The first thing that hit me about DAVY x JONES wasn’t the combat or the setting, it was how unapologetically strange it is. You’re playing as Davy Jones, except he’s been split in half: the headless body doing the fighting, and the skull floating beside you, talking nonstop. On paper, that sounds like a gimmick, but once you’re actually in the game, it works. The banter between the two versions of the same character gives the whole experience a personality that most action games don’t even try to have. It feels less like a silent power fantasy and more like a chaotic partnership stuck together for revenge.
Gameplay-wise, this is a lot more intense than I expected. On land, the game plays in first person, and the combat is fast, aggressive, and built around constant movement. You’re slicing enemies up with a sword one second, firing pistols the next, and using a grappling hook to zip across arenas when things start getting crowded. Standing still gets you killed quickly. The pacing reminded me of games that reward momentum once you get into the rhythm. Fights feel brutal in a satisfying way. It’s not perfectly polished yet, but the core is solid, and when everything clicks, it feels great. The roguelite structure shows up in how the world unfolds. Every run through The Locke,r this strange pirate afterlife made of floating islands feels slightly different. You are clearing cursed outposts, wrecked ships, and twisted ruins, collecting upgrades and resources that feed into the next loop. Death isn’t just expected; it’s part of the process. You learn enemy patterns, figure out which upgrades suit your style, and slowly push further each time. As someone who’s played a lot of roguelites, I can say the progression feels meaningful without being overwhelming.
What really separates DAVY x JONES from most action games is the ship gameplay. Your vessel, Abby, isn’t just a menu hub or a fast-travel screen; it’s alive, literally. She’s part ship, part creature, and controlling her adds a completely different layer to the game. Sailing happens in third person, and it feels more tactical. You’re managing cannons, dodging incoming fire, recruiting officers, and choosing which threats to take on across the sky. The naval combat isn’t shallow filler; it’s its own system, and success here directly impacts how strong you are when you head back onto land. Switching between ground combat and ship battles keeps the game from feeling repetitive. One moment you’re knee-deep in enemies, grappling between platforms, the next you’re lining up cannon shots against ghost ships or massive monsters lurking in the clouds. Those larger encounters, especially the hunts, give the game a sense of scale that surprised me. It feels ambitious, especially for an Early Access title, and even when it’s rough, it’s clear the developers aren’t playing it safe.
Narratively, the game doesn’t dump lore on you, but it doesn’t ignore story either. There’s a clear revenge thread running through everything, and bits of worldbuilding are scattered throughout the islands and encounters. The Locker feels like a place shaped by broken legends and unfinished business. You start picking up on themes of betrayal, ego, and legacy without the game ever stopping to lecture you about them. The talking skull helps here; he fills in gaps, mocks the situation, and keeps things from getting too heavy.
Visually, the game leans hard into atmosphere rather than realism. Floating islands, jagged wreckage, cursed enemies, it all feels like a pirate nightmare stitched together. It’s not the cleanest or most detailed game you’ll play, but it has a strong identity. The art style supports the tone: messy, violent, surreal. Performance has been mostly stable in my experience, though you can tell optimization is still ongoing, which is expected at this stage. That said, it is Early Access, and it shows in places. Some systems feel unfinished, balance can be a little wild during intense fights, and not every mechanic has reached its full potential yet. But the important thing is that the foundation is strong. This doesn’t feel like a tech demo or an idea in search of direction. It feels like a game that already knows what it wants to be and just needs time to get there.
Initial Impressions
I respect how bold DAVY x JONES is. It doesn’t try to copy what’s popular. It mixes genres that don’t usually sit together: first-person melee combat, roguelite progression, and naval strategy, and somehow makes them work together. It won’t be for everyone, especially players who want something slow or story-heavy right now, but if you like games that take risks and aren’t afraid to be loud, weird, and messy, there’s a lot here to like already. Right now, DAVY x JONES feels like a game with real teeth. It’s rough, ambitious, and full of personality. If the developers continue building on what’s already here, this could easily grow into something special — not because it’s perfect, but because it’s bold enough to try something different and mostly pulls it off.
