Windbound Reviews

Windbound is ranked in the 25th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
5 / 10.0
Sep 3, 2020

There’s a lot to learn from Nintendo’s initial offerings, and Brisbane based indie studio may have a bright future but much like the title’s “Survival” mode, Windbound sets sail into tumultuous tides that may have washed them ashore, and back to the drawing board.

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4 / 10.0
Sep 2, 2020

Earlier in August, another boat-faring game by the name of Spiritfarer was also released, and which I also reviewed, and if you are going to get one game about boats and oceans this month, get Spiritfarer. In fact, I would have a difficult time recommending Windbound over almost any game, and for almost any reason. In most regards, Windbound struggles to feel like a game at all, instead playing like a demo for a far-from-release Kickstarter project, or the alpha build of a new engine, where game mechanics have only been implemented for testing purposes. This isn't an early access project, but is a full release with an audacious asking price of $29.99 for an adventure that, according to Steam metrics, took me all of 4.3 hours to breeze through. The best part is that it only took me less than five hours to see the ending credits. Oh well, at least Tony Hawk comes out this week. DON'T LET ME DOWN, TONY!

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6 / 10.0
Sep 2, 2020

Windbound is a serviceable survival game that offers a unique sailing experience to keep hardcore fans of the genre interested. But with simplistic and bland-feeling combat and an experience that doesn't engage with its narrative (despite promising to), Windbound isn't recommended at full price.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 2, 2020

Windbound has several interesting ideas and is very nice to look at and listen to, but unfortunately the experience suffers from some flaws – for example, the procedural generation doesn't make for particularly interesting level design. But above everything else, it lacks rhythm.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Ken McKown
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Sep 1, 2020

Windbound is a fantastic adventure wrapped in a questionable package.

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7 / 10
Sep 1, 2020

Windbound is most certainly not the Zelda-lite adventure that you may have expected it to be, but it still manages to pull off an impressively well-made survival experience that's fun to roam around in for a few hours. The open-ended progression, pleasing art style, and relaxing pace make this one an easy recommendation for fans of the survival genre, though it's held back from greatness due to issues with repetition. Still, it's tough to go wrong with what's on offer here; you might want to give this one a look.

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6 / 10.0
Sep 1, 2020

Windbound starts off promisingly, but after a few hours it already seems to have shown everything it has to offer and from there we will only be hooked on solving its narrative mystery based on repeatability of objectives.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

IGN
Top Critic
5 / 10.0
Sep 1, 2020

Neither compelling as a survival simulation nor captivating as a story-based experience, Windbound is all at sea.

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6.8 / 10.0
Aug 31, 2020

So overall, Windbound is a lighter survival experience that I would recommend if you’re looking for a more relaxing experience. Regardless of the modes, there’s never anything that will outright destroy your rafts or kill you because you landed on its island. Taken at your own pace, this is perfect for those quiet Sunday afternoons where you have nothing planned and simply want to listen to the sounds of the waves or some light ambient music.

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6.5 / 10.0
Aug 31, 2020

Windbound is a story based survival game set across five procedurally generated worlds. It features a cool boat building mechanic and a strong sense of discovery, but some of its systems and mechanics get in the way and can strip the fun away.

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7.5 / 10.0
Aug 31, 2020

GOOD - Windbound attempts to combine Zelda-like visuals and gameplay with the survival genre of gaming that has become so popular over the past decade. For the most part it works, but there are some small issues like long loading, pop-in graphics, and less than ideal UI that hold it back from greatness. Still, there’s a lot of fun to discover here!

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7 / 10
Aug 31, 2020

The more I played the less the goings-on of the narrative bothered me, and the more I relished the wavelike rhythm of the action: the roll and crash of sailing and breaking to alight for supplies.

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Digitally Downloaded
Harvard L.
Top Critic
Aug 31, 2020

In survival games, death is supposed to mean something. Loss of progress represents the stakes; repetition is the barrier of entry. For players ready to take that plunge, there are some far-and-few-between moments of Windbound which are exhilarating.

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3.5 / 5.0
Aug 30, 2020

Windbound is a fun experience that often finds you wishing for a little bit more: more responsive combat, a few quality of life features, and the ability to control the wind to name a few.

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7.5 / 10.0
Aug 29, 2020

The sound and art style of windbounds makes it standout on the adventure genre, sadly this is a tough act to follow and the combat and mechanics are a bit lacking.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

3.5 / 5.0
Aug 29, 2020

Windbound strikes me as a victim of overachieving — it wants to do so much that it ends up tripping over its own feet. Is it a survival game? Yes. Is it an exploration game? Also yes. Is it a crafting game? Yes again. Is it a story-driven game? Yep. Does it do any of those things perfectly? No. You need to explore to move onto the next area, but you’re tethered in place because the survival mechanics are a little too overbearing. Topped off with a more nuanced story told through a repetitive loop, Windbound’s balance is less a scale and more a see-saw, swinging from one side to the other with the player clinging on for dear life. It’s still a solid experience and one that I would recommend, but carefully, and only to fans of the survival genre. If you’re looking for another Breath of the Wild or Wind Waker, breeze past this title.

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5 / 5.0
Aug 29, 2020

"Windbound" is a beautiful journey that says a lot without needing to rely on spoken dialogue.

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8.5 / 10.0
Aug 28, 2020

Starting out with an admission I’ll say that, in general, I’m not typically an automatic fan of survival games...

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58 / 100
Aug 28, 2020

Windbound looks pretty, but lets you get frustrated and bored while playing.

Review in German | Read full review

Aug 28, 2020

With just a single trailer, Windbound captivated the minds of many gamers. As more news came out about this indie title, anticipation grew larger and larger. Developed by 5 Lives Studios and published by the illustrious Deep Silver, the journey known as Windbound has finally seen its release on today’s consoles.

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