Captain Bones

Going for a retro style is one of the things indie game developers do best these days. But retro style does not always mean that the game will be made using pixel art or some 8 Bit visuals and designs. Especially if they are going for a 3D game, since going to the early days of 3D gaming means going back to what we now know as "low poly". Of course, low poly actually stands for low polygon count, and that means there are fewer polygons used in world-building and character design. Even though this was used due to hardware limitations at the time, it has grown quite popular among some gamers, as it can be pretty nostalgic. Captain Bones is a game developed by Saygin Karahan, and it's something similar to a low poly game, combined with more stylized visuals. But what is Captain Bones all about? Well, let's talk about it!

About the game

Captain Bones is an open-world game about an ordinary crew member who becomes a great pirate captain. The game is about Captain Bones, a regular and ordinary crew member who becomes a real pirate captain. It is a survival and open-world game that takes place in an atmosphere of charming pirate islands, all created by hand by the developers. In the game, you can generate new vehicles and weapons with materials collected from the environment to survive. You can also make your own raft and explore new islands. However, you have to be very cautious, Captain Bones is still a very wanted pirate, with navy troops after him everywhere. He also has a curse, which often leaves him in very complicated situations.

By developing good relationships with the local people, you can find enough money to own your own ship and crew. In this way, you can become the captain of your own ship and the most feared pirate on the high seas. But beware, because the high seas are even more dangerous. Besides, now you have a crew to feed. Maybe instead of sinking enemy ships, sometimes it's better to collect the materials from inside the ships. Try to build a strong team and make the right decisions, and show them who is the best captain. Maybe someday you can beat that damn curse and set sail for a new life away from war.

The game features towns and cities created in low poly but with care in atmosphere and decoration. The scenery is really well constructed and the combat looks satisfying. Like the water, it looks amazing and is endowed with reflections on its surface.

Does it work?

One of the things that will immediately stand out as soon as you look at this game is the visuals, and how, even though it is stylized, bad they look. Especially now that we have games with the same themes but with much better visuals. You just have to take a simple look at games like Sea of Thieves, another very stylized, pirates game, with incredible visuals and art style. But what's important in this case is mostly the gameplay, and that is very different to what Sea of Thieves or Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag are.

Review: 6.5/10

Captain Bones is a game aimed at people that enjoyed games like Monkey Island back in the day, and not titles like Sea of Thieves. Even though the open-world mechanics are pretty limited, the whole game works. It does feel kinda bland and empty, but the game works and has a lot of interesting mechanics.

Pros:

• Great game world, especially for such a young developer.
• Cool Style.
• Interesting mechanics

Cons:

• Very basic gameplay.
• Looks and feels bland