Barotrauma
Easily one of my favorite games in recent memory. Rewards thoroughness, careful planning and knowledge of game systems (which some have quite a learning curve especially when starting out).
This game is a lovecraftian mesh of QWOP, SS13, FTL, and more combined. Easily moddable, and the Submarine editor could be an entirely separate game in and of itself and i’d be fun to build.
While the crews (AI) you can hire are generally OK, there is a lot you really do need other human players to do for exploration and combat outside of the submarine which hopefully gets rectified in the AI overhaul.
– Real player with 255.9 hrs in game
Read More: Best Co-op Multiplayer Games.
the game has a bit of everything in it, can be amogus, sea of thieves and has terraria-like combat and is well designed for pve and pvp, and the micromanagement (for the lack of a better word) when operating a sub with a crew allows everyone of all roles in the sub to have an equal amount of engagement, normally i go bunga when making a review but this game is so well designed for what it intends to achieve and that it appeals alot to what i like to see in these sort of games that i just had to commend it here.
– Real player with 54.4 hrs in game
Wolfpack
As a sub sim enthusiast since 688 attack sub (1989) I can tell you that Wolfpack is the next sub sim you’re going to want to play and will probably continue to play for years to come. This game is truly a profound experience!
To those with some familiarity with this genre you can expect this title to fall on the opposite end of the spectrum that the recent release UBOAT is on. Uboat is a crew management simulation. For perspective, Silent Hunter III would fall somewhere in the middle, as there is time compression and crew management but the player orders their crew to perform the individual functions on the boat.
– Real player with 266.1 hrs in game
Read More: Best Co-op World War II Games.
First off, if you are looking for single player experience, go back and grab yourself SH5 and The wolves of steel modpack.
That is, in my opinion, the best submarine simulator there is.
That being said, Wolfpack has unique hands on approach with controlling the boat itself, and it really is the best aspect of the whole game, that and the ability to play with other people.
After all the good things (two things) to say about this “sim”, I would NOT recommend the game for anybody. Not on the regular price at the very least. The game is really buggy (graphic glitches, sound bugs of massive forest fire starting on your boat, being able to drive too deep with diesel engines running, AI only caring about the boat that has done the most damage. to mention a few)
– Real player with 180.2 hrs in game
We Need To Go Deeper
1. Amazing soundtrack that fits the atmosphere of the game completely. Which counts for battle and management of the ship into starting and or in between a adventure.
2. Anything game-breaking is immediately fixed usually by the awesome developers who spend so much of their time burning their eyes on the screen just to hear everyones suggestions and reports out.
3. Active developers in the community speaking and having conversation with the community in which they take ideas on from. (not that they need to, they’re not obligated to always respond or do work for everyone)
– Real player with 392.3 hrs in game
Read More: Best Co-op Lovecraftian Games.
This game is so much fun. When you have even one other human to play it with, it is a comedy of errors as you try to manipulate your ship (which steers like a cow at the best of times, and a rock most of the time) into the depths of the Living Infinite, discovering all sorts of crazy new weapons and costumes along the way.
When you have even one other human.
It SAYS it’s playable single player, but that’s absolutely laughable. You can fill your submarine with a crew of bots that will nominally do things like slam their weakest wrenches against the holes in your ship or fire at every small enemy on your screen (even if it’s something you SHOULDN’T BE FIRING AT, like the totem that will spawn a ghost if you shoot at it but is perfectly safe if you steam gently past it)… but they won’t help you if you want a turn on the shooty shooty guns and want someone else to steer your yellow submarine. Nor will they help you bust through walls in your caving adventures if you happened to be holding an item that does not damage walls (like the chemistry set).
– Real player with 214.0 hrs in game
Legacies
In Legacies you are a team of eco-vigilantes who are trying to do good with what they got. Choose from an assortment of tech filled submarines, investigate distress beacons and gather evidence to discover what caused the cry for help. But beware, dangers lurk above and below the water.
Distress beacons can vary from ecological, exploitation or even natural disasters. It’s up to your team to work together to discover the cause, log the evidence required, and choose whether it’s time to fight or flight. Your team could turn in your evidence for money, or face the problem head on for an even larger reward.
IronWolf VR
Ironwolf really nails the idea of being a VR game. Everything (apart from the menus) is controlled by wheels and switches that you have to pull or turn or require other physical tasks. It makes the game much more immersive, yet it doesn’t make the game more annoying or tedious.
The game can be played as singleplayer, but it’s much more fun to play together. Up to 4 players can play together, and the more players are playing, the more fun the game gets. Sadly right now It can be hard to find a full lobby, however it isn’t too hard to find at least 1 player to play with. The community itself is extremely nice too, I didn’t encounter even one player who was toxic, yelled at others or insulted anyone, and mistakes were often forgiven, even if they caused the mission to fail.
– Real player with 98.3 hrs in game
First off, love the game, and I am using a Samsung Odyssey Mixed Reality headset and controller - which isn’t listed in the supported headsets, but works great. Controls all work and are where they should be.
The graphics in this game are, in my opinion, not phenominal, but definitely good enough to be a highly immersive experience putting you in a WWII era submarine. I bought a space ship SIM based on a highly popular sci-fi franchise the same day as this one, and while the graphics in that one are very nice and polished, I don’t think it is anywhere near as fun as this game is.
– Real player with 82.0 hrs in game
Abyssus
As a late 19th Century brinepunk mercenary-for-hire, you are employed to explore the subaquatic ruins of an ancient civilization. However, your mission of discovery turns to one of survival as the sunken kingdom’s corrupted inhabitants make it clear that interlopers are not welcome.
Wield an array of exotic, adaptable weaponry, and fortify yourself with mysterious, enhancing powers as you engage in a seemingly perpetual battle against the watery domain’s ranks of mutated guardians.
Abyssus is the latest creation from Swedish developer DoubleMoose, which was founded by ex-developers from Coffee Stain and Ubisoft.
USE OUTLANDISH GUNS TO KILL OUTLANDISH ENEMIES
Equip yourself with human brinepunk firearms or strange, ancient weapons as you prepare to face foes unlike anything you’ve ever encountered before
EXPERIMENT WITH WEAPON AND CHARACTER MUTATIONS
Modify and customize your guns to suit your playstyle, and harness the power of passive and active abilities to give you an edge over enemies
EXPLORE THE UNDERWATER RUINS OF AN ANCIENT CIVILIZATION
Inspired by the folklore of Atlantis, and the designs and architecture of the Aztecs and Incas, the world of Abyssus is richly atmospheric and steeped in mystery
S.U.B.
Small and simple co-op but very fun
– Real player with 1.4 hrs in game
Small co-op station game.
1 submarine, 2 players, 4 stations (steering, weapons, scanner, smelter), 1 level. essential, this feels like a minimalist version of Catastronauts that is also less exciting. You navigate the deep looking for keycards and scrap metal while fending off laser sharks, and when you enter the enemy base, it turns out they’re in another castle, and the game ends. Mind you, the concept isn’t that bad, and if the devs had put some effort into making a campaign and different enemies, it could be a lot better; but as it is, If you want to do couch co-op, I recommed springing for a better game that has more variety.
– Real player with 0.7 hrs in game
The Fisherman - Fishing Planet
I’ve played both Fishing Planet and The Fisherman: Fishing Planet, they are both great and have different issues. One reason I enjoy The Fisherman is that you don’t need to worry so much about making money in the game. You buy licenses one time, travel is cheaper, no cooldown on forwarding the time, and you make baitcoins by catching uniques (a few species gave credits on uniques). I got the game when it was on 60% discount, and I think it’s worth that but would probably think twice for paying full price for it (could be better to spend that money on the regular Fishing Planet instead).
– Real player with 373.3 hrs in game
Gave this review after not playing the game enough: This is what Fishing Planet used to be before they decided to change everything. Catch rates are so so much better and it is very much less grindy and believe me I grinded my backside off in Fishing Planet. Still early days but would recommend it but not at £34.99 I shopped around and got it much much cheaper.
Edit 31/01/2020: There is still bugged fish in the game where no matter what you the fish either runs and runs or comes so far in and then runs again.
– Real player with 353.8 hrs in game