My colleagues giggle at the fact that I play League of Legends pretty much every night. ‘Why do you torture yourself?’ they ask, a question for which I have no answer. MOBAs – and multiplayer games as a whole – are somewhat synonymous with toxicity, and it feels like I can’t get through a game of League without someone hurling slurs in the chat. Sirocco is hoping to change that, stripping back the grind and focusing entirely on building out characters (or, well, battleships) and having fun. With a brand-new demo debuting at Steam Next Fest, now’s the perfect time to pull out of the ranked queue and try something new.
Based on the OG Warcraft 3 mod Battleships, in many ways Sirocco feels like the antithesis of other MOBAs like League and Dota. Where the latter rely on increasingly complex itemization systems and myriad of confusing tooltips, Sirocco wears its heart on its sleeve: it’s all about having fun.
The action takes place on the high seas, so naturally you’re piloting various battleships instead of individual characters (even if they are characters in themselves). Each vessel in your five-vehicle squad has weapons that fire automatically, so there’s no need for constant right-clicking and wrist strain (been there, done that). Instead, you’re firing skillshots and hoping to take down foes, meaning you’re not constantly having to worry about your positioning.
There are 21 ships to choose from with 24 weapons at your disposal, as well as seven different captains that will influence the power ups (or Loom Coils) that drop mid match. Said power-ups are reminiscent of roguelike games like Hades, and they’re randomized to keep you on your toes.
But there’s yet another twist. Where other MOBAs lock you into one specific character for the entire game, Sirocco allows you to switch hero mid battle, akin to Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals. While you could argue that hampers the stakes a little, as someone who’s found herself FFing at 14 because my champ just doesn’t do anything, I’d be lying if I said this doesn’t intrigue me.
Lunchbox Entertainment has confirmed that a new Sirocco demo is dropping as part of Steam Next Fest, which begins on Monday February 24. You can check it out here.
In the meantime, however, we have a list of all the best multiplayer games if you’re looking for something new to play with friends, as well as a rundown of all the best free Steam games if you’re looking for something new but don’t want to break the bank.
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