Dread Nautical is an interesting hybrid. A supernatural being pulls an Ocean Liner into a mysterious zone and players can pick a character they wish to play as they embark on an adventure. The objective is to explore, collect, and defeat enemies on each level of the ship which is done by use of an elevator which unlocks one new floor once the prior floor has been completed.
Players have an NPC character in which to interact with who gives them parts of the story as well as quests such as build a crafting table and so on.
Gameplay involves turn based style combat where the number of moves and actions are limited per each round but players can move freely when not involved in a combat situation.
There are various weapons from fists, to guns, knives, pipes, etc and they will have to be repaired after use so frequently grabbing scrap found on each level is ideal. Players will also get hungry and need to replenish their health so making sure to grab food and other items of use is ideal.
The setup is good but for me the biggest problem was in the execution. The graphics are very dated which can be overlooked for an Indie game but there were a few things that really annoyed me. When the characters are talking they wave their arms and heads around and looking like one of those balloon people you would see outside of a car dealership. There is also the matter of the lines which become very repetitive after a while. The gameplay also became a bit stale fast as combat and the missions seemed to get old and not offer up as much variety as I would expect.
The game does offer some challenge so people looking for something different may really enjoy it, but this one did not sail for me as expected.
2.5 stars out of 5
