Trident’s Tale is a game developed and published by the Italian studio 3DClouds. It is a single-player pirate adventure game that sails into a vibrant, magic-infused world. The game introduces players to Ocean, a bold young captain on a quest to reclaim the legendary Storm Trident, which is a mythical and mystical artifact granting rule over the seas. The prologue of the game sets the stage by showing Ocean’s peaceful life being disrupted by an attack from skeletal pirates, throwing her into an epic journey across treacherous waters and mysterious islands.
[Note: While I am reviewing this game independently and honestly, it should be noted that it has been provided to me by 3DClouds, & PressEngine for the purpose of this review. Warning: Light spoilers from Trident’s Tale are below!]
Trident’s Tale: the story
The heart of Trident’s Tale lies in its beautiful narrative, driven by the spirited and determined protagonist, Ocean. From the moment her island home is overrun by skeleton pirates in the prologue, the game sets in motion a classic coming-of-age adventure arc mixed with a legendary, not very often used pirate mythology.
Ocean, who initially appears to be just another young dreamer who constantly fantasizes about a life at sea, is forced to confront the harsh realities of the world beyond her home when her grandfather is abducted by the fearsome pirate queen Cornelia.
This personal tragedy builds up a rage within her and makes her determined, giving the story a more emotional foundation than one might expect from a game of this aesthetic. The journey she goes on is not only a physical voyage across an expansive ocean, but also a personal transformation as she grows into her role as a leader and a hero.
As Ocean seeks to reassemble the legendary Storm Trident, she must travel to numerous unique and beautifully designed islands. Each is full of its small quests, cultural differences, and environmental challenges.
Along the way, Ocean recruits a diverse cast of crewmates, each with unique skills and backstories to be used and presented throughout the game. From the ex-naval officer haunted by a betrayal in the past to the exiled sea witch looking for redemption. These characters add depth and variety to the crew, and their interactions help add more life to this world.
While the dialogue during some cut-scenes is sometimes clunky and may seem childish and uneven, the writing succeeds in hiding those small problems by relying on the relationship between comrades that slowly develops between them. The evolving dynamic between the crew members creates the emotional backbone of the journey, and covers all weird and boring moments from the stories or in the dialogues.
One of the main antagonists and bosses, Cornelia, is a mysterious figure at first, but throughout the game, we learn more and more about her. Cornelia’s rule over the seas happened due to the dark magic and ancient relics. Her dark motivations, although not fully explored, hinted at a deeper story filled with the need for power and control. This creates a subtle, yet brave take on exploration of her morale, suggesting that the very power Ocean seeks might have corrupted others before her.
Whether the Storm Trident is truly a force for good or simply a weapon of immense destruction is one of the narrative questions that remains in the background until the end of the game.
The islands themselves are not mere backdrops but are deeply integrated into the narrative. Each island houses its own contained stories that play into the broader theme of the seas being both wondrous and dangerous. In one chapter, Ocean helps a cursed village where time has stopped, trapped in an eternal night. In another, she uncovers the ruins of an ancient civilization that once used the Trident to wage war against the gods.
These side quests and story fragments add to the richness of the lore and are often tied to unlocking new abilities or relics that help Ocean in her quest. The developers aimed to make the world feel lived-in, giving players the impression that there are centuries of history under the waves waiting to be uncovered.
Importantly, the game attempts to create an understandable meaning from Ocean’s choices. Dialogue choices can affect relationships with the crew, and in some situations, entire optional storylines can open or close based on your decisions, but there’s no in-game morality system that would affect the ending of the game or create additional alternate endings. However, the consequences are generally soft rather than game-altering, leaning more toward small moments than important ones.
Unfortunately, the story isn’t without its negative moments. While the broader spectrum of the narrative arc is very good, the pacing suffers in the mid-game. There were too many side quests that were repetitive, easy and quick to finish.
Additionally, while the game offers a take at deeper emotional arcs, such as Ocean questioning her right to wield power, or understanding why everything that happened, happened, these story arcs often go underdeveloped or are completely abandoned at the end.
Nevertheless, Trident’s Tale succeeds in a way by crafting a colorful and interesting enough pirate-fantasy world rich with wise lore, interesting characters, and enough twists to keep players invested for a long time. While it may not reach the storytelling heights that gamers are used to or expect, it still offers an often charming tale that tries to make you feel emotional.
Gameplay in this pirate adventure
Trident’s Tale offers a mix of land-based combat, platform-based action, naval battles, exploration, and puzzle-solving. Players can engage in sword fights, use magic, and wield firearms against different enemies.
The combat system, while ambitious from the beginning, as the game develops further, becomes repetitive, clunky, and lacks fluidity. Attack animations are sometimes slow, making it difficult to effectively dodge or counter enemy moves. Naval combat offers a fun change of pace. They allow players to command their ships in battles against rival pirates and sea monsters.
What I really loved during the playthrough was the exploration. It is a very significant aspect of the game. You can travel through an ocean full of sea creatures, visit diverse islands to discover, explore hidden caves, and find treasures. You can easily find hidden dungeons, solve riddles, and collect treasures to enhance your crew’s abilities. The freedom to explore is one of the game’s highlights because it offers a sense of adventure and discovery, not just teases it.
Technical issues within the game
From a technical point of view, Trident’s Tale has several issues that don’t make the gaming experience perfect. I had some performance problems, such as frame rate drops and graphical stuttering, especially where there were many details. But I think it may have been an issue with the press version of the game, as after the first patch, it hasn’t happened again. These technical aspects didn’t destroy the game’s immersive potential. The controls, both on land and at sea, are nice and smooth.
They remind me of Sea of Thieves and some other clunky games with similar aesthetics. It’s nice to steer the character and the ship, and now it is your fault when you make a mistake and not the game. The vibrant and colorful visuals are well-suited to the game’s tone, and the dynamic world has layers of realism to the environment.
Final thoughts on Trident’s Tale
Trident’s Tale is an ambitious title that invites you to experience a deep love for adventure storytelling and pirate mythology. The developers at 3DClouds set out to create a game that mixes the timeless charm of classic adventure tales with modern action RPG elements and nice aesthetics. However, as ambitious and imaginative as the game is, its execution frequently struggles to match its aspirations. Not that the experience I had was bad, but I wanted to experience something deeper and bigger, with a lot of additional mechanics.
That said, Trident’s Tale is best appreciated as a passion project with a clear heart and potential. It’s not quite the definitive pirate game that may bring a lot of fans, but it has a lot of heart and fun. With more development time, perhaps even a sequel or a major patch, this game could evolve into something truly special. For players willing to overlook these issues I had, it can still offer a great journey through a world of magic, danger, piracy, sailing, and a found family.
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