Windrose Review (Early Access): Gorgeous Seas, Brilliant Sea Shanties and Combat That Deserves More Credit

This Windrose review comes from our own time in Kraken Express's pirate survival game on Steam, and the short version is simple: it's a fun game. It's still in Early Access, so we haven't seen everything it will become, but what's there already is very engaging. The sea shanties are fantastic, sailing the open seas is amazing, it looks beautiful, and even the combat, which has had its critics for its style, turned out to be good, entertaining fun. We score it 8 out of 10, and that could go up once the full release arrives.

Windrose at a glance

What is Windrose?

Windrose is a PvE survival adventure set in the Age of Piracy. You build, craft and explore a big open world of islands, fight on land and at sea, take on bosses with what the developers call "soulslite" combat, command your own ship and hunt for treasure, solo or with friends in online co-op. It's been in Early Access on Steam since 14 April 2026.

What we loved

The sea shanties are fantastic

The music is the first thing that won us over. Setting sail with a crew of shanties playing is pure joy, and it does more for the pirate fantasy than any menu or quest could. Kraken Express clearly knows it's a highlight: its October dev blog says the Ashlands update gives every shanty its own item with lyrics, a playlist you can edit and a Sing Along Mode that puts the words on screen, plus ten more shanties to find in the world, including Wellerman, Spanish Ladies and Roll the Old Chariot.

Sailing the open seas is amazing

Taking the helm and heading for the horizon is Windrose at its best. The open sea feels big, the trip between islands is something you look forward to rather than a loading screen, and spotting a new coastline never gets old. Naval play is also what players ask about most, and the developers say Ashlands brings much deeper ship customisation.

It looks beautiful

Graphically, Windrose is a stunner for an Early Access survival game. Jungles, golden grasslands, moonlit shores and burning ships all look the part, and the lighting makes even a quiet walk across an island feel like a postcard from the Caribbean.

The combat is better than its reputation

Windrose's soulslite fighting style hasn't won everyone over, and we expected to be disappointed. We weren't. Swordplay, gunfire and boarding fights are good, entertaining fun, bosses ask you to learn their patterns, and the mix of blades and flintlocks suits the setting. If you've been put off by what you've heard, give it a chance.

What's not so good?

It's Early Access, and it shows in places:

• There's more to come. We haven't seen the full game yet, and some systems are clearly still growing.
• Ship customisation is basic for now. Kraken Express itself says it "was still in its infancy" at launch, and its Ashlands dev blogs describe a rework.
• The interface could be smoother. The developers admit some players found the HUD "a bit clunky", and they're tidying it up, the dialogue window and the Adventure tab in the next update.
• The combat style won't suit everyone. We enjoyed it, but if you want fast, flashy action, it may feel heavier than you'd like.

What's next for Windrose?

Ashlands is the first major update. Kraken Express revealed its release window in a trailer at the Triple-i Initiative on 8 October, and its dev blogs so far list a ship customisation rework, a cleaner HUD, a new faction screen with server-wide reputation, transmog, armor dyeing and mannequins, and the new sea shanties. We'll revisit our score once Windrose reaches its full release.

Is Windrose worth it?

Yes. At £24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99, Windrose already offers a beautiful world, some of the best sailing in a survival game and a soundtrack you'll be humming for days, with combat that's more fun than its reputation suggests. Go in knowing it's Early Access and still growing, and you'll have a great time, especially with friends.

Watch the Windrose Ashlands trailer

The official Ashlands release window trailer is on the Windrose YouTube channel. The gameplay trailer plays on the Windrose Steam page.

More Windrose on iGame Magazine

• Windrose Guide: 15 Tips Every New Captain Should Know (2026): 15 tips for new captains
• The Best Survival Games of 2026 So Far, Ranked by Players and Critics: where Windrose ranks among this year's survival games
• Enshrouded 1.0 Review Roundup: Critics Call It One of the Best Survival Games, but Players Want Better Performance: another survival game's review roundup

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