Windbound

 Switch
Windbound Image
Metascore
63

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 29 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
Rate this:
  • 10
  • 9
  • 8
  • 7
  • 6
  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • Summary: Embark on a personal journey and discover the history of the idyllic forbidden islands; each holding the key to a mystery and unexpected revelations. Head towards the horizon, advancing across the islands, each with their own wildlife, landscapes and challenges to face. Scavenge the island'sEmbark on a personal journey and discover the history of the idyllic forbidden islands; each holding the key to a mystery and unexpected revelations. Head towards the horizon, advancing across the islands, each with their own wildlife, landscapes and challenges to face. Scavenge the island's untamed terrain for resources that you can use to craft a full range of tools and weapons to hunt wildlife and upgrade your boat. You must set sail when resources become scarce. Your boat is your key companion on this journey, carefully craft your own custom sailing vessel to take on the treacherous waters, traversing from one island to the next.… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 8
  3. Negative: 1 out of 8
  1. NintendoWorldReport
    Aug 28, 2020
    85
    Windbound succeeds in how it balances so many different elements. Sometimes it can get precarious - sailing definitely had some moments of exasperation - but more often than not, the world of the game was in harmony, with exploration feeding into crafting, combat leading to rewarding resources, and sailing providing the calm middle. Every aspect works together to provide a winning, endearing experience that makes Windbound a special game on the Switch, especially if you’re looking for a survival game with a little bit of Zelda.
  2. Nintenderos
    Aug 31, 2020
    75
    Windbound is an equally intense and relaxed survival experience. This will largely depend on the way we play, but the feeling of exploration is magnificent, always inviting us to discover and solve the different mysteries of our odyssey. Perhaps the combat system and other points can be improved, but of course it is an adventure worth playing.
  3. Nintendo Life
    Sep 1, 2020
    70
    Windbound is most certainly not the Zelda-lite adventure that you may have expected it to be, but it still manages to pull off an impressively well-made survival experience that’s fun to roam around in for a few hours. The open-ended progression, pleasing art style, and relaxing pace make this one an easy recommendation for fans of the survival genre, though it’s held back from greatness due to issues with repetition. Still, it’s tough to go wrong with what’s on offer here; you might want to give this one a look.
  4. Digitally Downloaded
    Aug 31, 2020
    60
    This tedium would be unacceptable in an action game, but Windbound is a survival game. In survival games, death is supposed to mean something. Loss of progress represents the stakes; repetition is the barrier of entry. For players ready to take that plunge, there are some far-and-few-between moments of Windbound which are exhilarating. There’s nothing quite like stalking down the player’s first Gorehorn or Gloomharrow and seeing the game’s possibilities open right up as a reward for some intrepid hunting skills. But that being said, it’s a kind of enjoyment which needs to be really scrapped for and earned, and for most people, I suspect Windbound is going to feel a little too much like work.
  5. Gameblog.fr
    Oct 6, 2020
    60
    Windbound is a survival game with rogue lite components. If the game has good ideas and design, the controls lacks of ergonomy, and the game is quite repetitive.
  6. IGN
    Sep 1, 2020
    50
    Neither compelling as a survival simulation nor captivating as a story-based experience, Windbound is all at sea.
  7. Switch Player
    Sep 8, 2020
    40
    Windbound promises so much with beautiful Zelda-like visuals, but visuals alone do not make for a great game. The survival and rogue-like aspects detract from this game’s personality, and a miserable, repetitive search across each level make the game a bore.

See all 8 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 18
  3. Negative: 4 out of 18
  1. Low_Ink
    Sep 2, 2020
    10
    I've spent 13 hours in this game and i loved every second of it. I'm probably going MUCH slower than other people but at least I'm in chapterI've spent 13 hours in this game and i loved every second of it. I'm probably going MUCH slower than other people but at least I'm in chapter 5! It kinda reminds me of wind waker sailing? I really enjoy the raft building aspect in it, and I ended up getting the mothership achievement in normal gameplay. Overall if a AAA studio released this game it would probably have less glitches and more boimes, but for a $30 indie game I really enjoy it! So while I originally thought this was gonna be a Zeldalike I'd say i'm much more pleased than I would have been with a rip off. Don't trust the reviews of people who thought it was more like Zelda than a survival game. 9/10… Expand
  2. pieguard
    Aug 29, 2020
    9
    Honestly, I've only known about this game for a week, and I was a bit thrown off by critic reviews as it sounded like such an awesome concept.Honestly, I've only known about this game for a week, and I was a bit thrown off by critic reviews as it sounded like such an awesome concept. After getting through the story, I have to say that I am having an awesome time. It is immensely fun sailing around, scavenging for boat and gear upgrades etc. I am fine with the minimalist story, as I kind of like the freedom it allows. I HOP that the developers add some new game modes. I feel like this game could have so much potential if there was just a free mode where you could just roam the procedurally generated ocean discovering new lands.… Expand
  4. Shantum
    Sep 1, 2020
    8
    This game is kept me engaged from the moment I started it to the moment I finished it. Mind you I wasn't expected a Zelda game for less 20This game is kept me engaged from the moment I started it to the moment I finished it. Mind you I wasn't expected a Zelda game for less 20 something bucks.... It seems a lot of reviewers are punishing the for their own false expectations. This game game is not just a survival or adventure game.but rather a bit of both. Its exactly what I was looking for without me realizing it. The roguelike mode isn't recommended if you are short on time like I am. The story mode gives you enough challenge without making y I u start from nothing if you die. This game has a great sense of progression and exploration and makes you want to keep aging to learn more recipes and explore new places. Its a busge indie game so its not perfect of course but it absolutely scratched an itch I didnt know I had and I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone with an open mind... also, no it is not Zelda. Stop it.… Expand
  5. Exeleron
    Sep 1, 2020
    7
    The game is quite a masterpiece for a indie studio and really close on parts of breath of the wild. The sailing mechanics are really realisticThe game is quite a masterpiece for a indie studio and really close on parts of breath of the wild. The sailing mechanics are really realistic and its fells good to craft on it and run over your boat during the sailing XD Why i don't gave the 10 / 10 one big fact is the really long loading sequences -1 point. Another disappoint fact is that when i choose the story mode which is described is if i died the complete chapter is reset and you don't save any progress maybe that's a point for me personal but sorry guys -1 point for this behaviour. The last and most disappointing fact is that i played the game over four hours and had in this time 5 game crashes sometimes in games they are "OK" but in this game its doubled annoying because when the game is crashed the game behave as when you died so i had to play 5 chapters twice -1 point ... but anyway if they would fix this i think most of them are switch issues the game is definitely worth to buy ;)… Expand
  6. tamersergany
    Feb 24, 2021
    6
    This review is for the Nintendo switch version of Windbound. I wish I could give this game a higher rating, I really want to but here is whyThis review is for the Nintendo switch version of Windbound. I wish I could give this game a higher rating, I really want to but here is why it’s a 6 out of 10. Short version: GLITCHES GLITCHES GLITCHES, and load times. I have it over all positive because visually it’s a beautiful game, music during gameplay during start menu, during sailing and during battle is ON POINT. Relaxing and calm, yet picks up when things get heated. The sailing is fun enjoyable and challenging when you get your boat up and running but again faces glitches like the boat flipping over way too often than it should. Also the new update with the “mark of” items don’t work too well if at all. I love survival games and this game is a gem if you can stomach all the glitches and repetition it has, which for some it might be too annoying. I force closed the game numerous times either because I died by glitch or bad reach, or because when the game restarted it threw me in the middle of the ocean with my boat stuck dead center in a tree. Glitchy game has so much potential but truly disappointing.… Expand
  7. j1mbo15
    Sep 2, 2020
    5
    I wanted this to be more like Zelda and Windwaker, as advertised. Not a bad game, but after the first soul crushing, between chapter crashI wanted this to be more like Zelda and Windwaker, as advertised. Not a bad game, but after the first soul crushing, between chapter crash where you lose all your progress it gets not fun real fast.… Expand
  8. der2
    Aug 17, 2022
    0
    This is such a horribly bad game. I got it at the cheapest price ever as it was on sale for only $5 on Switch. Even still, I was totallyThis is such a horribly bad game. I got it at the cheapest price ever as it was on sale for only $5 on Switch. Even still, I was totally ripped off! The good reviews on here are fake. Look at the Review dates!!! All were within just a few days of each other. The A-hole developers made fake accounts to boost their ratings. Don't listen to the YT shills who pretend the game is good. It's NOT! The islands are bland and lifeless. They simply have a few autospawning animals that collide with landscapes and exhibit very glitchy unrealistic movements. The world has ZERO atmosphere or ambience. The game constantly harasses you with the same stupid tutorial windows over and over and over and over and over... And the controls are frustratingly painful. The menu is unintuitive. The battles are horrendous. The camera angle screws you up constantly. And the jumping and attacking is very sloppy. The platforming is SO, SO bad. Lots of collisions and getting stuck behind things. I was able to walk up a palm tree. I just walked right up the trunk! Then I fell and took damage!!! They should have licensed a real gaming engine. But it feels like PlayStation 1 days when they had to build it all from scratch. You'll buy this, deciding to ignore my review. And then you'll kick yourself and ask: "WHY DIDN'T I LISTEN TO THAT GUY!?"… Expand

See all 18 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

63
#63 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

Current Switch Games

Full List »
83 PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse
81 Death Howl
81 Love Eternal
81 Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights
81 Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors
80 Lovish
80 Winter Burrow
80 Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection
79 R-Type Delta: HD Boosted
79 ChainStaff
79 Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth
79 Homura: The Crimson Warriors
78 Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
78 Big Hops
78 Under The Island
77 Ariana and the Elder Codex
76 Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta
75 Pokemon LeafGreen Version
74 WiZmans World Re;Try
74 Hitman: Absolution
All Current Games »