The curse of the sea rats is a mysterious and dangerous phenomenon that has plagued sailors for centuries. According to legend, those who see the sea rats are doomed to face misfortune and tragedy on the high seas. The sea rats are said to be grotesque and haunting creatures that inhabit the depths of the ocean. They have been described as half-human and half-fish, with long, scaly tails and sharp, pointed teeth. It is believed that they have an insatiable hunger for human flesh and are known to attack unsuspecting sailors. Many tales have been told of ships that have encountered the sea rats and subsequently disappeared without a trace.
Freedom & Exploration
Explore the 18th Century Irish Coast and a navigate a vast non-linear map comprised of more than 300 rooms and passageways.
To regain their human bodies, they will have to fight dangerous bosses, uncover the secrets of the vast Irish coast, and ultimately capture the witch who cursed them. Your e-mail address is only used to send you our newsletter and information about the activities of Curse of the Sea Rats and other related PQube titles.
Many tales have been told of ships that have encountered the sea rats and subsequently disappeared without a trace. These stories often involve sightings of strange lights or eerie sounds coming from the depths of the ocean. Some believe that the sea rats possess a supernatural power that allows them to manipulate the weather and create treacherous storms.
Curse of the Sea Rats Review in 3 Minutes – Co-op Metroidvania
Curse of the Sea Rats is a Metroidvania with 4-player co-op by Petoons Studio in which you play as a prisoner turned into a rat by a pirate witch.
You run, jump, and attack your way through an interconnected series of rooms searching for items, abilities, and keys that allow you to progress. There are 4 characters to choose from, each with slightly different playstyles, but all of them have extremely basic movesets.
You have 3 attacks on the ground accessed by tilting the stick up or down or leaving it neutral, and the same again in the air. Each character has a block, parry, or dodge, a magic attack that uses one bar of Energy, and 4 more unlockable attacks that use energy. Other than that, you unlock a double jump, a dash, and a high jump.
There’s nothing exciting in the movesets of these characters, but they control precisely and make the mostly easy platforming decent, if unremarkable. The areas you traverse are littered with enemies, which you do mostly simple combat against, and the balance of simple combat and simple platforming is pleasant. The game leans towards the easy side, except for the fact that you instantly die when you fall off certain platforms, which is a pain.
Exploration is exactly what you expect. Most paths are blocked by locked doors for which you must find the keys, a handful are blocked by lacking the high jump or double jump, and others are open to you from the start. Once you find and kill a boss, you’ll get a key or ability and be able to access a new area.
A few times, I followed every open door marked on my map to a dead end and ended up stumped, not realizing that a half-explored room looks similar to a fully explored room on the map, and that I had missed the singular path forward by not walking to the other side of a room. It was quite frustrating to wander around the world, being sure that a room must have something I missed, but not being able to tell from the map.
The co-op seems fine, from the tiny amount I tried, but the game is already easy alone. As long as you level yourself up a bit and buy a few upgrades before fighting the first boss, you can beat a lot of bosses by just out-damaging them and spamming your Energy-based abilities. Most of the boss designs are fun but unremarkable, with the exception of a couple of heinously long bosses at the end of the game.
The writing here is too on the nose, with every character having a single character trait that is supposed to be funny. For example, there’s a gay character, three fat characters, and a vampire, and all their dialogue is about them being gay, fat, or a vampire. The overall story is unremarkable, and the voice acting ranges from acceptable to outright bad. The hand-drawn art is nice, at least.
Curse of the Sea Rats hews too closely to the Metroidvania formula. Anything I describe from the game is essentially the same as any other Metroidvania, and it doesn’t have a unique twist of its own, except for the 4-player co-op. It’s fun, but not outrageously so. I enjoyed the 6 hours I took to complete it, but it’s so generic that I only recommend it if you really like Metroidvanias or really want a co-op one to play.
Curse of the Sea Rats releases April 6 on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Nintendo Switch for $19.99 digitally or $29.99 – $39.99 physically.
Watch the Review in 3 Minutes for Curse of the Sea Rats.
About the author
Elise Avery is a freelance video editor and writer who has written for The Escapist for the last year and a half. She has written for PCGamesN and regularly reviews games for The Escapist's YouTube channel. Her writing focuses on indie games and game design, as well as coverage of Nintendo titles.
Embark on an epic, hand-animated, ‘ratoidvania’ adventure, where your crew has been turned into rats by a pirate witch! Explore a rich non-linear world full of action platforming, challenging bosses, and unlock unique abilities - either alone or in local co-op!
The curse of the sea rats is said to be passed down through generations of sailors. It is believed that those who are unfortunate enough to witness the sea rats will bring bad luck to themselves and anyone who sails with them. Sailors who are cursed by the sea rats often face a series of calamities, including shipwrecks, mutinies, and even death. Despite the dangers associated with the curse, many sailors have sought to capture or kill the sea rats in hopes of breaking the curse. However, these attempts have often ended in tragedy, as the sea rats are elusive and possess an uncanny ability to evade capture. The curse of the sea rats has become a cautionary tale among sailors, serving as a warning of the perils that await those who dare to venture too far into the unknown waters. It serves as a reminder of the power and unpredictability of the sea, and the need for sailors to approach it with respect and caution..
Reviews for "The curse of the sea rats: a cautionary tale for sailors"
1. Sarah - 1/5 - "Cursed of the Sea Rats was a huge disappointment for me. The storyline was weak and predictable, with no real twists or surprises. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked any depth or development. The voice acting was amateurish and the animation felt clunky and outdated. Overall, I found the game to be boring and uninspiring. I wouldn't recommend wasting your time or money on this one."
2. Michael - 2/5 - "I had high hopes for Cursed of the Sea Rats, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The gameplay mechanics were clunky and the controls were unresponsive at times. The level design felt repetitive and the puzzles were too easy and lacked creativity. The graphics were decent, but overall, the game felt lacking in terms of substance. It had potential, but it failed to deliver an engaging and immersive gaming experience."
3. Jessica - 2.5/5 - "Cursed of the Sea Rats had an interesting concept, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. The dialogue was cheesy and the voice acting was mediocre at best. The combat system was clumsy and the game lacked a sense of challenge. Additionally, the pacing was off and I found myself losing interest halfway through. While the hand-drawn art style was visually appealing, it wasn't enough to make up for the game's shortcomings. Overall, I wouldn't classify it as a must-play, but it might still appeal to some fans of the genre."
4. David - 1.5/5 - "I found Cursed of the Sea Rats to be a frustrating experience. The controls were awkward and unresponsive, making it difficult to navigate through the game. The story lacked cohesion and the characters felt flat and forgettable. The puzzles were nonsensical and poorly explained. The sound design was also subpar, with repetitive and annoying background music. Overall, I regretted purchasing this game and wouldn't recommend it to others."