters. Besides just the character, you could select which starting weapons/upgrades you want on your ship, which is a good way to get players to test out various tools when starting the game. 

Seablip offers a lot for players to do, and they can do it however they like. This is something I quite like about the gameplay style of Seablip because it is up to you to either deliver mail, craft/build on your island, fight other pirates, hunt bounties or assist NPCs with finding certain items. The crafting and building aspect of the game is nice and relaxing as it allows players to mine for ore by searching caves, chop trees for wood, carry out farming, and do some cooking that enriches the ‘life’ aspect of this game. This then allows players to take on many different side quests that can help them upgrade their ship and reach other areas on the open-world map that are blocked by storms, icebergs and more.

The combat for Seablip was one I found pretty interesting. At first, it was a bit confusing how to successfully win a battle against another ship, but after some trialled battles, it started to make some sense. I do wish that the tutorial for the combat in this game was better explained because it was not quite clear. After carrying out a few battles, I found that the combat was well-balanced and had an interesting take. There did seem to be an issue with crew members fighting against enemies that landed on the ship, which would delay the combat, but hopefully, this gets fixed in a future patch. There was a lot that I enjoyed about the combat, as it was a unique mechanic to me. The combat very much consists of you taking control and guiding the crew members to a certain weapon/tool on your ship, and it almost plays in a turn-based way but not entirely. I like how realistic the game gets, where you can get attacked by a shark or even hit an iceberg, which builds upon a true pirate battle. After the combat is over, you can salvage the ship for parts or repair it to switch out your ship for that one or swap out its weapons. This is a great way for players to engage in combat and upgrade their ship without having to completely craft new weapons. Besides that, I love the mechanic of being able to pay to bring your old crew members back because some of them still have their levels and perks you selected. All in all, it creates a great controlling pirate adventure for the player to embark on. 

In addition to all of this, the attention to the story is another aspect I really enjoyed. The daily newspaper headings would let you follow up on the unfolding events in the world. I like how slow-paced this game is, where you do not need to rush to get things done. There is no set limit on getting a certain amount of tasks done before ending the day, which is so relaxing. It lets the player fully explore other areas and embark on combat if they want to. I found this to be quite nice because it allowed me to do what I wanted in the world with no set ‘time’. It is important to note that the game is still in early access, so there were a few areas/achievements that are still being developed, but what I liked was that some areas you could not access until the previous requirement was met. This keeps players from rushing to explore new areas and slows down the overall gameplay so they can immerse themselves and play the game alongside the story. I would a hundred per cent recommend people to buy this game as it is very enjoyable, has a fantastic pirate theme, and I know it will offer much more through its stages in early access. 

Now, if you want to play a captivating pixelated adventure game that sets you in the world of pirates where you can take on various bounties, explore charted islands, encounter intriguing people and look for treasure, then this game is definitely for you. The game offers much more by letting players craft, mine, build, and upgrade their ships so they can embark on exciting pirate combat. Seablip is where Pirates meet Stardew Valley with many little surprises. The game has charming, atmospheric visuals and an immersive soundtrack that will get you to become the greatest pirate of all time! So, be sure to check out Seablip!

Overall: 8.5/10

S & S Reviews

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