{"id":26994,"date":"2026-11-10T12:24:24","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T12:24:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/igamemag.com\/?p=26994"},"modified":"2026-11-10T12:24:26","modified_gmt":"2026-11-10T12:24:26","slug":"windrose-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/igamemag.com\/en-gb\/windrose-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Windrose Review (Early Access): Gorgeous Seas, Brilliant Sea Shanties and Combat That Deserves More Credit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"A<\/p>\n

This Windrose review<\/strong> 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<\/strong>. It’s still in Early Access<\/strong>, so we haven’t seen everything it will become, but what’s there already is very engaging. The sea shanties are fantastic<\/strong>, sailing the open seas is amazing<\/strong>, it looks beautiful<\/strong>, 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<\/strong>, and that could go up once the full release arrives.<\/p>\n

Windrose at a glance<\/h2>\n\n
Our score<\/strong><\/td>8\/10 (Early Access)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Developer<\/strong><\/td>Kraken Express<\/td><\/tr>\n
Publishers<\/strong><\/td>Kraken Express; Pocketpair Publishing (Japan)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Early Access since<\/strong><\/td>14 April 2026<\/td><\/tr>\n
Platform<\/strong><\/td>PC (Steam)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Players<\/strong><\/td>Solo or online co-op (PvE)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Price<\/strong><\/td>\u00a324.99 \/ $29.99 \/ \u20ac29.99 on Steam<\/td><\/tr>\n
Steam reviews<\/strong><\/td>88% positive (29,042 English reviews); 80% in the last 30 days (10 November)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Next update<\/strong><\/td>Ashlands, the first major update<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table>\n

What is Windrose?<\/h2>\n

Windrose is a PvE survival adventure set in the Age of Piracy<\/strong>. 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.<\/p>\n

What we loved<\/h2>\n

The sea shanties are fantastic<\/h3>\n

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<\/a> says the Ashlands update gives every shanty its own item with lyrics, a playlist you can edit and a Sing Along Mode<\/strong> that puts the words on screen, plus ten more shanties to find in the world, including Wellerman, Spanish Ladies and Roll the Old Chariot.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Sailing the open seas is amazing<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

It looks beautiful<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Pirates<\/p>\n

The combat is better than its reputation<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

What’s not so good?<\/h2>\n

It’s Early Access, and it shows in places:<\/p>\n