Venture Seas is a visual novel where you battle in turn-based, RPG-eske combat and manage a ship and crew.
At-a-glance
(Adult) Content?
(F, FxF, FxM) Sexual content.
Censorship?
No. Woot! Woot!
Hours of Game-play?
Four or more hours.
Modding Support?
No.
Patch Available?
No, not necessary.
Foreword
Attention!
This article is pending review. It is either incomplete, out-of-date, or I feel the need to disclaim my shame for a something I’m not proud of.
Gameplay
. . . in a nutshell
I need to make some revisions.
out the shell. . .
First and foremost, this title is a visual-novel type of game. You click through text boxes and make decisions on what to say (or not say). When exploring, you enter an “expedition” mode. In this mode, you have a party, complete with health and “runes”, special items for combat and special scenes. You have a “backpack” which allows you to take (limited) items from your ship with you, so I’d choose wisely.
Expeditions play-out more like an RPG of sorts. You have an over-head map, and you get to explore the area in search of loot and events. Events add experiance and such to your party.
If you find yourself involved in a fight (which you will), you use a “deck” of runes. Runes are held in your hand like cards, and are randomly drawn in combat. They modify and and add attacks, or provide special bonus. Combat is turn-based, and each turn both sides attack and utilize their runes. Runes can unlock special scenes in non-combat situations, such as diffusing traps.
You must manage your crew, hiring (or firing) new hands and stocking up on food and equipment. You are able to customize the gear your crew appears in, which is awesome. If you want you team to roam into battle topless, that’s up to you. If you want to battle topless, well my friends, you certainly can.
Story
The game starts with a screen full of endless nothingness, the Void. The protagonist has found themself in the Void, lost and helpless. . . that is, until a shadowy, female-figure comes along. She allows you to be “reborn”, and it is here that you come-upon the character creation screen.
I made a short-statured female, loosely based on myself. Emphasis on loosely. As there was no pre-defined name, I reached for the closest name that came to mind. From nothingness, Womba was born!
Get it? Womba, like, “wombat”. . . ?
Womba finds herself in some royal bedroom, and confronted by a “scantily-clad” woman. Her name is Mehande, and she makes it very clear that she likes Womba’s stuff.
And just like that, it was H-scene time. . . and following that, Wombat awoke on-board a ship of sorts. She passed-out from a “sea-water drinking contest”. . . I don’t think Womba’s the sharpest tool in the shed. It hear that your journey (the player) will really begin, as the ship and its crew start exploring for loot.
Visuals
The visuals are wonderful. The artwork is really beautiful, and the scenes are just so. . . beautiful. The moment I hopped off the starting-ship into the wilderness I was greeted by some stunning forest scene, vibrant with fauna and ship-wrecks. The characters (slightly) move, and the art makes me want to do more as an artist. As an artist, one of the highest compliments one can give is that your work inspires one to draw more.
The Goods
Verdict
From what I’ve seen, this game is awesome. I think it’s worth a buy for sure, as the production quality really shines. It’s a bit pricey (at fifteen USD), but I’m willing to pay a premium when I know I’m playing a premium product.
