Sea Dogs: To Each His Own

Sea Dogs: To Each His Own is an open-world RPG developed by the Russian studio BlackMark and published by Akella. This is the first game since 2000 to be officially released around the world under the banner of Sea Dogs. Previously, game based on the gameplay formula proposed by eighteen year old game were the popular Age of Pirates: Tales of the Caribbean, Age of Pirates II: City of Abandoned Ships and Pirates of the Caribbean. Sea Dogs: To Each His Own was originally published only in Russian. It was not until February 12, 2016 that an official English translation appeared on Steam.

Story

The year is 1654. A golden era for all kinds of sea troublemakers begins. The French nobleman Charles de Maure lives in these turbulent times. One day, the young man receives a message from his brother who asks him to come to the Caribbean, to the city of Saint Pierre on the island of Martinique, as soon as possible, in order to help him with an important matter. Once there, it turns out that Charles' relative has become entangled in dangerous political plot, as a result of which he has a debt of around a million pesos and will remain in prison until he or his family pays him off. The task seems simple - Charles has to collect the required amount as soon as possible. However, the complications are multiplying and what began as a fairy standard family affair turns into an adventure of life 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 Dogsalso in To Each His Own we can divided the gameplay into two parts. During the first, land-based section, we visit cities where we buy and sell goods, repair, upgrade or replace our flagship with a newer vessel, recruit the crew, participate in mini-games such as dice or cards, and talk to the locals. We can also start exploring the inland jungles in search of hidden treasures. However, we have to be on our guard - not only bandits, but also supernatural beings lurk in the forests, caves and ruins, including animated skeletons. They can be dealt with thanks to a wide range of weapons, both melee and firearms. During combat, armor and various healing items are also irreplaceable. Equipment can be purchased, found on 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 at sea. During this time we can travel between cities and islands scattered around the Caribbean. There are also other ships on the map of the world, belonging to five factions - English, French, Spanish, Dutch and pirates. Each of them can be attacked for loot, but it is important to remember that this will affect our relations with the country whose vessel we attacked. Sea battles are one of the token features of Sea Dogs: To Each His Own. They can be quite demanding, but also spectacular and satisfying. When battling other ships we have to pay attention to a number of factors - wind direction, weather conditions and effective range. The latter depends on the quality of the guns and the type of balls we use at the moment. During the fight, we can use the standard type, chain balls to destroy the sails, grapeshots that cut down enemy crew and grenades that make huge holes in the hull. This choice depends on what we want to achieve - whether to board the enemy ship, killing the crew and capturing the vessel intact with all the cargo (which is the most profitable, but also dangerous option), or send the opponent to the bottom. When at sea, we can also attack the fort that protects a given city and storm it. However, it is important to bear in mind that such a manoeuvre requires a well-armed and strong ship and a large number of crewmen.

As befits a full-fledged RPG, Sea Dogs: To Each His Own rewards each victorious fight, whether on land or at sea, as well as completion of consecutive quests commissioned by governors or residents of the Caribbean residents, with experience points. After collecting an appropriate amount our character advances to the next level and can develop selected stat (there are seven of them), as well as learn new skills. What is important, also officers who can be recruited while playing will have their stats raised.

There are quite a lot of options for the hero's development, as well as ways to complete the game. We can be a bloodthirsty pirate, but we can also avoid violence and focus on trade. Story missions also have several endings, which encourages us to reach for the title more than once. What's worth remembering is that once the main story is over, the fun doesn't stop, so we can continue to explore the Caribbean with all the skills and equipment we've acquired.

Technical aspects

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

Last updated on May 3, 2020