With dwindling resources, spread out island communities, and an encroaching plastic apocalypse, Tides of Tomorrow is a choice-driven narrative adventure that tonally feels like an ocean-set Mad Max. Yes, that comparison could be Kevin Costner's Water World, but I'm deciding to be more favorable. It also means that Tides of Tomorrow's apocalyptic story, while plastic instead of nuclear, has a lot in common with Fallout, right down to the impact of your choices throughout each quest. Except for one major difference: this isn't an RPG.
Coming from Digixart, the developer behind the excellent road trip adventure Road 96, Tides of Tomorrow has moments of action from evading gunfire, to high stakes jet-bike racing at Pleasureland – but this is a narrative adventure at heart. In my journey, combat is limited to a handful of ship-based battles, and a boxing match that's fought through dialogue options. Yet, though it trades Fallout's wastes for a lush blue ocean with colorful plastic waste, the quest structure really reminds me of Bethesda's iconic RPG series. For those who find Fallout's big story decisions more interesting than all the combat, gear, and numbers, Tides of Tomorrow is a compelling alternative.
