Windbound
Review

Windbound (2020) is an adventure game where you hunt, explore and craft to survive. But unlike games like Zelda when you die you start over and the world is endlessly changing for each new adventure. It's an exacting challenge that requires you to interpret the world and find your own narrative.

It focuses on nomadic hunting and exploration, together with custom boat building and an immersive tactile sailing experience. You play Kara who has been shipwrecked on an unknown land and must learn to adapt and survive while solving the mysteries of a series of forgotten islands. In the scattered ruins, you find there are the secrets of the past and glimpses of the future. Unravel the mystery behind them all and you may find more than just your way home.

Your boat plays a big part, as you carefully craft your own custom sailing vessel to take on the treacherous waters, traversing from one island to the next. Design your boat to battle tempestuous winds, monstrous waves, and deadly sea creatures.

The result is a really tough game (unless in Story mode) where you investigate a world full of potential. Some may find the lack of a central plot off-putting, but this is to miss the attraction of Windbound: a game that doesn't wear its narrative on its sleeve, and instead lets you discover and interpret things for yourself.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Windbound 3 years ago. It was re-examined by Rich Adams and updated 10 months ago.