Prepare to sail the open seas, plunder for treasure, and lead a life of a pirate in Tortuga: A Pirate’s Tale. At Gamescom 2022 Opening Night Live, the new game’s creators Kalypso Media and Gaming Minds Studios unveiled their newest pirate adventure. Although a release date has not yet been set, it is anticipated to come in the first quarter of 2023. That means the new IP is roughly six months away from release, and with a lot of excitement surrounding the game, we want to share the five things we know about the new title, so far.
There is still a lot about the game that is unknown, so everything here could change, for the better or for the worse, when the game releases. However, from what we can gather so far, the game is showing lots of promise to deliver a well-rounded title. And, there are a few features that are reassuring our faith in that and evidently are the ones you should be aware of early on. But, without further ado, here are the five things we know about Tortuga: A Pirate’s Tale.
5. Customizable Ships
Developers are now aware that gamers, particularly PRG-focused gamers, enjoy customization. It enhances our personal experience and makes the adventure more interactive and immersive overall. That’s why it’s nice to know that in Tortuga: A Pirate’s Tale, you’ll be able to customize your ship. The game will include 18 different types of ships, each with a high level of customization.
Every aspect of your ship, including the hull, mast, ship figurehead, and even the flag, can be customized. Overall, the customization offers over 360 distinct loadouts to distinguish your ship. However, in order to level and upgrade your ship, you must earn, fight, and quest. This will open up more upgrade options to your ship such as advanced cannons for your weaponry. Because, in order to compete with the best colonies, you must be adequately prepared to take on their massive fleets.
4. Open World
Tortuga: A Pirate’s Tale will feature a large open world in the Caribbean. This is fantastic because it allows us to explore and adventure to our hearts’ content. However, don’t get too excited because the Dutch, Spanish, French, and English colonies currently dominate the seas. Steer too far away from your home port and you may find yourself in an unwelcomed challenge. As a result, in order to advance into larger more unknown territory, you’ll need to quest and upgrade your ship to take on more difficult opponents.
But don’t worry, there will be plenty of questing, as the game contains over 25 hours of questlines. However, each one is unique and only you can find it. Quests can be obtained by meeting and talking to governors, fellow pirate companions, or simply by venturing into new towns, taverns, and ports throughout the game’s world. That means there will be plenty of hidden treasure, unsolved mysteries, and exciting adventures in Tortuga: A Pirate’s Tale.
3. Pirate Skills
Your ultimate goal is to become the greatest pirate of all time, or as we’ll refer to ourselves in the game, Pirate Lord. However, you do not begin as an expert pirate; rather, you begin as a new and eager pirate captain. That means you’ll have to gain experience on the open water. As you continually do, you can then customize your attributes with 35 different Pirate Skills.
Pirate Skills are your skill tree and leveling system. This means you must prioritize the skills you want your pirate captain to specialize in and be known for when it comes to conquering the seas. We don’t know what these pirate skills are yet, but they will have varying stats, abilities and perks, that benefit you, your ship, and your crew.
2. Turn-Based Combat
Tortuga: A Pirate’s Tale is currently classified as a strategy game with RPG elements. However, the game’s main form of this strategy stems from its turn-based naval combat. In a fight, you take turns making attack, advancement, and repair decisions on a hexagonal grid. However, the sea conditions will also be in play and must be considered when choosing when and how to engage.
That means there are a lot of variables in combat, not just at sea but also when engaging a port. Aside from that, we can’t confirm any additional details about the turn-based combat, but expect your pirate skills to have a significant impact. Because the skills you focus on leveling are the ones you’ll utilize to make you and your crew the most effective and powerful.
1. Captain Duties
The most important and crucial aspects of the game’s RPG elements are dependent on your decisions as captain. That means you must agree, or disagree on “articles of capture” that define the objectives and task at hand before you set sail. Then, the gold and treasure must then be distributed evenly among your crew. You can also choose not to, but doing so will have an impact on your crew and may lead to mutiny. That is why deciding which quests to complete and how to reward your crew after completing them is critical to crew morale and your reputation.
What’s more important is deciding who to make your allies and who to make your enemies. As you advance through the ranks of a pirate captain, you will come into contact with historical pirates. It is entirely up to you how you interact with them. However, each has advantages and disadvantages. While your goal is to expand your fleet and build a stronger armada, some pirates may not be the best choice.
That’s why it’s critical to know who to befriend and who to avoid. This will also be a factor once you start dealing with colonies, as some may be more eager to work with a pirate for personal gain than others. That is why as captain, it’s your responsibility to make in-game decisions and decide what is best for your fleet.