This gorgeous free-to-play pirate RPG from the studio behind one of the longest-running asymmetrical horror games stole the show in a State of Play that already wowed me with Silent Hill f and Ghost of Yotei

Amid a flurry of news about high-profile releases like Silent Hill f, Ghost of Yotei, and Nioh 3 during yesterday's PlayStation State of Play, a genuinely stunning pirate RPG called Sea of Remnants made its debut, and I can't stop thinking about it.

Sea of Remnants is a curious li'l thing. It's billed as "a visually rich ocean adventure RPG" and a "sensory feast" with an aesthetic defined by "sharp-edged comic book flair, vibrant graffiti energy, and absurdist glitch aesthetics."

You play as a "puppetfolk sailor seeking lost memories," and you'll be able to recruit more than 300 (?!) companions across an open world map crawling with mermaids, giant crabs, flying sea serpents, as well as normal pirate adversaries like, you know, other pirates. You know what, I'm going to stop trying to describe this oddity of a game and just let you watch the trailer, because it really is something else.

Behold, Sea of Remnants:

Sea of Remnants | Anchors Aweigh, Capt'n - Gameplay Trailer | Get ready for PlayStation! - YouTube

Watch On

There's a whole Steam page for this game with plenty of detailed descriptions, yet I still don't feel like it's really been described to me.

The devs say it's an open-world turn-based RPG, which is fine, but it's also a free-to-play, mobile-friendly (iOS and Android) game developed by Identity V studio Joker and published by NetEase. How is it being monetized? There's no mention of multiplayer, so I'd be surprised if there's a store selling junk like loot boxes.

Wait, I think I smell something. Did you catch that little gambling animation around the 1:08 mark in the trailer? Is this a gacha game? Loot boxes by another name? That sure would explain the unfathomable 300+ companions, and it would also suit NetEase's involvement. Who knows, but the more I read about this game the more confused I become.

I really have no idea if this game will end up being any good, but it is highly intriguing, like alternate universe Sea of Thieves. NetEase doesn't exactly have the most pristine reputation for post-launch support, but I'm a big fan of Identity V, Sea of Remnants' visual style, and pirate games in general, so I'll be keeping a close eye on this one.

In the meantime, here are the best RPGs you can play right now.