Parents' Guide to Battlewake

Maybe it's the ruthless search for plunder and treasure or just the vision of adventure on the high seas, but it hard to deny the siren's call of being a pirate. Battlewake brings gamers closer than ever to the fantasy of navigating the ocean waters, cannons at the ready, sending all your foes to a watery grave. The game's a surprisingly well-crafted and entertaining arcade action experience, but this virtual pirate ship still springs a few leaks here and there that'll keep players from totally smooth sailing.

On the positive side, the game looks amazing. It's bright and colorful, with exaggerated style and big explosions that are a blast to watch. Best of all, the animations are fluid and steady, keeping the seasickness you might expect from VR sailing far from the gameplay. The controls are also relatively solid too, easily allowing a quick switch from navigation to combat. Unfortunately, sometimes your own ship blocks your line of fire, which can be very frustrating in the heat of battle. The biggest issue the game faces, though, is its lack of depth. There are only a handful of environments and each feels almost claustrophobic in size. Add to this a story that's as diluted as the oceans surrounding you, and Battlewake winds up feeling too much like a great big fish in a tiny little pond.