Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew looks like classic Commandos with an eye patch

If you’re the kind of morally loose rum enthusiast who fancies a spot of thieving at sea, you’ve previously had to take to the ocean with a bunch of hearties and put your life at risk for your boozy needs. Thankfully, Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew has appeared on the horizon. Its blend of alternate history golden age of piracy with old-school, Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines flavored isometric action should satisfy those needs previously only sated by high seas shenanigans.

The elevator pitch is as simple as it is unusual: pull off a piratical heist and secure a magical artifact that can swing the balance of power away from the tyrannical Inquisition and, naturally, towards you.

The depth of Shadow Gambit’s lore catches my eye (singular, obviously. The other one’s behind a patch). Developer Mimimi Games, of Desperados III and Shadow Tactics fame, is committed to making Shadow Gambit’s world feel distinctive and immersive. To that end, its Island Spotlight videos delve into a particular locale on the vast world map and explain some local culture, tensions, and plunder.

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew lets you assemble your crew of supernatural specialists, pit them against intricate heists and then hang out on your ship, The Red Marley. It’s coming later in 2023, and you can wishlist it on Steam here. There’s also going to be a demo available from June 19-26 as part of Steam Next Fest.

Phil 'the face' Iwaniuk used to work in magazines. Now he wanders the earth, stopping passers-by to tell them about PC games he remembers from 1998 until their polite smiles turn cold. He also makes ads. Veteran hardware smasher and game botherer of PC Format, Official PlayStation Magazine, PCGamesN, Guardian, Eurogamer, IGN, VG247, and What Gramophone? He won an award once, but he doesn't like to go on about it.

You can get rid of 'the face' bit if you like.

No -Ed.