''Overboard!'' (''Shipwreckers!'' in North America) is a top-down adventure game, released by
Psygnosis
Psygnosis Limited (; known as SCE Studio Liverpool or simply Studio Liverpool from 1999) was a British video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher headquartered at Wavertree Technology Park in Liverpool. Founded in 1984 by Ian Het ...
for the
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
and
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
in 1997. It employs a light-hearted, all-ages piratical theme. A relatively low-key release for Psygnosis, the game was met with mixed reviews.
Gameplay
The player controls a
pirate ship, shown to be crewed by three pirates in
cutscene
A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...
s. In gameplay, when the ship catches on fire the pirates jump
overboard until the lifebar becomes empty.
The game is sometimes referred to as a
strategy game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous, decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome. Almost all strategy games require internal decision tree-style think ...
,
but it is primarily an
adventure game
An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story, driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based m ...
. ''Overboard!'' also features a
multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
mode for up to five players (requires the
multitap adapter) in which the opponents compete to sink other players’ ships.
[
]
Development
The game was showcased at E3 1997.
The original soundtrack for the game was composed by Stuart Duffield.
Reception
''Overboard!'' received mixed reviews, with its release during a holiday season crowded with highly-rated big budget titles working against it. '' Next Generation'' stated that "Ultimately, ''Shipwreckers!'' is a fun, quirky title with occasional moments of brilliance. However, with so many other great games out right now, it falls a little short of the mark." Similarly, ''IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' concluded that "''Shipwreckers!'' isn't a bad game. The control is solid and the graphics clean, if a bit dated. But with so many other great games out this holiday season (many of them from Psygnosis, actually) there's just no reason to blow $50 on this one."[
On the more positive side, '']GamePro
''GamePro'' was an American multiplatform video game magazine media company that published online and print content covering the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software. The magazine featured content on various video ...
'', while unimpressed by the graphics and sound, recommended the game based on the change of pace offered by its unique gameplay. Critics overwhelmingly praised the originality of the game's design,[ though Shawn Smith of '']Electronic Gaming Monthly
''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews.
History
The magazine was fou ...
'' (''EGM'') said it was similar to, and inferior to, the 1993 game '' The Lost Vikings'',[ and '']GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' compared it unfavorably to '' Sid Meier's Pirates!''. ''GameSpot'' nonetheless deemed it solid enough to be worth buying,[ though their separate review for the PlayStation version was negative, saying the lack of variety and depth in the gameplay makes it grow old over the course of the single-player campaign,][ a criticism shared by a number of reviewers.][ However, some reviewers said that the multiplayer mode is the game's strong point, turning it into an intense and addictive party game.][
Though the graphics as a whole met a mixed response, most critics admitted to being impressed with the transparency effects on the water.][ Reviewers for both ''GamePro'' and ''EGM'' found the music annoying and run-of-the-mill,][ though like ''GamePro'', Kraig Kujawa and Shawn Smith both recommended the game, with Kujawa calling it "a cute and original game whose simple play mechanics make it very appealing." Their co-reviewers Crispin Boyer and Kelly Rickards were less enthusiastic, saying that the multiplayer mode makes it worth getting but players should not expect enjoyment out of the single-player mode.][
]
References
External links
* {{moby game, id=/shipwreckers, name=''Overboard!''
1997 video games
Action games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Naval video games
PlayStation (console) games
Psygnosis games
Video games about pirates
Video games developed in the United Kingdom
Windows games