Curse of the Sea Rats is a Metroidvania indie game developed by Barcelona-based Petoons Studio and published by PQube. The game was released on April 6, 2023, for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. It received critical praise for its artwork, but technical issues and problems with game balance were cited as negatives.
Story[]
Set along the Irish coast in the year 1777, Curse of the Sea Rats tells the story of David Douglas, Buffalo Calf, Bussa, and Akane Yamakawa – prisoners of the British Empire who have been transformed into rats by the notorious pirate witch, Flora Burn. In exchange for their freedom, the unlikely heroes are tasked with hunting down the evil witch and defeating her diabolical crew. Will they uncover the mystery behind the ancient curse and regain their human bodies?
Endings[]
The endings are connected to two main conditions:
- One: Freeing the Mysterious Pirate from the clutches of Short Fuse Jones
- Two: Collect all golden teeth from Flora's crew and obtain Smiley Sam
Coward Ending[]
If the player(s) don't accept deal with Blacksmith, the player(s) will go back to prison and let Timothy die in the hands of Flora Burn.
Bad Ending[]
After the player(s) defeat Flora Burn, it's settled the trap and they fail to capture the witch who gets away, and left Timothy trapped in The Ring Crystal forever, if the player could not rescue the Mysterious Pirate.
Mediocre Ending[]
If the player rescues the Mysterious Pirate after defeating Short Fuse Jones, he will come to rescue Timothy and return him to his father and giving the player(s) The Serpent Ring. However, after defeating Flora Burn in their second encounter, the player(s) failed stop Flora Burn after she floats the ship to the sky, if the player does not summon Smiley Sam with the golden teeth.
True Ending[]
If the player summons Smiley Sam with the golden teeth after defeating Flora the first time, he joins with the player to get revenge on Flora Burn for betrayal. In this fourth ending, the player must face against Long Fuse Jones after failing to catch The Eye of the Serpent during the second battle against Flora. After defeating Long Fuse Jones, Wu Yun appeared again and restored his full power after retrieve the ring, and they turned all four heroes into humans again, and then two halves of The Eye of the Serpent separated in each location. After that, the four heroes must go separate paths; David Douglas staying in Ireland for adventures, Akane Yamakawa reports to Shogun in Japan alongside Buffalo Calf, and Bussa returns to his home country to save his people.
In the after-credits, the Ancestral Amulet, half of The Eye of the Serpent, somewhere in an unknown location, is taken by a silhouetted figure; the remaining will happen next.
Gameplay[]
A pirate witch transforms all the people on a prison ship into a rat. The ship's captain offers to grant amnesty to four of the prisoners if they defeat the witch. Curse of the Sea Rats is a Metroidvania game where players fight enemies across 2D platforms. Each of the four playable characters has their own set of unique skills, and up to four players can play at once. Players can switch between the characters at set points in the game. The art is hand-drawn.
Game Modes[]
- Jolly Roger Mode - A new, refreshed and modern game style, without contact damage, without constant enemy respawning and with a fast travel option.
- Classic Mode - With the original game design, traditional gameplay style, which can be more challenging.
Characters[]
Playable[]
- David Douglas - American settler, recently enlisted in the Continental Army to fight against the British Empire.
- Akane Yamakawa - Japanese onna-bugeisha, warrior of the shogun in a secret mission in America.
- Bussa - Fugitive slave from the island of Barbados, leader of a group of rebels against slavery.
- Buffalo Calf - Cheyenne Hunter, arrested while releasing horses from an English detachment while soldiers slept.
- Unnamed Mysterious Pirate [Hardcore Solo Mode only]
Bosses[]
- Fatso
- King Clapper & Krabawaki
- Murat Reis
- Sharpie the Sharp
- Rama Cinnamon and Banana
- Freddie Eightfingers
- Fatsie (w/ Fatso)
- Short Fuse Jones
- LaChusa
- Lighthouse Keeper
- Necromancer
- Raven Morrigan
- Flora Burn (First encounter)
- Mamma Ratelli (Secret)
- Flora Burn (Second encounter)
- Long Fuse Jones (Final Boss, must have Smiley Sam with you though)
NPCs[]
- Admiral Benjamin Blacksmith
- Timothy Blacksmith
- Major Mallory
- Robert Garfield
- Walter
- Wu Yun
- Serpent of the Ring
- Smiley Sam
- Rick
- Poker Sailor
- Charlie
- Mariah the Sea Turtle
- Marcos & Amelio
- Granny Malone
- Landsman Rogers
- Benjamin THE Blacksmith
- Dan Black
- O'Brien & O'Sullivan
- Dolores
- Leprechaun
- Molly
Map[]
- Shipwreck Beach
- Shellfish Rocks
- Fisherman's Cave
- Flying Rat's Hole
- LaChusa's Pit
- Molly's Warehouse
- Cliff of the Winds
- Lighthouse
- Eriu's Forest
- Spider Nest
- Bamba's Forest
- Moonlight Lough
- Fodla's Bog
- Ancient Ruins
- Cu Chulainn Road
- Home of the Morrigan
- Tuath De Danann Temple
- Samhain Summit
- Cursed Ship
Game Modes[]
Adventure Mode[]
The Pirate's Revenge (Hardcore Solo Mode)[]
"COMING SOON"
Survival Mode[]
The Ghost Ship[]
"COMING SOON"
Voice Cast[]
English[]
- Atilla Akinci - Murat Reis, Poker Sailor
- Adi Alfa - Fatsie
- Dani del Amor - Drunk Singers on Pirate Song
- Anita Kyoda - Sharpie the Sharp, Mariah, Dolores
- Felicity Alexa - Buffalo Calf
- Andrew Chan - Wu Yun
- Marine D'Aure - Rama Cinnamon & Banana
- Marilena Gant - Timothy
- Mikee W. Goodman - Short Fuse Jones, Krabawaki & King Clapper, Necromancer, Serpent of the Ring, Major Mallory, Basecamp Guard, Prisoners of the Dog, Drunken Pirates, O'Brien Bagpipe Ghost, Amelio, Royal Marine, Drunk Singers on Pirate Song
- Tegen Hitchens - Flora Burn, Mamma Ratelli, Blocking Specter
- Jafro - Bussa
- Naomi Miller - LaChusa, Morrigan
- Will De Renzy-Martin - David Douglas, Smiley Sam. Fatso, Freddy Eightfingers, Robert Garfield, Benjamin the Blacksmith, Leprechaun, Marco, Charlie Styles
- Ev Ryan - Granny Malone
- Lex Sharp - Admiral Blacksmith, Lighthouse Keeper
- Karine Tomoeda - Akane Yamakawa
- Roberto Vivancos - Mysterious Pirate, Drunk Singers on Pirate Song
- Jonathon West - Bored Sailor, O'Sullivan Bagpipe Ghost, Dan Black, Landsman Rogers, Walter
Catalan[]
Spanish[]
Comic Book Short Story[]
Main article: The Cursed Night
Gallery[]
Soundtracks[]
Curse of the Sea Rats/Original Soundtrack
Trailers[]
Development[]
Curse of the Sea Rats was crowdfunded in 2020 and became one of the most successful video games of the year. It was released for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X/S on April 6, 2023.
DLCs[]
Reception[]
Curse of the Sea Rats received an aggregate Metacritic score of 59/100 on Switch, 66/100 on PC and 63/100 on PS5, all indicating "mixed or average reviews".
In a December 2022 preview, Hardcore Gamer said "it shows incredible promise so far" and praised the voice acting, animation and visuals. After its release, Slant Magazine criticized the game's humor, calling it unfunny and out of place in what seems to be meant as a challenging game. They also felt the game did not use its concept or differentiate the protagonists enough. Commenting on the game balance, they said that the bosses were frequently too easy, yet the other enemies could sometimes defeat the protagonists with ease. Pocket Tactics praised the graphics but said that the game's difficulty will likely put off casual fans, and input delays on the Switch will frustrate hardcore gamers. NintendoWorldReport said the game "has a lot of potential, but the samey characters and bugs hold it back". Digitally Downloaded wrote that the game's audience is limited to those who "like the idea of quirky rats and humour to go with their challenging and unforgiving platforming".
References[]
- Curse of the Sea Rats is inspired by great Metroidvania games like Bloodstained, Guacamelee, and Hollow Knight. The game is influenced by games such as Diablo, Indivisible RPG, Path of Exile, and the Street Fighter saga.
- It represents the intersection between video games and animation, from the foundational art of Don Bluth in Dragon's Lair to the perfect mix between art and gameplay in Aladdin's Classic by Disney.
Sequel[]
On April 7th, 2025, Petoons Studio announced two games; the first is a 3D platformer action adventure inspired by the Catalan culture, "Dracamar", and the second is a special Metroidvania which is aspects of Die Hard in space with vampires called "Holy Night" and is very similar to the Sea Rats series, but it's 110% metroidvania. The following successful demo game of Dracamar, Petoons Studio, is currently planned as the sequel to Curse of the Sea Rats in the future.