Pirates of Gravitae Preview

Pirates of Gravitae smashes two things together you probably never expected to see: flying pirate ships and mid-air dogfights between them all. This arcade-style roguelike has you taking to the skies to try and shoot down the other ships in the same air space as you. 

The controls have you using the A and D keys on your keyboard to control your direction and tilt; along with this your mouse controls the thrust with the left button, and the right fires your weapon, while the mouse itself is used to select the target you are firing at. That is all; it may seem incredibly easy, but it is definitely hard to master! You will have to perform crazy loops and turns to shoot down the enemy and avoid all the shots. Keep an eye out for incoming fire from forts stationed on small islands below you; make sure you take them out before they get you!

Once you successfully complete your mission, you will choose a perk; there are three different ones shown and a description with each to choose the one you think will be most beneficial. Some perks include items like coins or blueprints, and then others are improvements for your ship, like an increase in speed and the firing rate of your weapon. Once you select your perk, you will be taken back to your map to select which path to follow next. Sometimes this leads to new levels and enemy ships to destroy and raid during the day or night, other spots will repair your ship and replenish health, and others are spots for merchants where you can spend the coins you have earned on new weapons.

If your ship is destroyed and you are defeated, you will be forced to start back at the beginning of the map. This sucks, but the good news is you can redeem any blueprints you have to improve the ship and the crew. This will help make your mission easier to get you closer to that boss level. There will be different weapons that you can unlock that will be assigned to keys on the keyboard to use during a battle; some are crazy, like a hook that pulls in enemy ships close to you for easy destruction, and others are more basic like shots that do more damage with each hit. No matter which one you select, even if your ship is destroyed in battle, you will keep these upgrades for your next attempt.

The visuals in Pirates of Gravitae look great, the water has some rippling effects, and the flying pirate ships look cool. The effects from all the ammunition flying in the air and the contrails from the pirate planes are great. I thought with this many ships and bullets flying around there would be some lag, but I didn’t experience any while I was playing. The music fits in the high-speed battles that are always happening and is always upbeat, making you feel excited to be in combat.

I can’t wait to try out the full version when it releases, as the title is still in Early Access. I’m excited to see what the planned Story Mode will be like and what new features will be added for perks and characters. You can download the demo on Steam and try out the game for yourself. It’s an enjoyable fast-action title that is unique and exciting!