Before I went hands-on with Sea of Remnants, I was expecting a dolled-up Sea of Thieves clone focused on sailing the seas as a fabulous pirate. And while I was half right – there's plenty of pirating and plundering to be done – I was caught completely off guard by the game's meshing of serious and absurd tones.

From its opening moments, paddling across a serene ocean, it was clear that Sea of Remnants was going to be an unusual experience. A serene ballad fills the silence of the sea with a melodic vocalization of epic proportions, and as the music swells, thought-provoking quotes flash across the screen, appearing and fading into the water with equal calmness.

I previewed Joker Studio's Sea of Remnants at Summer Game Fest, as the game's opening sequence offered the chance to create my character and jump into the tonal dichotomy of this surprising pirate gacha RPG.

Tossed Into A Confusing Ocean

As I approach the waterfall-like edge of the sea in a small rowboat, I'm left reeling as I try to make sense of the esoteric quotes that set the stage for this ethereal scene. What did they mean? How do they relate to what's happening? Why am I in a rowboat in the center of the ocean, and how are the waters so calm? I'm left with more questions than answers, as a massive gap opens between me and the other side of the sea.

Before I can fully make sense of the barrage of vague quotes and unusual ocean behavior, I'm thrust into a boss battle against a massive sea monster. "Don't worry, you're not expected to win," I'm told by one of the PR staff handling the demo. I deplete the boss's HP by firing my cannons at its writhing tentacles, making the creature vulnerable to damage.

The fight is simple, straightforward, and feels winnable up until the last moment, when the boss unleashes a massive charged attack that wipes me out, sending me hurtling into the sea. I'm glad I was warned about the fight because this moment felt incredibly frustrating – like I'd had candy dangled in front of my face, just to be snatched away as I reached for it. But the game had me hooked – now I was hell-bent on earning my revenge.

After a few moments, I awaken in a room, as a doctor who looks fresh out of Geppetto's workshop rouses me from unconsciousness. A glance around the room reveals an unconscious blonde-haired woman on a recovery table just like mine. But there's no time to hear her story. After a brief chat about my health, a customization screen appears, leaving me to choose just how pirate-y I want to look. Eyepatch or no? Pirate hat or bandanna? I settle for a snazzy hat and leave it there; I just want to see more of the game.

However, as I follow my map marker to a nearby tavern, the world quickly flips on its head.

A Two-Toned Pirate Tale

The tavern is full of raucous, dangerous-looking outlaws, hinting at the gritty tone you'd expect from a typical pirate adventure. As I follow my objective to collect a small suitcase, everything seems primed for a seedy swashbuckling time – until R.S., who bears a striking resemblance to the blonde woman from before, walks in.

At this moment, the music shifts to a bouncy pop song, which gave me flashbacks to K-Pop Demon Hunters' blend of fast-paced fights and bubbly background music. R.S begins causing absolute mayhem, as I watch in awe, laughing along as this mischievous deviant dashes across the tavern, smashing pirate heads while pausing to blow the occasional raspberry at her helpless opponents. After a few more close calls and surprising escapes from pirate clutches, R.S. leaves me with one question: What the hell just happened?

Before she can make her escape, R.S. and my character accidentally butt heads and are captured by the incensed pirates as a result. Suddenly, we're thrown into a turn-based fight against the outlaws and their leader, as the game shifts from the action style of the first ship-based boss fight to a classic JRPG. While I'm well-versed in turn-based RPGs, this fight was another that proved unwinnable, catapulting the story ahead through another pre-planned defeat.

While the losses felt somewhat artificial and irked the competitive side of my brain, the story and combat's tonal shifts were what I was most focused on. I'm still not sure if it worked for me, but I know I'm fascinated by R.S., and want to understand what the Sea of Remnants is.

While I'm not quite sure if the game is for me just yet, Sea of Remnants impressed me with its fearlessly bizarre characters and quirky tone. Most of all, I'm curious how it can reconcile the emotional resonance of the opening with the slapstick story style. If you've been waiting for a pirate RPG with heart, humor, and hijinks, then look out for Sea of Remnants on PC, PlayStation, and mobile later this year.

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Posts By  Andrew Scariati