Is Ship of Fools Worth It?
Ship of Fools is a co-operative seafaring action game with cute graphics a fun score and a polished look and feel. Your job is to play as one of the Fools, whose mission is to survive The Everlasting Storm and prevent the impending Aquapocalypse.
The game places you and a friend at the helm of a ship as it sails perilously into the midst of The Everlasting Storm, which is a monstrous storm that swallows everything within reach.
The player characters are absolutely adorable little anthromorphic sea faring creatures. They are a little dim-witted and you feel like there should be more substance to them, but their positive aspects supersede the negatives.
As for the non-player characters, they are only there for background purposes and not a whole lot else, you can skip interacting with these characters altogether.
At the start of the game you learn that your players have washed upon the shores of a temple clad island in a chain of islands scattered across the region (archipelago).
Upon washing ashore, you are immediately met by a mysterious figure who warns you of the threat of the storm as it lays waste to the group of island on which you have landed.
The mystic extends to you the use of her ship in order to reach the eye of the storm and bring it to an end - this also brings a virtual end to the lore of the story as it is thin and there's not a whole lot to it, but the good part is just about to begin.
The meat of the gameplay is your attempt to navigate a hexagonal nautical map to get to the other side which is where the eye of the storm resides.
The assignment seems like a no-brainer, except...the waters and shores are filled with treacherous sea creatures that have only one thing on their mind - stopping you from reaching the other side.
Some of the creatures you must do battle with will have the ability to come aboard your ship if you aren't carefully and strategically fighting back.
Additionally, the monsters seem like they might be just a tad bit smarter than our cute little dim-witted player characters.
Ship of Fools under attack
While you can play solo, as you immerse yourself into the core gameplay, you will quickly realize that the game is best played through the efforts of good, old fashioned teamwork - so, get yourself a partner for maximum efficiency.
An important aspect of success in the game is having the ability to prioritize and strategize your plan of attack - this cannot be stressed enough.
With each creature attack you survive, you are rewarded with better ammunition, enhanced player abilities and additional cargo items with which to repair your ship when necessary.
The further you move across the map, the more opportunities you are given to power up and strengthen your ship's health and that of your player character.
But, also the father you move across the map, the harder the creature challenges will become.
The cartoon-like aesthetic of the game is clean and pleasing to the eyes and the soundtrack is filled with harmonious sea shanties that help to move the story along in a fun way...even when your character's situation might be grim.
To answer the question, is Ship of Fools worth it? I would answer that question with an emphatic yes!
The only negative aspect of the game is probably its duration as it is far too short. The game offers a lot of charm and it will undoubtedly leave you wanting more.
The game delivers a super-fun experience and it does an excellent job of motivating you to continue the fight and sail across the creature filled shores into to victory.
Again, you can sail alone, but I would strongly suggest you chose a buddy and hit the deck!
Ship of Fools was released by Fika Productions on November 22, 2022 for less than $15 USD, you can find it on the following platforms:
- PC
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox X|S
- Nintendo Switch
