Tides of Tomorrow review

From the dawning of adventure games as text-based theater of the mind to point-and-click affairs and beyond, the genre has consistently evolved. As far as adventure games are concerned, Tides of Tomorrow is the current transformative zenith. The way it blends action, storytelling, consequence, and characters would, by all rights, set it as a top-tier experience. When you add in cooperative storytelling—the game's most notable hook—you've got something truly remarkable on your hands. 

Story-Linked

Tides of Tomorrow uses what they call the Story-Link system to bind players together. You'll choose a player, and each location you visit, that player's decisions will affect the state of your world. The same happens for anyone following in your wake. In this way, your decisions could potentially reverberate through several playthrough iterations downstream. Each run is identified by an 8-digit code called a Story-Link Seed, and you can share these to let friends follow your journey. You aren't locked in on a single player, though. With each major story beat, you'll get to choose which path to follow and that gives you a chance to change whose footsteps you're following in. 

 Let me give you an example of the Story-Link in action. Let's say you go to a settlement. Upon arriving, the entire town seems hostile toward you. Viewing the echoes of your predecessor, you witness them steal from a down-on-their-luck vendor who's well liked by the townsfolk. While the current situation is yours to manage, there's a chance you can still meet your goals and set up those who come after you for success. It's an engaging, fascinating system that comes with a story, but more on that later. 

Ebb and Flow

The world is a mess. After a disaster that caused the flooding of the Earth, we're left with a series of floating settlements a la Waterworld. Due to grotesque pollution, humans suffer and die from a disease known as Plastemia, a condition where microplastics become so prolific in someone's body that they essentially die and turn into plastic. 

In Tides of Tomorrow, you are a Tidewalker, a being with the ability to read and interact with the world in unique ways. You can view the decisions of Tidewalkers who've come before you in a sort of multiverse-viewing phenomenon. Using your prognosticative abilities, you can make decisions to affect the world around you. With only a couple doses of medication known as Ozen to help ward off Plastemia, you'll have to travel the world, making decisions regarding various towns and factions while you hunt for a cure and fight to uncover deeper secrets. The world is full of its own history, and how you approach that can affect your story too.

As you visit each settlement, you'll make a series of decisions to solve the current situation its people are dealing with. Along the way, you can collect trash scraps which can be cashed in for doses of Ozen (which, unfortunately, is a constant point of tension to contend with). Story beats can range from basic conversations with pivotal decisions to sneaking through guard-infested warehouses. 

Each choice is important, altering the world for those who follow you. They also represent one of five affinities: mankind, nature, self-preservation, cooperation, and troublemaker. Growing specific traits can open new decisions later. The game has a handful of major endings with variety on each of those based on your decisions, so there's plenty of replayability baked into the formula, too. 

With regard to different settlement visits, each traversal will cost you two health pips. This means you'll be in constant search of Ozen, as each dose recovers a single pip. Along the way, you can choose to give Ozen to civilians in need, hoard it for yourself, or even leave it for future Tidewalkers. As I mentioned, it IS a constant point of tension, and it can be frustrating, but I also understand why they chose the mechanic. As with any other decision, it can lead to profoundly different story beats based on how you approach it. 

The characters you'll run into across your adventure make lasting impressions. Several can become long-term companions. Eyla, for example, is a Reclaimer with iridescent skin and a bubbly attitude that can be party several emotional moments in your journey. The decisions you and your predecessor make will affect the narrative significantly, too. Want to help the Marauders? That probably won't sit well with the Reclaimers or Mystics, but in the end, it's your story to live. There are some genuine, heartfelt moments that could bring a tear to your eye. It really is something special. 

Regarding Tides of Tomorrow's aesthetic, the game is jam-packed with bright, vibrant colors. I love the visual style they used for the characters and world. It feels similar to Sea of Thieves, if that were set in a world full of plastic. That said, I had a few instances where the character models seemed to render particularly low-poly, occasionally giving it a dated look. With regards to the audio, the game's voice acting is top-notch, and man, the soundtrack is killer. I found myself rocking out as I traveled to-and-fro several times. You'll definitely want to play where you can hear the music and dialogue. 

Real Human Connection

After I finished the game, which took around 10 hours, I got an unexpected PSN friend request. That player, it turns out, had chosen my story to follow. After a brief discussion, I learned that I, sitting in America, and my new friend (from Saudi Arabia!) were now working together to save this struggling world. He would periodically check in with me to celebrate good moments or question why I'd done something that appeared so detrimental at first glance. Despite its seemingly self-contained single-player experience, Tides of Tomorrow had yielded some of the most fascinating human connection I'd experienced in a game. I can only hope that this is the start of something incredible.

Conclusion

Tides of Tomorrow isn't flawless, but it IS something special. The world is engaging and beautiful despite the somber narrative. The storytelling is incredible, and the characters are well done. Seeing it all work with such a wide variety of decisions was impressive. The simple fact that it prompted real human connection is noteworthy, too. Between the story, mechanics, and message, I'd encourage everyone to play through it at least once.