The Ship

 PC
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 479 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 310 out of 479
  2. Mixed: 47 out of 479
  3. Negative: 122 out of 479
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  1. KalanYamato
    Mar 20, 2013
    7
    A very original game, very fun and thrilling, but the ships are extremely confusing to navigate, that's the only thing holding my score back. Can't wait for the sequel!
  2. TheRubixGamer
    Jun 21, 2013
    5
    This game is really something. The graphics looks great and I think the style works really well but the singleplayer has a fatal glitch which stops the game completely making the singleplayer a huge rip off,
    it almost feels like they didn't finish making it. The bits of singleplayer that actually work pretty much suck and it's just a really buggy/glitchy version of the multiplayer.
    The    This game is really something. The graphics looks great and I think the style works really well but the singleplayer has a fatal glitch which stops the game completely making the singleplayer a huge rip off,
    it almost feels like they didn't finish making it. The bits of singleplayer that actually work pretty much suck and it's just a really buggy/glitchy version of the multiplayer.

    The multiplayer is really fun but finding players is difficult, the AI are pretty stupid but they are kinda fun to play with. The game works really well if you get friends together to play it but I don't think the game is punishing enough as I found myself constantly getting away with murdering people in plain sight of others, this problem made every gamemode feel like TDM as everyone was just running around beating the crap out of there target. You can get caught by the guards and CCTV but the CCTV does not have a very good view of most areas and the guards only ever stand in one place, if you are seen with a weapon by CCTV or the guards you go to jail for a few minutes which can make the gameplay quite interesting if your target goes to jail.

    Overall this game is great fun but if you don't have any friends willing to play it with you don't bother because the multiplayer is almost completely deserted.    … Expand
  3. Sammixo
    Aug 30, 2012
    6
    The game is very good and fun, however making your own servers is hard and you have to download a hosting thing which I don't trust for one minute. Would enjoy it a lot more if it ran off Steam servers and not LAN servers.
  4. VincentV.
    Nov 5, 2006
    5
    The game shows fun in certain ways but lacks a lot of dynamics and difficulties that make it easy to perform your actions... Guards are always on the same places (they don't perform survaillances around the ship) in fact most of the ship's crew is always on the same spot and not wandering around. The ship lacks dynamic objects that can be used as weapons (things that can be The game shows fun in certain ways but lacks a lot of dynamics and difficulties that make it easy to perform your actions... Guards are always on the same places (they don't perform survaillances around the ship) in fact most of the ship's crew is always on the same spot and not wandering around. The ship lacks dynamic objects that can be used as weapons (things that can be pulled off or picked up without specifically having to open a drawer or cupboard). Certain aspects make the game a little bit more fun (like using the bomb wallet to make it explode in someone's face) or drug someone with injections, a lot more of this kind of features would make the game interesting to play. All with all, you get bored after one hour of playing with the current setup of the game, even the different role-modes of the game get bored pretty quickly.… Expand
  5. DavidB.
    Aug 8, 2006
    6
    This is funny game, cheap and cheerfull. could do with some better looking levels. i think the characters are nice until the walk kinda like they are doing a toilet whilst walking.
  6. Dumbo'scircus
    Aug 8, 2006
    5
    Really slow walking speed, unimpressive graphics and sound. Needs more polish.
  7. GeorgeD.
    Jul 30, 2007
    7
    Entertaining but grows boring quickly, gameplay too slow to be gripping.
  8. BrianR.
    May 4, 2008
    6
    i would say that multi-player is where all of the fun is, because single player is way to short, i beat it in about and hour and a half, and thats with a little exploring. so if your going to get this game get the multiplayer version instead of the single player version.
  9. RebeccaK
    Dec 4, 2009
    6
    Very unique, and exciting at first, however it does get boring quickly.
  10. DeathLord
    Nov 12, 2006
    5
    Game concept is good. Not a straight out kill all version. However the game play is shocking. Laggy, graphics are poor and delay in key commands. Very disappointing.
  11. JimmyH.
    Aug 17, 2006
    5
    this game a was a horrible game a i agree w/ many of the other reviewers that the gliches were quite bad and the maps small. though a full patch is suposed to come out to make the game better the chances are people wont keep playing.
  12. AndrewK.
    Aug 20, 2006
    5
    The concept of this game is somewhat cool but I need more weapons like guns and things of that nature. There's just not enough to the game to keep me interested for more than a few minutes.
  13. MikeH.
    Aug 8, 2006
    5
    I should have read the reviews before buying this game. Tried to get on servers and they are full. This is not a fun experience as it takes ages to get going and is really boring after an hour of play. Think it is a bit of a rip off having to pay another $15 just for the single player and bug fixes.
  14. DiamondDog
    Aug 8, 2006
    5
    I really like this game, very simple and the same for each game.
  15. BlubberHose
    Aug 8, 2006
    5
    This game is ok, but If you want a game similar to this that looks better I would wait for Cruise to Kill next year it looks so much better and has over 20 full ships to explore in and even has a Titanic level that sinks in real time, how cool. You even get online play and it has over 50 weapons to use on your victims.
  16. MarkM.
    Dec 18, 2007
    5
    I'm the kind of gamer who likes unforgivingly honest reviewers. Popularity of the game not being the top priority. So, here is how I review a game. I haven't played this game for a few months, since I got it. It was a interesting game to try once to play through. Unfortunatly it didn't last very long. The problem is that I was expecting a lot more characters or customizable I'm the kind of gamer who likes unforgivingly honest reviewers. Popularity of the game not being the top priority. So, here is how I review a game. I haven't played this game for a few months, since I got it. It was a interesting game to try once to play through. Unfortunatly it didn't last very long. The problem is that I was expecting a lot more characters or customizable characters to play in singleplayer, and more importantly I had wished the games missions werent so straight foreward. You could too easily figure out what to do, and when games become way to easy, they lose fun fast. Although the eating, drinking, washing, using the bathroom thing was a new idea introduced, I found it very annoying. The reason being that you had to do everything all too often. It was like you were racing to get a mission done before you accidently peed yourself. I mean, if I have to pee, I'll just get up from the computer and go to the bathroom myself. I don't think that should get in the way of my game too. Anyway, even though thats kind of annoying, little things like that make the game a little funny too. But it gets annoying and tired fast. Plus, you'll finish the game, with a sense, of "Wow, that was lame." Good effort on a new idea, but I didnt enjoy it. So, for the effort I at least score it 5. It is a mod based game afterall.… Expand
  17. SchluBM.
    Mar 3, 2007
    5
    At first the game was fairly interesting, trying out new outfits and finding new weapons, but after only a couple of hours I was bored. It was mostly easy to avoid being killed, but annoying when you were, as you lost all your gear and had to trudge (slowly) around trying to pick it all up again - It's not fun when you cant find a weapon in time! Having to eat/drink/use the loo/sleep At first the game was fairly interesting, trying out new outfits and finding new weapons, but after only a couple of hours I was bored. It was mostly easy to avoid being killed, but annoying when you were, as you lost all your gear and had to trudge (slowly) around trying to pick it all up again - It's not fun when you cant find a weapon in time! Having to eat/drink/use the loo/sleep did add a bit of tension as you are more vulnerable to being killed. I think it is an original idea, with a nice atmosphere, but it needs more depth than kill/be killed. If you like repetitive deathmatch games then you'll probably like it.… Expand
  18. KevinO
    Mar 5, 2008
    7
    Fun but little variation - mission failures resulting in having to redo the entire mission is annoying at best.
  19. JoeBlow
    Dec 31, 2006
    7
    Great concept, and the art in the game is very nice. Lots of richly detailed maps, and great amount of weapons. However, Source's terrible melee hit detection really makes the game frustrating at times, and sometimes the camera zones can be very glitchy. The good outweighs the bad, though. Tons of ways to dispatch your quarry, and all of them are uniquely satisfying. Hunt and Great concept, and the art in the game is very nice. Lots of richly detailed maps, and great amount of weapons. However, Source's terrible melee hit detection really makes the game frustrating at times, and sometimes the camera zones can be very glitchy. The good outweighs the bad, though. Tons of ways to dispatch your quarry, and all of them are uniquely satisfying. Hunt and Elimination mode can both be very tense, and sometimes you can get very paranoid about who may be your hunter, killing random innocents out of excess paranoia. I'm surprised the game can create such tension. It's too bad not very many people are playing, however. Hopefully the retail release will bring in more players.… Expand
  20. D.K.
    Jul 23, 2006
    5
    Great game but to get in to play takes way way to long.
  21. LeanderP.
    Aug 11, 2006
    7
    Funny game, good concept, might need some work on the graphics and some more maps. I bought the game a few days after it was released. I had no problems with the game what so ever. Ofcourse there were some bugs but not so drastic that it affected the gameplay. So in the end: For a little bit of cash, a pretty funny and descent game.
  22. chuppa
    Aug 19, 2006
    5
    this game is ok nothing special. It has far tom many bugs to make it fun. Not great but average. One big problem is there are never any more then 70 people playing it so not really great multiplayer too.
  23. JHunter
    Feb 14, 2007
    6
    Toggling between items in inventory and weapons was a little cumbersome. My mark would sometimes walk away from me while I was trying to figure out how to get my gun out of my pocket!
  24. Klewer
    Nov 15, 2012
    7
    An enjoyable single player that introduces you to the gameplay and mechanics of the game against an average AI. The multi player is fantastic and plenty of fun however the game never really quite found the audience it deserved.
  25. stranglehold
    Jul 1, 2013
    7
    I still believe in this, and with further tweaks it could yet become a fine murder game. Buy the pack on steam and give it a try. If you haven't played this game yet, you're missing out greatly.
  26. Blazington
    Jun 26, 2014
    6
    Once you understand how everything works and get a feel for the game, it is a positive mixture of frustration and hilarity. Don't skip the tutorial or you'll wonder what the hell is going on.
  27. bacisnipertop62
    Jul 19, 2014
    6
    Jeu assez fun entre pote ou même tout seul . Le but est simple démonter tout les autres passager sur le bateaux et être le dernier survivant sur le bateau . Mais pas aussi simple quand on a des caméras et des garde dans les couloirs . De plus font trouver de quoi tuer quelqu'un ( poêle , couteau, armes a feu , rasoir , ...) . Mais vous devriez aussi penser a vos besoin : Manger , boire ,Jeu assez fun entre pote ou même tout seul . Le but est simple démonter tout les autres passager sur le bateaux et être le dernier survivant sur le bateau . Mais pas aussi simple quand on a des caméras et des garde dans les couloirs . De plus font trouver de quoi tuer quelqu'un ( poêle , couteau, armes a feu , rasoir , ...) . Mais vous devriez aussi penser a vos besoin : Manger , boire , se laver , dormir ) Bref.. si vous voulez vous amuser avec des potes , prenez le !… Expand
  28. UncleEd
    Dec 15, 2017
    7
    The Ship is the first online battle royale video game that I can remember, a genre that became extremely popular 11 years later due to likes of PUBG and Fortnite. Agatha Christie and The Sims seem to be other influences and the game combines all these elements rather well. iT is built on source engine and has a beautiful art deco style.

    The Ship multiplayer is quite distinct from single    The Ship is the first online battle royale video game that I can remember, a genre that became extremely popular 11 years later due to likes of PUBG and Fortnite. Agatha Christie and The Sims seem to be other influences and the game combines all these elements rather well. iT is built on source engine and has a beautiful art deco style.

    The Ship multiplayer is quite distinct from single player and thus, should be reviewed separately.

    Single Player

    You can consider the single player mode as a tutorial for the multiplayer and beating it once will probably suffice to rank among the top in online play, as many players seem to ignore the single player campaign and jump into multiplayer with little clue as to how the game plays. That said, unfortunately the single player campaign is also quite mediocre. There is a story and in every mission, you are given some quests that you need to complete, which mostly are designed in a scripted manner. There is no point in playing it in hard difficulty, as it will only make you die instantly when enemies shoot at you. This is a problem because they almost never miss and since the game has a checkpoint autosaving system, the game can become unnecessarily frustrating. You will also find plenty of bugs, but what kept me on playing (and beating) the single player campaign was the charming humour and short duration (it can be easily finished under 6 hours).

    Multiplayer

    WARNING: The online mode is NOT DEAD. To reach active servers, you need to go to Steam and choose View/Servers/Game/The Ship. I can see this is not very obvious to most and many players unfortunately give up after failing to find active servers from within the game menu.

    This is where the game shines. You are given a target and you need to find and follow her/him until you find the opportunity to kill. Many areas within the ship are constantly watched by cameras & security guards and drawing your weapon in those areas will send you directly to jail. In order to score higher than the other players, it is not enough to kill your victims but also kill them with higher scoring weapons designated for that particular game. Therefore, you need to search all the drawers, wardrobes in your vicinity (thus, the battle royale) to find the perfect weapon (which range from rifles to poisoned syringes, from cooking pots to pool cues…).

    But what keeps players from just waiting in front of cameras and playing safe? The Sims elements are merged into gameplay to address this. All players have “needs”. They need to eat, drink, go to toilet, sleep, wash themselves, read, socialize… For instance, to wash your hands, you need to go to a washroom where there are no cameras. In order to find food, you need to search rooms also devoid of cameras and therefore, there is a high risk you will be murdered.

    The Ship is not perfect and it has its flaws. But, the game is definitely unique and fun and there is nothing quite like it. Especially if you have some friends that you can play together, you will get your money’s worth.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

70
#70 Best PC Game of 2006
7
#7 Most Discussed PC Game of 2006
78
#78 Most Shared PC Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Jolt Online Gaming UK
    80
    The Ship is a fresh and different slant on multiplayer death-matching; one not dependant on speed of reflexes and advanced techniques. It’s fun and innovative – something that some of the big name games dominating the charts seem to forget about every so often.
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  2. VideoGamer
    80
    While it may not be the refined, leisurely paced kill-'em-up many eager landlubbers might have signed up for, The Ship does quickly prove itself a subtly addictive, relentless nail biter that will only get better as those already aboard learn to rule the bloody waves. Notch this one up as another killer for Steam.
    Read full review
  3. Yahoo!
    80
    The Ship's mixture of intrigue, subtlety, and cunning makes it the perfect recipe for gamers bored with same-old same-old multiplayer shooters, but it does tend to show its indie roots a little too clearly here and there.
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