Sea Dogs To Each His Own

Sea Dogs: To Each His Own is an open-world action RPG produced by Russian studio BlackMark and published by Akella. It is the first production since 2000 to be officially released worldwide under the Sea Dogs banner. Prior to that, titles based on the gameplay model proposed by the work of eighteen years ago were known as Age of Pirates: Tales from the Caribbean, Age of Pirates II: City of Abandoned Ships and Pirates of the Caribbean. Sea Dogs: To Each His Own was originally released only in Russian. It was not until February 12, 2016 that an official English translation was released on Steam.

The plot

The year is 1654, and the golden era for sea adventurers of all kinds is beginning. In these troubled times came to live a French nobleman, Charles de Maure. One day the young man receives a message from his brother, who asks him to come as soon as possible to the Caribbean, to the city of Saint Pierre located on the island of Martinique, in order to help him in some important matter. On the spot, it turns out that Charles' relative has become embroiled in dangerous political machinations, as a result of which he owes a debt of a round million pesos, and until he or his family pay it off, he will remain in prison. The task seems simple - Charles must raise the required amount as soon as possible. Complications multiply, however, and an initially simple family affair turns into the adventure of a lifetime with the goal of becoming one of the most powerful people in the entire Caribbean.

Mechanics

As with the Age of Pirates series or the original Sea Dogs, the gameplay in To Each His Own can also be divided into two parts. During the first, land-based part, we visit towns where we buy and sell goods, repair, upgrade or exchange our flagship for a newer model, recruit a crew, participate in mini-games such as dice and cards, and talk to local residents. We can also start exploring the jungles stretching inland in search of hidden treasures. However, you have to be on guard - in the forest backwoods, caves and ruins lurk not only bandits, but also supernatural beings, including animated skeletons. You can deal with them with a wide range of weapons, both white and firearms. Armor and various healing items are also indispensable during combat. Elements of equipment can be purchased, found by the bodies of defeated enemies or in chests, or created thanks to the crafting system.

The second part of the game in Sea Dogs: To Each His Own takes place on the sea. During it we can move between cities and islands scattered around the Caribbean. There are also other ships moving on the world map, belonging to five nations - English, French, Spanish, Dutch and pirates. We can attack each of them for looting purposes, but note that this will reflect on our relations with the country in question. Sea battles are one of the hallmarks of Sea Dogs: To Each His Own. They can be quite challenging, but also impressive and rewarding. During battles with other ships we have to pay attention to a number of factors - wind direction, weather conditions and range. The latter depends on the quality of the guns and the type of bullets we are using at the moment. During combat we can use ordinary chain guns used to destroy the rigging, cartridges that thin out the crew and bombs that make huge holes in the hull. Their selection depends on what we want to achieve - to achieve a boarding, that is, to board an enemy ship, cut out its crew and seize it with all its cargo (which is the most profitable, but also dangerous), or to send the enemy to the bottom. While at sea, we can also attack the fort protecting a particular city and take it by storm. However, one should bear in mind that for such a maneuver one needs a well-armed and sturdy ship and a large crew.

As befits a full-fledged RPG, in Sea Dogs: To Each His Own, players receive experience points for each battle won, whether on land or sea, and for completing subsequent tasks ordered by governors or Caribbean residents. After collecting enough of them, they are promoted to the next level and can develop selected parameters (there are seven of them), as well as learn new skills. Importantly, individual stats are also raised by officers, who can be recruited during the game.

The options for the development of the hero are quite numerous, as are the possibilities of passing the game. You can be a bloodthirsty pirate, but equally well shy away from violence and deal primarily in trade. The story missions also provide for several variants of completion, which encourages you to reach for the title more than once. What's worth mentioning, after completing the main story, the fun doesn't end, so we can continue exploring the Caribbean with all acquired abilities and equipment.

Technical issues

Sea Dogs: To Each His Own runs on an improved version of the Storm Engine, known at least from the Age of Pirates series. Thanks to it, in the game we can admire, first of all, carefully crafted, eye-catching water. In addition, the gameplay is enhanced by atmospheric music.