Naval Action, an open world sailing-based MMO, has just been released on Steam's Early Access service for $40. The game describes itself as an "exciting, realistic, and beautifully detailed naval combat game" that focuses on the Age of Sail in the Caribbean.
So far, the game is still in Alpha, so many things could change in the near or far future. As mentioned before the game is open-world, but the scale of said open-world has to be noted. Much of the Caribbean has been recreated via 18th century maps, which includes historical harbors, town names, and positions. The developer Game-Labs notes that they "do not believe" in 'hand-holding', so the player's position is not shown on the map - players will have to find their way through the utilization of compasses, the sun, or landmarks.
https://youtu.be/0KVh6TKIwyU Up to 50 ships can participate in battles, with the ships coming from any major nation that participated in the Age of Sail. The developer warns that player's actions have 'consequences', so while one can build their own ships and trade and fight with them, one could be declared a Pirate if they attack and plunder everything they see. Everything from the hull models to the historical speed and turning performance is said to be accurate, as well as including ships that range from small cutters to first rate ships with over a hundred guns.
As one would expect of a title focusing on the Age of Sail, the game features an "advanced wind and physics model", which means that realistic sailing with all one would expect from such a claim, which would include such terminology such as tacking, boxhauling, and clubhauling. The developer also notes that the "all major types of naval artillery are implemented." Ship artillery and even fort and land batteries are in the game, with mortars on the way. The ships can even be damaged and sunk dynamically, with "leaks, structural damage, torn sails, demasting, raking, fires and all other hazards that were possible" in the Age of Sail. Damage is positional, so it depends on where the enemy shot lands. At 'extreme' angles, cannonballs can even ricochet from the hulls.
So far there is no final release date for Naval Action, but if you are interested the title can be purchased for $40.
What do you think of Naval Action? Let us know in the comments!
