Curse of the Sea Rats

I wanted to finish this game before i gave it a proper review. While the hand animation art is spectacular, there comes a problem when it comes to game play elements that weren't looked into or properly play tested especially when it comes down to co-op. I played this with my friend and the amount of bugs we encountered were ridiculous and made the game frustrating at points in time. The only fix for said bugs is to exit to main menu (if you still can and are not blocked by a bug) or exit the game completely and reset it. The bugs we encountered are as followed: 1. One person does infrequent damage or no damage at all. Usually it affects player 1, but sometimes does affect player 2. 2. Jumping upwards on platforms to another part of the map causes player 2 most of the time to not jump up with you, leaving them behind. You will have to jump back down else player 2 will die from the timer off screen. 3. Opening the map too hastily while changing rooms will cause a black screen you can not pause and go to the main menu, you will have to reset the game completely. 4. A player can sometimes end up invisible after death and resent to the save room, simple fix walk out of the room the player will show again. (May also lead to the player affected have infrequent or no damage at all) 5. Non responsive jumps mainly in the temple area when leaving a save room where you need to double jump to avoid a spear trap, if impatient and you do not wait the double jump will not work and you will land in the spikes. 6. Force hooking to a ledge when jumping almost like a magnet when you are not even near the ledge, this seems to be a rare bug that can happen in my experience while playing. 7. No input responses on player 1 at all at times, will require a reset, pause button does not work. 8. When player 2 goes to buy an upgrade and can not afford and upgrade it will pop up the message saying you do not have enough, controls then go to player 1 until menu is backed out of. Player 2 can then regain control of the menu. These are 8 bugs at the moment I can think of that were a huge pain, especially when we'd make a lot of progress and defeat a boss or explore a lot of areas only to lose the progress we made because there is 0 auto save. The only way the game saves is when you go to the rooms to upgrade your character and speak to the person. From checking the update history I take it there will not be any updates to fix this game. For a metroidvania I expected it to be a bit more polished. Now let me get to a smaller issue, the voice acting. I'm sure there are plenty of talented voice actors/actresses out there, but the ones in this game felt like nails on a chalk board or just downright offensive stereotypes. Let's use Bussa for an example, I think they can voice act properly if they were given better dialogue or used proper equipment when recording the lines. His dialogue sounded so muted and a bit robotic at the time due to a poor quality mic. Akane Yamakawa takes the cake tho, this was a character I refused to play from dialogue alone, it felt so wrong when she spoke. You know what I mean if you have played this game. We played on the classic mode, instead of their new mode. We didn't struggle much with bosses at all especially if you can just spam the "Ultra Moves" with 0 punishment or risk of taking damage, mainly using Bussa for this example because his attack is drawn out for so long. The secret bosses you find towards end game, are absolutely 0 threat compared to how i took a regular metroidvania would be, there was no challenge with any of those, no phase 2. It seemed like they were thrown in last minute for extra content if you want those achievements to defeat ALL the bosses and collect all items to finish peoples mini quests. And lastly I thought this was just funny, but why does one of Buffalo Calf's attacks sounds like she just sharted herself before attacking? First time I heard it I was baffled, made me laugh however so thank you for that. I guess the puffin onslaught also attacking my friend was pretty hilarious too at times when they'd get knocked back off a cliff. What can i say tho this game has some ups, but a lot of downs due to its bugs. It had the potential to be great, it just needed some more polish. Personally I'd rate it a 2.5 / 5 Play at your own risk if you are still interested in the game.

I wanted to like this game. I really did. The art style and hand-drawn assets are actually very good. But the game just isn't fun to play. It focuses on the worst aspects of metroidvanias, and the actual movement and combat are very clunky and unsatisfying. Here's hoping the game did well enough for the devs to make a better game next time!

I tried this game few times. The artwork is really neat, but gameplay and controls ruin everything. One tiny bomb takes half of your life. Come on... If you want it to be like Cuphead, you need to make controls absolutely perfect.

Знаете, как можно совершить преступление, не совершая его? Сделать стильную, добротно анимированную метроидванию... из рук вон плохо. Но у бразильцев это получилось. Даже я не выдержал, и пишу свой первый отрицательный обзор. Причины? Давайте по порядку. Инди-метроидвании для меня - вещь не новая. Отыграл и закрыл на платину пачку очень разных игр. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Dust: An Elysian Tail, Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights, Laika: Aged Through Blood, The Vagrant... все они были очень разными, но у каждой была своя фишка. И когда я увидел "крысоидванию", то сразу стало очевидно, что визуал и будет той самой фишкой игры. "Смешанные" обзоры меня не смутили - я встречал немало отличных игр с такими оценками. Но в этот раз минусов обнаружилось настолько много, что даже самый вкусный визуал оказался бессилен. Обратимся к статистике - первого босса, добраться до которого можно в первые полчаса игры, прошло всего 56% игроков. Причина? Деревянное управление и всё, что с ним связано. Можно сказать, что меня избаловали метроидвании, созданные микрокомандами на коленке (со знанием дела!), но никакая неопытность разработчика не оправдывает увиденное здесь. В наличии целое комбо - контактный урон, возможность атаковать только стоя на месте, никаких перекатов или уклонений (а дэш выдают только после убийства 3 босса, до которого добралось лишь 30% запустивших игру). Игрок будто оказывается не в современной метрухе, а в древнем платформере, где неспешный шаг да хиленький прыжок - твой арсенал на долгие часы вперед. Но нюансы с боевой системой — это только верхушка айсберга. В "Крысах" страдает и база геймдизайна. Например, некоторые локации выстроены так, что в местах подъема на два этажа выше неизбежно получаешь в лицо камень/бомбу/еще что-то от стоящего наверху моба, теряя ощутимую часть здоровья. Да, в дальнейшем всё это сглаживается двойным прыжком, заряженным прыжком, магической ультой и т.д, но дыры в геймдизайне от этого не становятся меньше. Они зияют на полотне игры вплоть до финала. Особенно меня посмешила локация Храма, где в один момент при переходе на очередной экран ты появляешься прямо на ловушке с копьями (в духе Принца Персии) - и через секунду получаешь урон почти на половину здоровья (это при высоком 30+ уровне). "Тебе весело, а мне нет!" (с). Следующий аспект — это персонажи и задания. Неписи тут озвучены неплохо (иногда даже хорошо), но вот задания, которые они дают, не добавляются в журнал. Почему? Да нет его здесь, вот почему! Вообще. Набрали квестов на кучу вещей? Не можете сообразить, что куда нести? Может карта подскажет, где кто стоит? Нет, не подскажет! Даже названия разных локаций (хотя бы уже исследованных!) при скролле карты не отображаются - куда уж там до персонажей! Ну хорошо, может наполнение мира даст прикурить другим метрухам? Конечно, ведь когда ты с трудом добрался до сундука в дальнем углу пещеры, преодолев ловушки, мерзких мобов и много чего еще, "Чашечка чая" — это именно та награда, которую ты мечтал заполучить! Бритиш вей зе бритиш гоу! Уже предвкушаете погоню за сокровищами в запрятанных сундуках? Держите карман шире - найти что-то помимо перекуса и золота не выйдет. А, нашёл секрет, разбив фальшивую стену? Вот тебе коллектаблс с отсылкой ко всему, что мы смогли вспомнить! О да, отсылки в этой игре - это отдельный вид искусства. Что делает отсылку или пасхалку хорошей? Когда она добавлена к месту. Например, в каком-нибудь Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon отсылки к культуре 80-х были в тему, потому что стилизация и тематика игры к этому располагали. В "Крысоидвании" у нас пираты, значит будут отсылки на пиратские приколы, верно? А вот и не угадали - держите Дэна Брауна и "Код Да Винчи", "Назад в будущее", "Игру Престолов", "Титаник", Марайю Кэри и еще сотню вещей, которые не имеют к теме никакого отношения. Пиратские отсылки, конечно, встречаются - пару раз за игру (например, "Компас, который всегда указывает на север" или соломенная шляпа понятно кого), но остальное — это просто мешанка из всего, что смог вспомнить геймдизайнер в процессе запила данного шедевра. Дурацкий подход - но учитывая, как обстоят дела с игрой в других моментах, я ни разу ему не удивлен. Как можно было унизить художников, вложивших немало труда в визуал игры? Показывать сплеш-скрины боссов меньше секунды, чтобы заскринить их у тебя точно не получилось. Как можно было испортить дизайн мира в целом? Не ставить ни телепорт, ни сейв-поинт на огромных кусках карты, обрекая игрока бежать пару минут к боссу, на котором слился. Как можно было испортить единственный в игре магазин? Торгаш Роберт по ходу сюжета перемещается, но, если его стартовый магазин находится в удобном месте, про другие точки такого не скажешь, из-за чего купить расходку и хилки зачастую проблематично. Как испортить остроумные диалоги? Не добавив их в игру! И разбавляя неплохие моменты приколами в стиле "пиратам не нужна страховка" или "дай-ка номерок своего стилиста". Шутки-прибаутки — это отлично, но не такого формата. А про сцену с тем, как надо всем "сходить в туалет", я вообще молчу... Ну может хотя бы музыка не подкачала? Нет, её тоже можно назвать очень средней. Некоторые треки поначалу так и напрашиваются кандидатами в бэнгеры, но слушаешь дальше - и нифига. Музыкальные приемы и повороты, которые делают музыку залипательной, здесь не присутствуют - возможно музыку вообще генерили через ИИ, кто знает... Единственный трек, который с натяжкой можно назвать хорошим — это финальная тема. Она и правда звучит. Ах да, не могу не сказать про концовки. Их здесь целых 4, и если "истинная" и "трусливая" вопросов не вызывают, то 2 других требуют от игрока... ПРОИГНОРИРОВАТЬ контент - в первом случае не бить одного из боссов (???), а во втором - не делать одно из заданий, никак не связанное с главной целью игры (??????). Как игрок вообще должен понять, что это полностью МЕНЯЕТ концовку? Да никак... Лицо -> ладонь. В результате, ну... "Крысоидвания" проигрывает по всем параметрам кроме визуала буквально любой обозначенных в начале обзора игр. В Curse of the Sea Rats плохо практически всё - боевая система и управление, дизайн мира и эксплоринг, прокачка и менеджмент инвентаря... музыка на троечку, боссы визуально разнообразные, с любопытными механиками, но при этом до безобразия жирные. И это я еще далеко не все минусы затронул... Жаль художников - они точно были не в курсе, что геймдизайнер с командой не особо разбираются в том, что делают. Итог - слабая троечка, увы.

Probably the worst combat I've seen in a mv in years.

I really appreciate when devs continue to update a game years after release.

Hard pass. Another style over substance which I'm getting tired of with games. While aesthetically it is fantastic, there are lots of control and platforming issues. It seems about a third of the time trying to perform an air attack the character would just jump without attacking while hitting the attack button. Then there were sequences where you would need to climb/escape a growing hazard and lets say you just wanted to jump to the platform above you but it was short and there was a wall next to it - your character would hug the wall and you would need to jump down to the platform you were originally aiming for in order to be able to get enough height to get to the one above that. What made me quit though was a boss fight - it wasn't particularly difficult, but the devs decided it would be a good idea for you to be able to get blown/knocked off the boss fight area during a 2 phase fight and have to start the entire thing over. F that. Even if the controls were good that would be really annoying - but given they are pretty poor that ended any enjoyment I had with the game. Seriously - devs need to focus on gameplay first, not how it looks. There's a reason games like Hyper Light Drifter and Dead Cells have such an avid following - the controls are intuitive and tight. You can predict what your character will do. Simple graphics trump aesthetics every single time.

Curse of the Sea Rats is a beautifully animated, pirate-themed Metroidvania that immediately stands out thanks to its rich hand-drawn art style and charmingly odd premise. Developed by Petoons Studio and published by PQube, the game begins aboard a British prison ship in 1777, where a powerful pirate witch named Flora Burn uses her magic to transform the entire crew into humanoid rats. Four prisoners—each condemned for their own misdeeds—are promised freedom if they can track down Flora, rescue the kidnapped admiral’s son, and break the curse. It’s a classic swashbuckling setup, but the transformation twist and the vibrant visual style give the adventure a playful personality right from the start. The strongest aspect of Curse of the Sea Rats is undeniably its presentation. Every character, enemy, and background is illustrated with clean, expressive linework that evokes traditional 2D animation. Environments such as rocky coasts, cavernous ruins, and makeshift pirate strongholds pop with color and detail, making exploration a visual pleasure even when the gameplay falters. Animations are fluid and lively, imbuing every movement with a sense of weight and charm. Boss encounters in particular highlight the game’s artistic ambition, with massive hand-drawn monsters that look like they were lifted straight from a Saturday morning cartoon. It’s the kind of visual identity that immediately hooks players who appreciate craftsmanship in 2D animation. Mechanically, the game blends side-scrolling exploration with beat-’em-up combat, offering four playable characters with distinct fighting styles. David Douglas is a straightforward melee fighter, Buffalo Calf favors agility and arcing strikes, Bussa delivers slower but heavy-hitting attacks, and Akane mixes mobility with mystical ranged abilities. Each character has their own skill tree, allowing players to invest experience points in new combos, stat boosts, and special moves. On paper, this system promises a great deal of variety—especially since local co-op for up to four players allows friends to share the adventure. At its best, the game delivers energetic combat, satisfying ability upgrades, and the kind of exploration loops that define the Metroidvania genre. However, the game often struggles to match its artistic ambition with equally polished gameplay. One of the biggest issues lies in the controls, which can feel stiff, unresponsive, or heavy, especially during precision platforming or intense enemy encounters. Attacks have noticeable wind-ups, jumps sometimes feel inconsistent, and dodging can be unreliable. These issues become particularly evident when facing enemy clusters or navigating platform sequences that demand tight timing. For a genre that thrives on fluidity and responsive mechanics, these shortcomings make the experience more frustrating than it should be. Another system that sounds promising but falls short in execution is character progression. While having four heroes is appealing, each one levels independently, meaning players must repeat the grind to unlock their abilities if they switch characters mid-campaign. This discourages experimentation and makes the cast feel less flexible than intended. Most players will end up choosing one character and sticking with them for the entire run, undermining the value of having multiple playstyles. Combined with a Dark Souls-inspired mechanic that causes you to lose resources on death until you retrieve them, the game occasionally introduces friction rather than rewarding exploration. Enemy balance and difficulty tuning also show inconsistencies. Early areas can be surprisingly punishing due to dense enemy placement or awkward attack patterns, while mid-game encounters sometimes feel too easy in comparison. Boss fights, despite their fantastic visual design, can also fluctuate between exhilarating and annoyingly spongy depending on your character build. Several quality-of-life issues—such as unclear hitboxes, repetitive backtracking, and occasional bugs—further dampen the experience. Despite these flaws, Curse of the Sea Rats manages to maintain an enjoyable sense of adventure. The world is large and rewarding to explore, with secrets, shortcuts, and optional areas that enrich the campaign. The pirate-witch storyline, while simple, offers enough charm to give context to your journey, and the supporting cast adds humor and personality. When the game hits its stride, slicing through enemies and discovering new regions can be genuinely satisfying. Ultimately, Curse of the Sea Rats is a game that shines brightest in its visual artistry and thematic creativity. It offers a world that is delightful to look at, characters that stand out visually, and an atmosphere full of whimsy and pirate-themed charm. However, its mechanical shortcomings—uneven controls, repetitive progression systems, and inconsistent difficulty—keep it from reaching its full potential as a top-tier Metroidvania. For players who prioritize aesthetics and enjoy cooperative play, it can still be a worthwhile and entertaining journey. For those seeking tight, polished gameplay above all else, it may fall short of expectations. It’s a visually stunning adventure wrapped around an uneven core, but one that still offers enough heart and style to leave an impression if you’re willing to embrace both its strengths and its flaws. Rating: 5/10

Game seem fun granted i chose the noob mode. Its my pace in terms of this style of games. I didnt run into any issues in terms of platforming or combat either.

This is a good game. As someone who played it twice (both before and after the quality of life improvements) I can say it is a good game. It has its flaws with the combat and exploration but being labyrinthian metriodvania, issues with exploration is a given. The humor with the writing and dialogue is some of the best I've seen/heard in a video game like this. The visuals are still so so good with the animation and character models. Its was never too hard or too easy as long as you take your time and focus on getting past the enemies. There were some frustrating parts with the jumping and gauging distance did make me angry but nothing too severe epically after the QOL updates. This game has come a long way since its launch and I'm glad to see it still holding strong.