Indie developer GY Games and publisher Bilibili aim to take players to the high seas in Sailing Era, a simulation/strategy RPG that for PC. It combines realistic sailing mechanics with resource management and crew-building to recreate the feeling of life onboard a trading vessel during the 15th and 17th centuries. Aside from already being available at a discount on Steam and the Epic Games Store, Sailing Era will be released on PlayStation consoles and the Nintendo Switch in summer 2023.
Sailing Era tells the story of four aspiring sailors: the young and idealistic Andrew, from Portugal, the roguish Abdullah, from Arabia, the scholarly Yun Mu, from the Ming Empire, and the family-driven Yoshitaka Shuizuma, from Japan. Each character has their own plot and motivations for exploring the great sea, but they all share the common goal of venturing across the great nautical routes of the world and making a legend for themselves. Sailing Era’s dialogue is text only, and is backed up by a hand-painted art style and anime-like character designs.
At the start of a new game, players select one of Sailing Era’s main characters. Each character has special traits that grant them certain bonuses while sailing or fighting. Most of the time, they'll be docked at a Port, which is represented by an overworld map. There are many Facilities, where repairing their ship, buying or trading items, reporting discoveries, or seeking out additional jobs are available.
When the player is ready to set sail, they select the Pier - where they can stock up on in-ship supplies or store anything they find while at sea by clicking and dragging items from the Cargo to the Pier Warehouse. Sailing is shown from a top-down perspective, with ships sailing forward automatically, while controls are about their direction. The ship will gradually age and suffer damage while sailing, and Sailors will gradually lose Health. This makes navigating the waters more about strategically planning a route and taking breaks along the way to their destination.
There are other Crews out on the sea, and not all of them are friendly. Combat in Sailing Era is quite rare, but battles can break out between ships by surprise. During these skirmishes, the ship’s bow and stern guns will fire automatically - but the ship needs to be aimed by turning it so the cone-like targeting indicator on the side is pointed at the enemy vessel. Additionally, an enemy ship can be boarded for a round of hand-to-hand combat.
These battles play out like a 2D RPG, with the named crewmates battling the opposing crew automatically. If the player’s crew wins this fight, the captain can challenge the enemy leader to a Duel. The duel plays out similarly, with the captain that depletes the opponent’s green health bar being the winner.
In certain parts of the world, the crew can leave their ship and embark on an expedition on foot. These play out like a video game/board game hybrid, selecting marked areas to move to trigger special cutscenes and uncover treasure. Stamina and resources need to be monitored during these segments, as both can only be replenished at a camp.
Sailing Era can be a slow experience, as oftentimes there is no clear way to a given objective. However, this adds to the game’s overall sense of discovery, and sailing across the clear blue seas is surprisingly soothing. Players hoping for a more action-packed RPG experience may wish to stay in the harbor, but anyone looking to get lost in the feel of touring the world aboard an old-fashioned naval vessel might find Sailing Era up their alley.
Sailing Era is available for Microsoft Windows. A digital Steam code was provided to Screen Rant for the purpose of this preview.
Sailing Era
