Overview

Waka Ama tells the story of a centuries-old navigator and his crew exploring the pacific in search of a new home. The player character takes control of the waka captain Faleaka, as they journey across a seemingly endless ocean. Along the way, players encounter islands and all manner of ocean creatures. The game takes the form of an open world survival game, with the player having to manage the supplies on their waka as they journey between islands and attempt to find the legendary land of Aotearoa.

Core Mechanics

Because the central component of Waka Ama is Faleaka's Waka, many of the player's actions and avenues to do things revolve around the Waka. The player can store items on their waka, as well as craft weapons and other gear. On the waka itself, the player can also make adjustments to the map and view how far they have already travelled. Navigation forms a key component of the game, with the player receiving benefits depending on what kind of islands they identify and explore, how far they travel, and how well their expedition is going thus far. As player's explore items, they are able to find gear that they can use to upgrade their weapons and gear, as well as their waka. Upgrades like hull strength, stronger sails, and a sturdier rudder are just a few of the modifiers player's would be able to access.

Environment

Because the game takes place in the pacific islands, the environment that the player will travel through is largely tropical. This will be reflected in both the resources and the enemies that the player will encounter. Everything from hostile wildlife to rival tribes will attempt to aggress the player if they trespass on their territory. Because the islands are separated by large areas of water, player's will spend a lot of time at sea. In order to combat the possibility of boredom, player's will not only encounter islands, but animals, wrecked waka, and other natives travelling on their own boats between islands.

Players journey between islands using boats probably slightly bigger than this one.

(image sourced from condenast.co.uk)