By Joseph Luster

Refight: The Last Warship is a free-to-play strategy game from Chinese developer Fantian, and it originally launched on PC via Steam Early Access back in May 2019. That wasn’t the last stop for this intense survival sim, though, because a PlayStation 4 port was recently revealed at the ChinaJoy 2019 event. At a glance Refight looks more or less like another take on the hugely successful World of Warships and its contemporaries, but it has some potential to break out on its own once it makes its way out of Early Access and onto PS4 and Steam proper.

Survival is the name of the game, especially considering the limited resources players begin with in each battle. Materials appear randomly, but it’s going to take some serious searching to obtain the right supplies and further strengthen your battleship for the fights to come. Toss in harsh environmental elements like rain, fog, and blizzards, as well as the constant creeping threat of the enemies that surround you, and you have an imposing environment that adds tension to the otherwise standard battle royale style combat.

There are additional strategies to master beyond choosing the right warships for the mission at hand and knowing which weapons will take down certain enemies most effectively. Players also have to consider the ability to capture nearby islands to improve their odds in battle, especially since they serve as such an enticing vantage point for added protection and relief from the oncoming volleys of enemy torpedoes.

If you’re wondering what you can expect out of the Early Access version of this game, there are a few limitations to keep in mind. The scope hasn’t fully been ironed out at this point, but right now players can choose from three warships and begin navigation of the sea through a handful of different channels. Some of the warship defense components that can be collected along the way include ammunition and supplies, as well as an engine, naval weaponry, and more. Thirty players can go up against one another either as single players or as a team, with 15-on-15 action supported. Developer Fantian promises to expand upon these and other features by the time Refight’s full version is available.

At the time of this writing, Refight: The Last Warship has a ton of rough edges that need to be worked out. Once it leaves Early Access and debuts on consoles and PC as a full-fledged warship rumbler, we’ll be sure to check in to see if it’s worth your time. For now, participation is only really recommended to those who want to provide feedback, or simply to see what else waits in the waters beyond the heavy hitters like World of Warships. It is free, though, so the only resource you’ll be risking is time.

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