All things considered, Neo Atlas 1469 is an adventure game that never leaves the map. This game is basically a map simulator that shows off where the characters are going. That isn’t a bad thing but after showing off a pretty high-quality video I was certainly expecting a crazy adventure. The opening is a rather nice animated video of a ship on the high seas, though really what lies ahead is a touch more subdued.
Neo Atlas 1469 tells the story of a shipping company and its first mate the player. The player is joined by an interesting cast of characters including a small being named Miguel. Miguel may just look ordinary but this being will be with the player at all times. He’s clearly all-knowing and there is no butt’s about it, he will do his best to help. He is a little weird to look at because he is rather spritely though clearly, he’s closer to the heights of the other characters.
Neo Atlas 1469 plays as stated previously, the player moves about a map taking care of business. The player will open chests, start trade lines, and discover the vast world of 1469 on Earth. There is much to be seen and with the only known land being the European sector much to discover. Players can and will travel all over the world and will discover every land mass there is to find.
This game actually is a lot deeper than it might appear. But the player should be alright because there is a comprehensive tutorial built into the story. Players will learn all about how to play the game by playing and reading, and it works so cohesively!
This game is quite interesting because it is historically accurate. There are all of the landmarks out in the world one would expect including things like Stonehenge and the Sphinx. It’s great to be flying over the world and opening chests finding out history along the way. The map is actually a lot wider than it appears and the player will have to use the zoom feature to find most of it. Players will need to look into every nook and cranny if they are going to keep their shipping company afloat.
This game’s historical accuracy does melt into a magical world, however. As the player travels the seas with their admirals they will map the world the game knows it. This game allows players to map the world however they see fit. It can change with the simple approval or disapproval of a report. The world should technically look like ours, but players can make it whatever they like. This kind of magic terraforming makes this game even more interesting.
The game is also host to creatures of the deep that will terrorize the characters. These beasts like the Kraken might appear without warning and tear the ship asunder. After tangoing with them once they will appear on the map as roaming characters so its good to note where they are when traversing.
Players will also be given tasks by the King. What is interesting is that the characters don’t seem to age whatsoever. I mainly use one admiral, Admiral Cortes, and at the start of the game is about 40 but after given a 30-year mission to find Zinpang, he hasn’t aged a day. This is a good thing as the journey these characters face would definitely age them.
The characters other than Miguel are animated rather regally. It looks like they took time to craft people that one would think actually sailed the seven seas. There is something fantastical about them in that they look like they’ve stepped out of the past. Though since the game takes place in 1469 it makes sense that they’d look like this. Though there is an anime-esque quality which works for me!
This characters in this game also all have their own reasons for exploring the world. Players will learn about these characters as they travel and slowly will gain more admirals. It is great watching them interact as it helps tell the broader story of the discovery of land in the world. While some of them might not originally be suited to explore the world they will soon become capable of the great feat!
Players must actively set up trade routes in the game to make sure they have funding for exploration. These trade routes will allow for new items to be made. Every city has at least one thing they are known for and by establishing trade routes new and expensive things will be crafted. For instance, I made a Black Pearl by fusing a Madas clam with a pearl.
By establishing trade routes that have expensive goods, players will be attacked by pirates. Soon enough my ship was beset upon and put under the control of pirates. If players don’t stop the pirates they won’t gain any wealth and thus the trade route won’t do anything for them. This is an important part of the game so players will need to learn to combat pirates.
Pirates aren’t the only thing players need to be wary of. They will also come in contact with things like the plague. This vicious disease will make trade ports unusable. If a port is infected any ships that come into the harbor will be affected. Thus the plague can then spread indefinitely making it impossible to make much profit. The player will need to keep an eye on the entire world to ensure this disease is wiped away!
The game is broken into episodes in which players are granted, new admirals. The fleet slowly but surely grows as players discover what lies await in the world. Some of the admirals even have special skills like diving which makes some of them even more useful. The player will want to send out the right admirals for the job, or risk going bankrupt. Though it is possible to take on the world with the right Admiral, it just might take a little longer to do so.
Episodes are started by either completing them or by finding certain items. In the game, players will constantly find things on the map. They might happen upon a bottle in the water or run into pirates. These simple actions can start the next part of the game and it makes exploring the vast unknown that much more exciting.
This game is actually quite humorous and does break the fourth wall rather effortlessly. Miguel is actually quite animated and will consistently talk to the player. It’s great to have a game pull the player in by talking directly to them. There is something magical about being the first mate of this weird trading company, leading decisions the player probably has no reason to make.
This game can be rather slow going but players can opt to speed things up. When admirals come back from a journey they will show off what happened to them. Eventually, some of these discoveries will become commonplace. Personally, after the admiral sees a large sunfish for the first time I can’t say I care about that idea any longer. It is great to speed up the process because sometimes journeys are just so long and the player will just want to hop back into the game.
The music is sweeping and majestic. It feels like the sea is playing an amazing tune, wrapping the player up in its majesty. This game plays so beautifully in its weird way, and the music makes it nearly perfect. The music definitely pulls the player deeper into the maw of the ocean not letting go until the player closes the game.
Neo Atlas 1469, is for all intents and purposes a game about mapping the world. With so much to see and discover this game can take hours. Plus, it’s neat that the player can choose how the world actually looks. Will the player map the world and make their trading company the finest in the world, or will they go bankrupt, only the player can walk this path!
Disclaimer: A review key was provided