Tides Of Tomorrow Review: A Waterlogged World Hampered By Budgetary Constraints
Nick Gillett
Published April 23, 2026
The creators of Road 96 have returned with Tides Of Tomorrow, a new indie first-person adventure set in a post-apocalyptic Earth submerged by endless seas. This game draws inspiration from the asynchronous multiplayer elements seen in FromSoftware titles like Dark Souls, but struggles to deliver on its ambitious ideas due to significant budgetary limitations.
An Unusual Multiplayer Experience
Unlike traditional competitive or cooperative multiplayer, Tides Of Tomorrow adopts an asynchronous approach. Players interact with others by witnessing ghostly visions of fellow Tidewalkers—characters who, like the protagonist, have mysteriously revived after death in the flooded world. These visions allow you to follow the paths of previous players, influencing your journey through a linear narrative.
As you navigate this waterlogged reality, you encounter moral decisions that echo those made by others. Choices range from agreeable or sassy responses in conversations to critical actions like stealing or sharing scarce resources. However, these decisions often feel inconsequential, with the plot frequently reverting to a predetermined trajectory regardless of player input.
A World Plagued by Plastic
The game's setting is a dystopian Earth where plastic waste has contaminated the ecosystem, leading to a disease called Plastemia. This illness afflicts many survivors, including your character, and can only be slowed with a rare medicine called Ozen. With the global population dwindling below 300,000, the stakes are high, but the execution falls short.
Players start as a corpse floating among debris before awakening as a Tidewalker. This unique condition grants you the ability to see into the past actions of other players, but it also comes with the burden of Plastemia, adding a layer of urgency to the narrative that is often undermined by gameplay flaws.
Gameplay Shortcomings
Tides Of Tomorrow attempts to blend storytelling with action and stealth elements, but these components are poorly implemented. The stealth sections, in particular, are described as primitive and jarring, with clunky mechanics and instant resets that lack consequences. Boat-based events, such as races and combat sequences, suffer from rudimentary controls and weak animation, demanding patience rather than skill.
Additionally, the game's environments are basic in design, featuring poorly rendered characters and a lack of impactful choices. While players can leave currency or Ozen for others and trigger emotes visible to followers, these actions seem to have little effect beyond increasing a cooperative rating, rendering the multiplayer features trivial.
Narrative and Character Development
The game's branching plot and relationship dynamics are another area of disappointment. Shifts in alliances, such as turning enemies into friends, can occur too easily through a few conversational choices, stripping the system of any sense of weight or importance. This trivializes the moral dilemmas the game aims to present, making them feel like afterthoughts rather than core gameplay elements.
Despite its creative premise and eco-messaging about plastic pollution, Tides Of Tomorrow fails to deliver a compelling experience. The low budget is evident in every aspect, from the weak animation to the uninspired level design, resulting in a game that feels more like a rough prototype than a finished product.
Final Verdict
In summary, Tides Of Tomorrow is a well-intentioned but flawed adventure. It introduces interesting ideas, such as asynchronous multiplayer and moral decision-making, but these are hamstrung by budgetary constraints that lead to clunky mechanics, inconsequential choices, and poor presentation. For fans of Digixart's previous work, this release may be a letdown, highlighting the need for more resources to fully realize its ambitious vision.
Score: 3/10
Formats: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
Price: £24.99
Publisher: THQ Nordic
Developer: Digixart
Release Date: 22nd April 2026
Age Rating: 16
