Chris InglisHaving had a promising hands-on preview of Trident’s Tale by 3DClouds, I was eager to finally embark on the full pirate adventure after the game launched on May 22, 2025. My initial impressions highlighted the game’s vibrant world, charming characters, and the intriguing premise of a young captain, Ocean, seeking the legendary Storm Trident. While those core elements still shine through in the full release, the gameplay loop does start getting repetitive, but playing in smaller doses helped alleviate the tedium somewhat.
Ocean’s journey to avenge her home and uncover the secrets of the Trident is filled with quirky personalities and a lighthearted tone. The crew members you recruit along the way each bring unique abilities that add a layer of strategy to both land-based combat and naval encounters. The voice acting fits the cartoonish aesthetic and lends to the overall whimsical feel, and the puzzles you need to solve throughout help change the pace of the gameplay and are never too challenging.
The land combat in Trident’s Tale, initially described as “simplistic but satisfying,” starts to feel a little clunky at times. While Ocean gains access to various magical abilities, the core swordplay lacks weight and precision. Locking onto enemies can be finicky where it is easy to switch the lock to another monster as you attempt to dodge away from the first one. This issue is more apparent in crowded encounters, turning what should be exciting skirmishes into sometimes frantic button mashing.
The naval part of the game is still a treat as you explore the high seas, picking up flotsam and starting or joining sea fights as you sail to distant lands. Manoeuvring to effectively target enemy vessels or avoid incoming fire often proves a little more cumbersome than strategic at times. While recruiting crew members with special naval abilities adds some tactical depth, the core mechanics and lack of boarding fights loses some of its immersion. Having played many hours of King of Seas, I also appreciate how the developers have iterated on the formula with land-based exploration being the biggest addition, but also further refinements of the naval combat mechanics.
Exploration, which was a highlight of my preview, remains a strong point. The various islands are visually distinct and offer a good mix of environmental puzzles and hidden treasures. The crafting system, which allows Ocean to create new weapons, potions, and ship upgrades is a good feature that rewards you for your efforts. While it provides a means to enhance your abilities, progression can be slowed down with the resources required often leading to backtracking and grinding to find them.
Overall, Trident’s Tale presents a charming world and an engaging story with side quests, loot to plunder and there’s crafting for upgrades. The swashbuckling adventure offers a lighthearted pirate-themed experience with some flaws in the combat encounters. The puzzles add some good complexity without going too far, and I did appreciate being able to explore on land as well as the seas. Fans of cartoony and slower-paced pirate games may find enjoyment but expect some tedium at times along the journey.
This review utilised a key provided by Renaissance PR and Trident’s Tale is out now on Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.
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