PQube and developer Petoons Studio revealed the latest character trailer for upcoming ‘ratoidvania’ adventure Curse of the Sea Rats, coming to PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One in early 2023.
Players will embark on an epic, hand-animated, ‘ratoidvania’ adventure in Curse of the Sea Rats, where their crew has been turned into rats by a pirate witch. They’ll explore a rich non-linear world full of action platforming, challenging bosses, and unlock unique abilities - either alone or in local co-op.
In Curse of the Sea Rats players will experience:
Classic metroidvania platforming and combat – Exploring and fighting their way through a wide variety of intriguing locales along the 18th century Irish coast
Four iconic heroeswith individual play styles and skill trees – Developing their skills as David Douglas, Buffalo Calf, Bussa, and Akane Yamakawa
Stunning hand-drawn art and animations – Taking in the incredible 2D animation inspired by classic animated films combines seamlessly with detailed 3D environments
Get Spiritual - Gather Spiritual Energy and use it to upgrade their characters with extensive skill trees
Local co-op for up to 4 players - Drop-in/out at any point using the flexible local co-op mode
Challenging boss battles - Take on Flora Burn’s elite crew. Study and learn their complex attack patterns to emerge victorious
Item collecting & inventory management - Search for hidden treasure and purchase items from the quartermaster to give you the edge in battle
The platform adventure’s group of heroes includes:
David Douglas, The Swashbuckling Sea Rat
David Douglas, The Swashbuckling Sea Rat – An American Settler who joined the Continental Army to fight the British Empire, he is a jack of all trades that can fight in a variety of ways.
With his cutlass he has good speed and reach and a devastating midair slash.
Alongside this, David has his trusty pistol for strong ranged attacks.
With an elemental affinity to fire, he can unlock several pyro abilities: Wild Fire buffs spell damage and burns enemies over time, Flaming Discharge shoots a fiery wave causing AoE magic damage, and Blazing Tornado allows him to project a huge flamethrower to deal massive amounts of damage.
Buffalo Calf, The Fierce Cheyenne Hunter – Captured for sneaking into a British encampment and releasing their horses while the soldiers slept, Buffalo Calf is a lightning-fast combatant with two daggers that she can use for strong thrown ranged attacks and speedy close quarters combat.
Buffalo Calf, The Fierce Cheyenne Hunter
With an elemental affinity to air, Buffalo Calf can infuse her daggers with an electrical charge to give an added shock bonus to unsuspecting enemies!
Piercing Storm rains a shower of deadly knives from above, and with enough spiritual energy she can call upon the mighty Thunderbird and deal magic damage to anyone unlucky enough to stand in her way.
Bussa, The Bajan Brawler
Bussa, The Bajan Brawler – Hailing from the island of Barbados, Bussa is a fugitive slave that escaped his oppressors to become a rebel leader fighting against those that enslaved him.
There is no finer brawler, and his devastating hooks are deadly at close range.
Bussa uses his size to his advantage, ground slamming enemies from above and using his immense strength to block attacks.
Bussa has an elemental affiinity to Earth, allowing him to unleash an Earthquake right in front of him.
Heavy Drill causes Bussa to spin rapidly, carving into anyone in his way with a flurry of fists.
Survivor grants Bussa the ability to endure an otherwise lethal attack, while Rock Rain will call upon a hail of boulders to come down from the sky.
Akane Yamakawa, The Onna-bugeisha – Akane is a trained warrior of the Shogun and her skill with a naginata is unquestioned.
Her impressive reach allows her to excel at mid to long range combat, allowing her to keep enemies at a distance.
She is nimble and acrobatic, with fast sweeping strikes and precise stabs.
Akane Yamakawa, The Onna-bugeisha
As the most poised and graceful of the crew, Akane has an elemental affinity to water which allows her to cast Typhoon - a torrent that she uses to launch her forwards!
Water Shield deals damage to anyone that gets too close, while Ice Breaker grants damage resistance.
For long fights, Water Fall allows Akane to recharge her energy, while Tsunami lets her call upon a terrifying tidal wave to crash down on her enemies.
Set along the Irish coast in the year 1777, Curse of the Sea Rats tells the story of David Douglas, Buffalo Calf, Bussa, and Akane Yamakawa – prisoners of the British Empire who have been transformed into rats by the notorious pirate witch, Flora Burn. In exchange for their freedom, the unlikely heroes are tasked with hunting down the evil witch and defeating her diabolical crew.
Will they uncover the mystery behind the ancient curse and regain their human bodies?
Physical editions of Curse of the Sea Rats are available to pre-order for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 4 now.
