Preview of “Sea of Remnants”: Where Sea of Thieves Meets the Stylish Flair of Persona 5—Is It More Than Just a Surface Blend?

Sea of Remnants already had me tangled in thoughts after just a few hours. I’m talking loads of questions, like those maddeningly complicated vendor setups that had me thinking, “Why does this remind me of those sprawling MMORPGs?” or that turn-based combat that’s, well, kinda barebones right now. It’s early days, sure, but the English subtitles? Totally MIA or just unreliable, which makes the story and dialogue feel a bit like trying to read a book in a foreign language with no dictionary in sight.

But here’s the thing — and it’s a big one — this game is brimming with such wild style I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Seriously. The art and animation? It’s nuts. Made me think of Persona 5, not gonna lie. Even when I felt a bit lost, I was grinning like an idiot.

The version I played? Let’s just say it’s got some development to do. Unfinished is putting it mildly. Crashed more than a few times, and with all its placeholder text, I was left with more “huh?” moments than I’d care to admit. Non-Mandarin speaker over here, and it showed.

Now, back to the game itself, it’s in the same waters as Sea of Thieves — you’re out on the open sea, living that pirate life. But then it tosses in its own twist with turn-based combat on land and RPG/MMO vibes. It was a nice curveball, with surprises at every corner. I found out, for instance, I could recruit hundreds of companions — why not, right? Toss ’em aboard and bond with them. The online bit? All whispers for now, but it’s bound to be something to watch.

Combat had me dueling fellow pirates and local critters, and yeah, it was a little underwhelming, but it’s early days, so fingers crossed for improvement. Think I’m holding hope for it to climb to the heights of games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, but who’s to say?

The thing is, every unfinished layer had its own intrigue. Those puppeted characters, despite their stiff faces, had charm; their animations cracked me up more often than not. Couldn’t predict the next move, either. I mean, one minute you’re boss-battling an ape, next you’re getting your ship cannon-blasted by that same furry nemesis. Just wild.

The setting? A breath of fresh air. Sure, we’ve got typical pirate antics, but then I start out, oh, you know, finding the moon underwater? And marionette characters that, when destroyed, lose memory but end up back at Orbtopia. Go figure. Punk vibes galore too, with graffiti and characters that had all the attitude of teens ditching school to live out pirate fantasies.

Seeing if all this eccentricity will gel into something that makes sense is still up in the air but fascinating enough to stick around and find out. We might be waiting a while for those online features to show, but the punk plus art combo promises something. And who doesn’t want more wild pirate tales in their gaming lives? Multiplayer might be a head-scratcher, though. I mean, making it somehow work with turn-based combat? Bold move. But, if they make it click, it’d be nothing short of amazing. If not, at least it’ll be a unique ride.