From publisher NetEase Games and developer Joker Studio, upcoming seafaring RPG Sea of Remnants looks to offer a distinct maritime adventure combining turn-based, explorative, survival, simulation, choice-based narrative, and more gameplay elements, all while sporting tons of style and flair to boot. With so many factors at play, I was curious about how this was all going to feel coming together, especially knowing that this will be a free-to-play title.
After my time with the game at Summer Game Fest, I can confidently say that this title has intrigued me and has me looking forward to its full release! I do want to note, however, that monetization was not at play during this demo, so the impact that will have on the playing experience remains to be seen.
The demo opened with the beginning of the story: an interesting, surreal, dreamlike sequence of sailing on a vast, open sea under a beautiful nighttime sky. Cryptic visions ensued, leading to an intense naval battle against a giant tentacle monster! This serves as the introduction to the game’s naval combat system, and the devs went all in on the spectacle.
The battle felt fun, as I had to navigate the ship while aiming its cannon fire at the monster’s various body parts. It took a minute for it to click for me, but once it did, the battle felt chaotic in all the right ways. The fight didn’t end well for me and my ship however, and before I knew it, my character awoke without their memories or a clue as to what happened to them.
I then got to customize my character! Here, Sea of Remnants’ puppet-punk aesthetic shines. I love this look for the game, and it offers a wonderfully stylish take on the characters in this world. For the sake of saving time for the rest of the demo, I speedran my character customization (which, depending on how extensive the options are, can take me hours when starting a game), but the appearances available were fun and varied.
All decked out with my new character, I went to explore the lively hub town and ended up in a visually fantastic cutscene taking place in a local bar. This eye-catching sequence introduced me to my first party member and first turn-based battle, with me and my new partner taking on a crowd of goons.
The combat itself felt fast-paced and intuitive. Each character has a unique set of skills, with actions building enhancement points that can be used to roll dice and boost damage against enemies, exploit weaknesses, and more. Actions also contribute toward building stronger special attacks that trigger a stylish character cutscene when used. In addition, the upcoming turn order is conveniently displayed during battle. I’m curious to see how this system develops as the game progresses, and more party members join the fray!
I then got a taste of the game’s open sea exploration, with my character and party member setting sail for a new island. I love the feeling of a seafaring adventure, and island-hopping scratches that itch! The first island alone had plenty of chests to loot, items to forage, and enemies to battle.
I also got acquainted with the game’s campfire system, where your party rests at campfires presumably littered throughout the game. At a campfire, you can cook using items you’ve foraged, create antidotes for diseases your characters may have caught, and of course, heal your party.
After being sent to my next island destination in the story, I unfortunately ran out of demo time. Nevertheless, the glimpses of Sea of Remnants I did get to experience have me interested in checking the full game out upon release. Thank you to NetEase Games, Joker Studio, and Summer Game Fest for this opportunity!
Sea of Remnants will set sail sometime in 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam, iOS, and Android. For all the latest updates and more upcoming hands-on impressions from Summer Game Fest, keep checking RPGFan! If you didn’t yet to see this season’s new “Make It Loud” trailer for Sea of Remnants, don’t miss it:
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