REVIEW : Maritime Calling (PC)
I was continuously playing Faster Than Light when it originally came out on computers. Always put together the best crew possible and stayed focused to secure my survival to the end. The game had a cathartic quality to it, and even after innumerable attempts and fatalities, I was never bored. This is the same vibe I get with Tiamat Games’ upcoming high seas roguelike Maritime Calling. It combines elements of an RPG with a management sim, all with a distinct visual style.
I had a general sense of what to expect before diving into the preview developed following an in-depth developer session. To fulfil quests and perform your nautical tasks, you must take your crew and set sail. These can involve sailing to an island to offer your crew some rest and supplies, or competing against another ship to see who can come out on top.
Maritime Calling offers a plethora of options for tackling the ocean and its numerous parallels, while also providing enough assistance to guarantee you don’t lose your bearings along the journey. Part of the process is determining how you will assign your numerous crew members to guarantee they do the best job possible. Assigning them depending on their strengths ensures that things are done correctly, the ship runs, and you return to dock alive. If you ignore this necessary feature, you will soon be meeting Davy Jones.
The sailing mechanics and how the ship controls are noteworthy. While there are many standout qualities, Tiamat Games’ ability to mimic the feel and look of the ships is remarkable. Many maritime games give the ship a modern vibe. Maritime Calling is historically accurate, with your ship feeling ponderous but powerful. Turning and manoeuvring the big ship will take practice, especially during combat, but it will be gratifying once you get the hang of it all. Players will also need to stay alert to avoid risks, difficulties, or land that may be in their path.
As previously said, each sailor on your crew will have different strengths, and you, as the captain, will need to distribute shifts accordingly. Even unskilled crew members can learn the ropes of most occupations given enough time, but you’ll want to make sure that training doesn’t take place while you’re in desperate need of that talent, whether it’s food or any other crucial aspect you need to keep your ship running smoothly. Going over the entire crew can be laborious, but it is a necessary step in obtaining victory.
As with any game of this type, you must select where to direct your attention and how to enhance your ship and crew. You must decide how to distribute resources and which missions to complete on your quest. Maritime Calling is not a game you can play and then forget about; each step requires thought and careful attention, but it is satisfying when everything fits into place. Tiamat Games has given the game and its mechanics a lot of love and attention, and you can see it when you eventually delve in.
“Maritime Calling is not a game you can set and forget, each action will take thought and careful consideration…”
The graphics do the job (for the most part), but there are a few things I’d want to see improved before the official launch. Tiamat Games has captured the spirit of the open seas and the colonial era ships sailing its waterways, and the water and ship look beautiful. They are detailed, and the crew can be seen roaming around the deck as you play the game. One thing I hope they improve is the menus and crew photos. They currently feel quite conventional and can become jumbled after a while of play. While it functions, it detracts from an otherwise great experience.
The game performed admirably on an i7 laptop equipped with an RTX 2070. However, as with other modern games, don’t expect to enjoy Maritime Calling without a discrete GPU; you’ll be in for a slow and unsatisfying experience. It works well on the majority of recent GPUs on the market, so if you have a relatively new PC, you should have no trouble diving in and enjoying the vast waters.
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