Windbound is new game with battle and crafting systems and visuals similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but also has you travel between islands like in Zelda: Windwaker.
What interested me the most is that it has procedually generated islands, so every playthrough is different. While playing it, I also discovered that it is Rogue-light in that when you die you start over for the most part, although you do keep knowledge like recipes and also some items on “easy” mode.
Here’s a video of my first hour of gameplay. It’s a lot of fun, and I will definitely be playing it a lot more.
How big is the file? Definitely wanting this as well. Also available on Switch but I am interested in how it runs on Switch.
Also, could not watch your whole video, is the yellow bar a combination of stamina and carrying capacity?
File size is surprisingly low, about 800 MB, probably due to all the areas being procedurally generated.
Yellow bar is just stamina I am pretty sure, I found how to get food later to replenish it. Why weren’t you able to watch the whole video? Did it stop playing?
No problem with the vid, I just have a limited amount of high- speed data so I try to be careful the first half of my data cycle so I skipped through the video., We have fibre optic coming but it is coming by way of Outer Mongolia
Enjoy your vids. Maybe one day I will be able to watch all of the longer ones.
I am kind of in agreement about the size of the video being almost an hour. I rather watch a video that is under 10 minutes if it is just a preview. Maybe even 15 minutes just to understand the game and then if people like what they see and have interest to go for 20 minute videos every week. I end up watching videos all week from 5 to 15 minutes long on many topics I like. On topics I find critical I am even willing to watch for hours.
I am a firm believer in the "Take your game experience and put a “You” tube spin on it when producing a video. Condense it for your audience when talking about something that is new
Maybe during the weekend I will take a look at the video in its entirety because I am curious about games that use Procedural Terrain
Played two hours of this so far on PC (Steam). It was fu, but could be a lot more enjoyable.
Could use some QoL updates: the ability to change keybindings, slower stamina drain, and maybe put some plant foods on all the islands, slower decay of built items like slings, and the combat is clunky and needs some refinement (ie, the target lock is not working well). And this on “easy” mode.
Haven’t gone back in to see if my save game works.
So far out of four islands I have found so far, only one that has edible fungus and berries. Which means I have to cut my progression to row back to that Island in the hopes the food has regenerated there.
I also wish there had been some character customization, even just the ability to change skin colour, especially in the current social climate.
I will check it out to see if the save file worked and then leave it until there are some updates.
On PC, crouch is on the Ctrl key which is very bad for my small hands. (On PC, crouch is usually on the V key where you can access it with the thumb.)
Over all, it is a beautiful looking game with lovely music (though the creature sounds are very strange --sort of like a woodblock being scraped)
Enjoying this game even though I have died multiple times.
Have not had a problem with combat. The bow makes things so much easier. I only target-lock the beasties when they charge so I can use the Dodge move
I have to say the water is amazing! This is the first game that I believe could truely make a person sea sick, This is especially so when headed into Chapter 2.
Tried heading out to empty sea just for the fun of it …the waves were terrifying.
The only real issue I am having (I am on the Switch with the Pro controller) is using the R shoulder to toggle between Inventory and Crafting menus. The highlighter does not highlight well enough and it is hard to tell which menu I am in. Accidentally crafted 2 spears while trying to eat a delicately roasted piece of meat.
This game is really a time/resource management game. Grab just what you need, be quick about it. Do what takes the least amount of stamina and get to your next destination.
Oh and learn how to sail.
And one more thing to add, whatever weapon you favor is important. My daughter likes close quarters with the spear. I prefer long distance with the bow and slingshot
The waves between chapters increase in difficulty…I died 3 times heading into chapter 4
Your slingshot is ranged but beware the cocoon in the trees however, you learn very helpful recipes from the cocoons and the lizard creature.
Also, you can dismantle your sail while on your boat. I agree, we should be able to row with the sail on the boat.
EDIT: going into ch 5 last night was way easier than going into ch 4 was. Must be random.
SWITCH CAUTION: This game overheats the Switch when docked after about 30 -40 minutes of gameplay. I have not tried it undocked. Twice I received a notice “The game has shutdown due to an error”. I am certain it was the heat that caused it.
Yes, others on Switch have said this is the case on Twitter. Some platforms have a lot more trouble running Windbound than others. Hopefully they will optimize it in a patch soon
So you have not experienced what I have in the river sequence. One of mine was filled with coral, sharks and jelly fish, all of which are extremely dangerous. If you land on a coral as a wave drops, your boat will shatter.
From the music, I would guess the sequence is supposed to be more of a challenge.
Just beat the game!
I highly recommend metal hull plating and at least one figure head and some dramamine
My only real complaint with this game (aside from crashing on the Switch) is the sea. I love the way it rolls and dips but the sailing was difficult. Perhaps a tad too difficult.
In a tragic instance of terrible timing, Windbound got its first update the same day the No Man’s Sky Origins update launched. Here’s the info on the Windbound update; hopefully I’ll get around to playing it eventually.
We have fibre optic coming but it is coming by way of Outer Mongolia 
