Summary
- The characters in Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew are unique and play differently, making them ideal for specific situations and loot retrieval.
- Quentin Aalbers, Mr. Mercury, Pinkus von Presswald, Teresa la Ciega, Suleidy, and Afia Manicato are standout members of the crew, each with distinctive abilities and skills.
- Players should strategically choose their playable characters based on their strengths and playstyle, as some characters are better at support, infiltration, distractions, or combat.
In the lead-up to the release of Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, developers Mimimi Games made it a point to highlight all the weird, whacky, and lovable new characters who would be joining the crew. A lot of these vibrant individuals will be picked up along the journey, but they're all unique in how they play and can be ideal for certain situations where their abilities are essential for grabbing some loot without triggering an alarm.
With such a large cast to choose from, it never hurts to know which playable characters are worth the time, and who are most worth reviving on the Ghost Ship first since they will be able to make the arduous journey ahead a lot easier. These are the very best members of the Cursed Crew who are always reliable and effective when being thrown out onto the field thanks to their unique weapons and skills, alongside just how much fun they are to play.
6 Quentin Aalbers (Treasure Hunter)
Abilities:
- Treasure Rod: Pull allies toward Quentin to keep them out of sight. Can also be used to hide enemy corpses.
- The Golden Head: Quentin throws down his golden head which distracts enemies and leaves them open for a backstab.
The skeletal crew member Quentin is about as straightforward as a character can get in terms of gameplay, but this isn't to suggest that he can't be incredibly useful, especially when it comes to keeping his allies out of danger. Quentin can't do a lot of damage by himself, so his skills are all based on keeping his teammates alive and distracting enemies to set up free kills.
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The Treasure Rod is the ability players should use most often. Not only can it save allies from being caught in the middle of enemy fire, but it can even pull levers and activate switches in certain scenarios too. If players invest in Quentin and upgrade Cackling Cockle, he will gain yet another ability that can distract enemies, making him a very fragile but extremely dependable support character.
5 Mr. Mercury (Shipwright)
Abilities:
- Soul Diver: Mercury uses his magical anchor to open a portal underground, allowing him to pass through walls and terrain.
- Sir Reginald: Mercury throws out his pet fish Sir Reginald to distract nearby enemies.
Mr. Mercury is a fairly unique character as he essentially acts as an all-in-one infiltrator who does come with a few drawbacks, but is incredibly useful when used correctly. His claim to fame is his Soul Diver ability which allows Mercury to tunnel underground. He can use it to hide from suspicious enemies or dig under fortress walls to pop up on the other side.
Since players will only be restricted to bringing a handful of crew members out for a mission, Mercury can be great for saving space and bringing others along who might not be able to otherwise. For example, while the canoness Gaelle will be able to fire allies over walls in a similar way to Mercury, she will also take up a space as a support, while Mercury can do this himself to scout out the area and collect info for his team at the same time.
4 Pinkus von Presswald
Abilities:
- Peruse Mind: Pinkus takes over a guard's body and is able to move him around and even talk to other guards to distract them.
- Coin: Flip a coin to make a noise and distract enemies.
Pinkus is the master of distractions, in the sense that he has so many options when it comes to drawing guards away to clear space for his allies. While he can do this by simply flipping a coin, Pinkus' main ability, and the one that might just be the most fun ability in the entire game to use, is Peruse Mind, which allows him to possess others to move them out of the way, or even distract other guards by striking up a conversation.
The biggest downside to his kit is the fact that he will immediately lose control of the body if the alarm is rung, which can easily lead to a very messy situation, so he's best used when in the hands of a skilled player who knows the best ways to avoid detection. Upgrading Peruse Mind will allow Pinkus to possess all types of guards, even the Prognosticars, which will be extremely worthwhile during the later missions where guard security starts to really ramp up.
3 Teresa la Ciega (Marksman)
Abilities:
- Iron Judgment: Fire a bolt that will either kill or incapacitate an enemy. Bolt must be picked up to use the ability again.
- Ashen Judgment: Fire a cloud arrow that briefly blinds enemies.
Teresa isn't the easiest character in the game to use and will require a little bit of practice to get to grips with, but she is by far one of the best infiltrators in the game who is capable of wiping out small groups in a matter of seconds. The key to using her to the best of her ability is knowing when to switch between her bolts. While Iron Judgment bolts can instantly take down a target from afar, Teresa will only have one bolt to use for this. Therefore, it can be worth saving it for some of the more stubborn guards who just don't want to move out of position and are causing a real nuisance.
Her Ashen Judgment on the other hand simply blinds enemies, which allows the sneakier members of the team to slip by without a huge ruckus being caused. This also saves anyone from having to stash away the body, which can make a mission go a lot smoother. It’s essential to upgrade Teresa's Iron Judgment bolt when players get the chance as this will allow her teammates to pick up the bolt for her and allow her to stay a far distance away from the enemy without needing to put herself at risk.
2 Suleidy (Doctor)
Abilities:
- Cover Seeds: Suleidy summons a bush that will keep her hidden from enemy vision.
- Wander Dust: Enemies affected by the dust will walk away from Suleidy in a straight line.
The mysterious and fairly unnerving doctor of the crew, Suleidy proves that she knows a lot more than just potions and antidotes once she steps onto the field. Thanks to her otherworldly power and natural abilities, Suleidy can completely take control of an area, or even an entire map with the press of a button. Her Cover Seeds allow her to throw down a few bushes to keep her hidden, even when guards are looking directly at her. This already allows her to easily slip past patrolling guards without needing to risk her life, but where she really shines is when using her Wander Dust.
After throwing out this foul odor at a group of guards, they will slowly begin walking away from Suleidy in a straight line which, if used correctly, can create the perfect opening for the rest of the team to swoop in and collect some loot. The ability can be made a little easier to use with the upgrade, which will instead guide enemies towards Suleidy's position, and since she can immediately pop up her Cover Seeds to hide once they're drawn away from position, it makes her an extremely valuable asset to any team.
1 Afia Manicato (Navigator)
Abilities:
- Blink: Afia uses her magical sword to teleport across the map. Must recover after using the ability.
- Time Freeze: Afia can freeze a guard in place for a few seconds. The enemy will act as if nothing happened once the ability wears off.
Thanks to the time-bending powers possessed within her sword, Afia can zip around the map in the blink of an eye and can even freeze enemies in place. This makes her viable for so many different scenarios. Not only can she stop a guard to let her and her allies pass without actually needing to kill anyone, but she can also scale walls and reach higher platforms without any extra assistance.
Afia allows her team to take a much more fast-paced approach since her presence ensures that the mission is always going to plan and can easily correct any errors made by her allies thanks to her teleport ability. Due to just how immensely powerful her abilities are, they will take a toll on Afia, especially if she uses her Grand Blink skill upgrade, but so long as players are aware of this, they will have a truly game-breaking character on their hands.
Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.