Highlights
- Age of Water offers players a thrilling post-apocalyptic adventure on the high seas, complete with salvaging, battling foes, and uncovering lost technology.
- Despite its promising premise inspired by Waterworld, Age of Water has faced backlash for its implementation of microtransactions in its early access launch.
- The debate over early access and microtransactions in the gaming industry continues.
The brand-new MMO Age of Water has released in early access, giving fans the opportunity to experience a game that is reminiscent of the cult classic 1995 film Waterworld. Ocean-faring video games have grown in popularity in recent years, and Age of Water looks to build upon the aquatic craze with gameplay straight out of an action movie.
Published by Gaijin Distribution KFT, a branch of War Thunder studio Gaijin Entertainment, Age of Water is a post-apocalyptic adventure MMO and is currently available to play in early access on PS5, Steam, and Xbox Series X|S. Age of Water is the first game by developer Three Whales Studio and has already been compared to an action flick from the 90s.
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Structured as an open world gaming experience, Age of Water offers players the opportunity to become captain of a powerful vessel that will allow them to cut across the seemingly endless ocean of a flooded world. Players can salvage useful materials, discover long-lost technology, outfit their ship with an array of weapons, battle ruthless enemies, and brave the challenges of the watery expanse. Uncharted territories and hidden treasures offer a pirating experience, while canon and machine gun upgrades for the ship provide the opportunity for epic combat. Players will encounter fellow survivors, each with a unique backstory, and exchange goods and tales to craft their own lore upon the seas.
Age of Water – Early Access Launch Trailer
The early access launch trailer gives players a detailed look at the aquatic world and action-packed gameplay in Age of Water. Many have drawn comparisons to Waterworld, a popular action film with a similar premise of a post-apocalyptic world of water. Both Waterworld and Age of Water see survivors piloting armored vessels as they struggle to survive harsh conditions and fierce competition. While Age of Water seems promising in its premise, it has already garnered negative response to its use of microtransactions in its early access launch. A number of recent releases have faced pushback from fans over microstransactions, with many angry at apparent “pay to win” structures. Some have remained optimistic that Age of Water may adjust this aspect of the game in time, though it remains unknown if changes will be made for the title’s full launch.
As fans question the necessity of microtransactions in multiplayer games, many wonder if the trend is reflective of a larger issue in the video game industry. Audiences have long debated whether games launching in early access should simply stay in development until a full release is ready, and fans have questioned if early access with added costs is too often a sign of limited funding for projects. Whether early access or microtransactions will begin to fade out at scale remains to be seen, but for now, games like Age of Water are having to face waves of criticism for the common practice.
