Windward

 PC
Metascore
61

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 11
  3. Negative: 1 out of 11
  1. CGMagazine
    May 25, 2015
    80
    Tasharen Entertainment has struck a gold mine of nostalgia within me.
  2. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Jun 29, 2015
    79
    A fine procedurally-generated variation on Sid Meier’s Pirates! [Issue#199, p.74]
    All this publication's reviews
  3. CD-Action
    Jul 27, 2015
    70
    Windward’s greatest strength – it’s simplicity resembling Sid Meier’s Pirates! – becomes a weakness when you try to take the relationship with the game to the next level. [08/2015, p.60]
    All this publication's reviews
  5. Multiplayer.it
    Jun 3, 2015
    65
    Windward is not the remake of Sid Meier's Pirates you are looking for. It is a boring game with shallow mechanics who can entertain you for just few hours.
  6. Softpedia
    May 25, 2015
    65
    If you're looking for something similar to Sid Meier's Pirates, you will find Windward to be frustrating and boring, running in circles around the map and around enemy ships, with random gear upgrades and dull content...As long as you don't expect a rebirth of the high seas adventuring genre, Windward can provide quite a few fun hours.
  7. PC Gamer
    May 20, 2015
    65
    Fun in a simple, almost mindless way, the oceans of Windward are beautiful but not especially deep.
  8. Games.cz
    Aug 25, 2015
    60
    An alternative to the legendary Pirates! could use its potential way better. Cool war multiplayer is present in this contradictory sailing game but a stereotype is also there in the moments, when no one is left to sink.
  9. PLAY! Zine
    Jun 29, 2015
    60
    Windward is way too simplistic and repetitive. If Tasharen Entertainment expanded economic system, spiced up the combat and made more interesting quests, things would have been a lot different.
  10. Gamer.nl
    Jun 13, 2015
    60
    Windward puts the controls over the fun with the player, as it is more a framework than a complete video game. Only the multiplayer mode gets Windward going, which means it is not the action-filled multiplayer sandbox game that was promised.
  11. Eurogamer Italy
    Jun 11, 2015
    60
    Windward carries the player to a 17th century ship command through competitive battles, where key to the victory is extreme grinding.
  12. GameSpot
    May 13, 2015
    30
    The opening portions of Winward have you falling asleep at your computer; later areas have you cursing angrily as every small victory you win is erased by the overzealous enemy AI (aided by utterly complacent allies content to watch town after town fall to pirates). The promise of exploring Windward's world as you see fit is a false one, and Windward never earns its sea legs.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 47 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 47
  3. Negative: 8 out of 47
  1. Blackadar
    May 17, 2015
    4
    Note that this review was done from the single player experience. And as a single player experience, Windward is woefully grindy andNote that this review was done from the single player experience. And as a single player experience, Windward is woefully grindy and simplistic. That's not a good combination.

    There's nothing interesting to explore in Windward - the next map is a generic version of the last map. The game play is exceptionally grindy as you buy two or three goods (that's all your ship will hold for the first 10+ hours of any game), travel across the generic map to go to a different city and sell those two or three goods. You're thanking your lucky stars when you can sell both goods at the same city. And the cities take FOREVER to develop into anything remotely large, and there's no way to develop your cities beyond enduring this grind because the "quests" (all are either "kill x" or simple Fedex quests) level your cities even more slowly.

    Single player combat is nothing more than sailing in a circle waiting for the next hotkey to come up - it's like the worst example of level 1 MMO combat.

    So you move on from region to region, doing the exact same thing. There's no fundamental personality or purpose to the single player component. It becomes tedious very quickly and the known bug with pirate spawning rates (this is going to be fixed) only adds to that incredible annoyance. You're also pretty much on your own. You can have computer AI ships follow, but they simply fail to do so (or can't keep up), meaning that any battle you face will undoubtedly be on your own.

    MP is a different game. Windward is a better game when played cooperatively - it's easier to take down other enemies, coordinate strategies and so forth. But as a single player experience, Windward loses its luster quickly. Since that's what I like to play, Windward gets a thumbs down. It's not horrible but it grows dull fairly quickly.

    PS - Anyone who doesn't know that it's Sid MEIER (not Myers) shouldn't be trying to compare this game to Pirates! The big difference between the two games is that the world of Pirates! was interesting with a lot of personality. There's none of that in Windward.    … Full Review »
  2. ninjack
    May 15, 2015
    6
    Beautiful graphics, atmospheric music and sounds, rpg elements and career-like progression. gets repetitive after a few hours, still if youBeautiful graphics, atmospheric music and sounds, rpg elements and career-like progression. gets repetitive after a few hours, still if you feel like spending some time on a top-down pirate adventure, its good fun! (shouldnt be priced more than 10Euro/USD though)… Full Review »
  3. Elrath
    May 14, 2015
    9
    The game is very addictive. Especially for the price point. ($15) it has been compared to a co op version of Sid Myers pirates and thatsThe game is very addictive. Especially for the price point. ($15) it has been compared to a co op version of Sid Myers pirates and thats pretty accurate minus the dancing and sword fighting. UI pretty bland but does not take away from the game play. I love the instance if you just want a break from the servers To either a Coimbatore trade quest instance The ability to play online is fun but sometimes you just want to not fight every few minutes to quest and trade. At upper levels it does get challenging and the AI pushes you to think and react. Picked this game up the day before release and have not been able to put it down. If you are a fan of the age of sail. Or just want a fun game at a price of a large pizza grab this one.… Full Review »
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