Sure, the Assassin's Creed Black Flag remake sounds great, but Sea of Remnants is the only pirate game I want right now

All we want is a good new pirate game. Yes there’s always Sea of Thieves, and the rumors of an Assassin’s Creed Black Flag remake grow more solid by the day, but who knows when it’ll actually appear. Sister title Skull and Bones failed to capture any of Black Flag’s magic, and while Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord’s War Sails update lets you wage terror on the high seas, at its heart it’s still very much a gritty, no-holes-barred strategy game. That’s where Sea of Remnants comes in. A sprawling, free-to-play open-world title published by NetEase and created by Joker Studio, its new gameplay footage has me sold, and now it’s one of the only games I care about.

Thrusting you into a vibrant, pirate-inspired world that’s visually reminiscent of Compulsion Games’ We Happy Few or the Borderlands series, Sea of Remnants oozes style. You’re cast as an amnesiac sailor, who awakens in the city of Orbtopia with nothing but a mysterious female companion at your side and the tattered clothes on your back. “Legends say, that at the edge of the Sea of Remnants, any wish can be granted,” our narrator coos. “But the price is your memories.” What has our protagonist wished for, then? It’s your job to find out.

You’ll be able to head out onto the water with your own custom ship, which you can outfit with various mechanical parts and accessories, including cannons and, going by the trailer, speedboats. Dynamic weather means that the world is always reactive: one moment it’ll be clear skies; the next, lightning will crash upon your bow. Eerie creatures also lurk in the depths, desperate to tear you and your companions apart.

Speaking of pals, there are over 300 NPCs that you can add to your crew. It’s unclear how you recruit them (I’m really hoping there’s no gacha), but either way, there’s a whole lot of variety to help craft your perfect team. Given that combat is turn-based and will likely rely on different synergies and combinations, that giant list of potential companions gives you an awful lot of team customization.

The latest footage shows off some of the game’s puzzle-centric dungeons and boss fights, with everything from logical conundrums to good ol’ Final Fantasy 14-style jumping puzzles. There are myriad caverns to explore in this vast open world, but you’ll want to gear up to take down the beasties that lurk within.

When you’re not hoisting the flag and taking to the seas, you’ll spend your time in Orbtopia, which conjures nostalgic images of Pirates of the Caribbean’s ever-iconic Tortuga. The trailer sees you playing what appears to be some form of dominoes, popping heads at Russian roulette (Remnant roulette?), and partaking in timed drinking games that, as you probably suspect, affect your constitution.

Joker Studio also promises that your seafaring antics will have an impact on how the city grows. The details are pretty scarce there, but I imagine bringing back more plunder will see the city expand, and recruiting crewmates from different factions may see the power balance shift in one group’s favor.

NetEase has confirmed that the first Sea of Remnants closed alpha test will kick off on Thursday February 5, running until Thursday February 12. You have until Friday January 23 to apply, and you can do so either by joining the game’s official Discord and completing the relevant questionnaire, or by following its official X account and commenting on this post. The game is set to launch later this year.

While I’m a little perplexed by some of the in-game translations, Sea of Remnants is one of the most beautiful RPGs I’ve seen in a long time. Its puppet-esque, colorful cartoon aesthetic is a blend of all of my favorite things, and its turn-based combat will certainly help me through my Expedition 33 hangover. I’m excited to see what happens with this one, and while I’m not sure it’ll ever manage to topple Black Flag, I can see it potentially becoming an evening staple for my partner and I.