Sea of Remnants

Showcased during PlayStation’s Summer 2025 State of Play, Sea of Remnants is an upcoming RPG from NetEase, the Chinese video game publisher that has found success in the free-to-play world. Sea of Remnants stands out in NetEase’s portfolio primarily because of its art direction and general tone. Most games published by NetEase feature realistic characters wielding swords, guns, or both, as is the case with Marvel Rivals. Sea of Remnants feels closer to a jubilant cartoon – which admittedly, is not completely outside of NetEase’s comfort zone – but the pirate adventure still stands out.

Characters in Sea of Remnants look like the human-shaped puppets artists use to help them draw various body poses. Everyone looks like they’re made of wooden pieces, and you see their exposed joints. You could also look to the 2014 animated film, Book of Life. It’s a unique aesthetic and one that immediately drew me in.