Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores, but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, all whilst including some lengthy gameplay, to give you, the reader, the chance to form your own impressions and views while reading and watching.
In this explanatory review, we’re covering Trident’s Tale by developer, 3DClouds:
Trident’s Tale (Nintendo Switch)
Yo ho, yo ho, it’s a Pirate’s life for me! Trident’s Tale is a 3D adventure game set in the fictional world of Hoctal where pirates roam the seas and valuable treasure awaits to be plundered. The game is developed and published by 3DClouds, and is filled with colourful characters and swashbuckling adventure to entertain you from start to finish.
Trident’s Tale follows a young pirate by the name of Ocean who sets off to find pieces of a mythical artifact called the Storm Trident, which once belonged to a powerful diety. It is believed that finding all of the pieces will grant the possessor of the Storm Trident the power to rule the waves. Ocean isn’t the only one looking for the pieces though as a devilish pirate crew made up of skeletons are also looking for the Trident Pieces, and are pillaging every sorry island and their inhabitants until they get what they desire.
The gameplay of Trident’s Tale is primarily a 3rd-person action adventure game that will have the player exploring land and sea, taking part in naval battles with enemy vessels, and going toe to toe with nasty skeleton pirates in sword fights. You can engage with locals and accept quests to help them in their time of need and get some neat rewards in the process. This includes the occasional fetch quests or rescuing NPC’s from enemies and even analysing treasure maps to the secret treasure that hides there.
In terms of fighting foes, Ocean can use her trusty Sword for melee attacks and her gun for keeping them at bay from a distance. You can also use the gun up close to stun enemies and then follow up with a few strikes with the sword to drop them. The enemies won’t stand idly by whilst to attack them so you will have to avoid their attacks as well by evading. A clever technique is that enemies can also damage other enemies. You can take advantage of this by luring an enemy between you and another foe and let the one behind your main target deal damage to the one in front of you.
When taking to the high seas, you take control of Ocean’s vessel. The naval combat and the general controls remind me a lot of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. You can control the speed of the vessel using the X and A buttons and by rotating the camera, you can fire your cannons using ZR in the direction you are facing. You can engage in combat with enemy ships and gain loot upon their defeat. Should you board them, you can gain much more lot as opposed to just sinking them outright. That said, boarding another ship is rather a simple process of pressing A when you are in the vicinity of the ship and doesn’t require you to fight in hand to hand combat on the enemy ship. It may feel like a slightly missed opportunity but then again, if you want that kind of action, you could just simply play AC IV: Black Flag or Sea of Thieves.
Ocean may start off alone in her quest for the Storm Trident Pieces but she will soon enlist unique and interesting characters to join her crew. They provide Ocean with usefull skills that she can use in combat (both on  land and at sea) to deal fire, electric, or curse damage, as well as other effects. You can’t play as any of crew but you can upgrade their skills via their respective skill trees to improve their effects and duration.
Another feature I should touch upon is crafting. Ocean can craft new and more powerful weapons and outfits, as well as gear for her ship, providing she has the means to do so. The means being blueprints for the gear in question, the necessary materials required to craft the item, and the appropriate workbench upgrade that will allow you to carry out the work. Some crafting can be done without the workbench but is limited for the likes of potions and other consumables that recover health or grant buffs/resistances to status effects.
If I had to compare Trident’s Tale to any other game, I would probably say The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker is probably a close enough match with elements from AC IV: Black Flag. It is actually a lot of fun and I love the visual cell shading art style and the jaunty soundtrack. Although the performance seems to stutter on ocassion and the visuals can be a bit muddy on Switch, I still rather enjoyed my time with Trident’s Tale. That said, I am a sucker for a good Pirate game, and I would said this definitely qualifies as a pretty darn good Pirate game. If you like swashbuckling to ye black heart’s content and navigating the high seas with the wind in your sail, Trident’s Tale be the game for yer.
Game Specifications:
Developer: 3DClouds
Publisher: 3DClouds
Platform: Nintendo Switch (eShop)
Category: Action, Adventure
No. of Players: 1 (Single System)
Release Date: May 22, 2025
Price: $24.99
File Size: 3 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
