The allure of discovery is a big part of the appeal of many games out there. Learning about the game's world, figuring out how it works and finding all its little secrets is often what keeps a player interested beyond simply seeing the main story unfold. In Shores Unknown, discovery is the entire point of the game. As a freshly-minted mercenary captain, players will have to assemble a crew and head out into "the Murk:" a thick, possibly supernatural, fog that slowly swallows up all who travel the seas. Someone has to do it though, because if new lands aren't found, then there will be nowhere to run from the domineering Crown government and their ever-watchful Inquisition.

https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3607085/type/dlg/sid/UUhgUeUpU13223/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3wiCXkwO0E

Even though it's only just now entering Steam Early Access, the Shores Unknown team is already at work implementing a solid list of features. Their goal is to offer players the following:

  • A vibrant world - the world of Shores Unknown is presented in a low-poly style. Ideally there will be plenty of details to investigate, many locations to visit and "dozens" of characters to interact with.
  • Gridless tactical turn-based combat - the combat system plays-out in two phases: Order and Action. Players can form their strategies and command their characters during the Order Phase, and then watch it all unfold during the Action Phase.
  • An adaptive character advancement system - characters grow based on their equipment and the player's combat decisions.
  • Deep party customization options - Players can fine tune their party as needed; they have full control over each character's skills and equipment.

Shores Unknown will likely be a PC-only game for the duration of its stay in Steam Early Access. Hopefully, developer Vallyne will be able to build something excellent with this game and see value in eventually porting it to other platforms.