14 DAY TRIAL // 
Three types of cannons are mounted on the front of my ship, constantly firing on an enemy that’s better at managing his sails than me. I make a bad turn, move into the wind, slow down, and he moves a little farther away. One of my cannonballs manages to hit him and my companion ship also swings into action, attacking from his side.
The pirate is tangled, so I make sure to trim my sails to use the wind and launch toward him, all weapons firing as fast as possible. This quickly destroys the enemy vessel, which drops some wood and a few other supplies. I quickly patch up my ship using the dropped wood, replace one of the guns with a better one, and decide to go forward and travel to another island chain, ready to deliver some much-needed cooking supplies. Maybe I will also get an opportunity to get another ship added to my nascent armada.
Sail Forth is developed by Festive Vector and published by The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild. I played via Steam on the PC. It is also offered on the Nintendo Switch, the PlayStation 4, and the Xbox One. The game combines ship-focused action with fleet management and exploration.
The game’s narrative is centered around Captain Toot and Goose. They quickly find one another in the middle of the ocean and decide to adventure together, with a small map and limited info about what they can encounter. The pair will soon recruit more sailors and even get extra ships.
They will also encounter a cast of eccentric characters, many of which offer quests or fleet services. The game’s writing aims for humor and incorporates plenty of Age of Sail tropes but never becomes annoying. I wish that some characters had more lines but it’s nice to discover more about the world via exploration than backstory.
The core of Sail Forth is sea-based gameplay. Captain Toot is a master sailor, able to control a range of vessels using just a few commands. An easy-to-read wind indicator allows players to trim the sails to gain speed, while quick movement of the rudder decides the direction.
The game does not aim for realism but for a sense of speed and exploration. The sea is not a full open world, but rather a series of interconnected locations with points of interest, including other ships, islands, characters, and abandoned vessels.
Ships also mount weaponry, designed to be fired on the move. The mechanics are, again, simple: point the vessel toward the enemy, put the cross hairs in the right position, and fire at will. Most enemies are decent at maneuvering but it’s not hard to outsmart them and win a naval engagement.
The difficulty increases when it comes to island-based forts. It is hard to maneuver and accurately fire at land-based defenses and the risk of beaching is high. Keep away from them until you get a big fleet that can overwhelm enemies with a ton of fire.
Moving across the waves is fun solo but it’s even better when you do it with virtual friends. Sail Forth quickly allows players to pick up another ship and get a named character to control it. Some merchants offer more ships for sale (they also offer cosmetic and gameplay-focused improvements). Soon, players can have a fleet.
This gives them extra power during combat and more hull space for upgrades and for cargo. Gamers can control what equipment is placed on which ship and who crews them. Players should keep control of the best one in their fleet but computer captains handle their commands well.
Sail Forth rewards exploration. Derelicts offer access to extra wood. Giant clamshells can be opened up to release their tightly guarded pearls. Boats can stop in special spots to engage in a bit of fishing, although the mini-game is a little annoying.
Despite the general Age of Sail tech level of the world, Captain Toot also gains access to a camera. He can take pictures to solve some quests, which feels weird, or simply capture the beauty of the ocean he is discovering.
Sail Forth is at its best when the player’s ship is at full speed, sails correctly oriented, wind anywhere but to the front, numbly dodging islands, and investigating points of interest while trying to finish a quest. The game manages to conjure a feeling of freedom that other exploration-focused titles fail to deliver.
The developers know this, which is why they offer a full Free Sail mode. If fishing or a quest in the campaign frustrates you, simply choose a place and time and simply glide across the waves.
Sail Forth looks like a well-designed indie game, with a focus on style over realism. It still offers some beautiful moments, mostly when the sun hangs low over the water and the players zoom out to take in the islands, the shimmer of the water, and the vessels of the fleet. The user interface is also well-organized, allowing gamers to quickly gain access to all important options, including repairs for their ships and fishing, when it is available. Characters, although very interested in talking, do not have actual voice lines, which is a good choice for this type of experience, and the soundtrack manages to complement the sea voyage setting well.
The Good
- Sailing mechanics
- Ship-to-ship encounters
- Fleet mechanics
The Bad
- Non-navel combat
- Side activities
- Not an open world
Conclusion
Players who expect a full-on open-world experience might be disappointed. But the smaller areas deliver extra meaning for each encounter, regardless of whether it is another pirate fight or a race, or something else. Sail Forth doesn’t deliver on all its mechanics but it nails the sense of freedom and exploration.
A review key was provided by the publisher.
