Sid Meier’s Pirates! is an extremely popular classic title that has players sailing across the seas with plenty of freedom in how you explore the world and the actions you take to resolve your personal storyline. This pirate sandbox game concept was originally envisioned in 1987 but was remade in 2004 and subsequently released on a wide range of platforms.
Sid Meier’s Pirates! is set in the Caribbean islands with players able to sail across the seas and visit the various ports scattered around the area as they see necessary. These islands belong to the English, Dutch, Spanish or French and can change hands by themselves or based on player actions with these major powers of the day also playing a key role in your progression. Players can side with factions or try to remain neutral throughout their adventure although your attacks on ports and vessels will quickly create enemies at sea.
In the game players assume the role of a single character who has his parents taken from him as a child by an evil captain with players able to escape his grasp. Players join the game a decade later after these tragic events as a young adult who starts a mutiny on the ship he is currently travelling on which promotes him to the rank of captain and finally gives him the opportunity to find his family. While finding your family is the main goal of the game players can participate in a huge range of other activities on their path to locating each of their family members.
Each of these activities is extremely varied and includes sword fighting, naval battles, land assaults and even dancing with potential marriages on the line. Sid Meier’s Pirates! calls on the player to take on many roles in the game and use a variety of video game skills if you expect to succeed in all of them. While the range of activities is huge all of them use a simple control scheme which makes each game aspect extremely approachable that combines with a steady sense of progression to these mechanics.
Players can also hunt other pirates, follow treasure maps to riches and even marry one of the governor’s daughters as they build their own name for themselves. Ultimately the sheer amount of options in Sid Meier’s Pirates! means there is hours upon hours of gameplay to be enjoyed for players as they carve their own sailing path.
The underlying core of this path is visiting the various ports and abbeys that are spread across the real world map and each serve as the basis of many of the game activities. For example when in port players will be able to visit the local tavern to find out economic information, recruit new sailors, fight another captain or restock and repair their ship. If players are enemies of the nation in control of a port though you’ll receive a less than friendly welcome where you can opt to overthrow them in a land battle or sneak in for supplies instead.
In comparison when at seas players can attack passing ships to steal their supplies, take over the ship completely to add to their growing armada or board them to battle against the captain to secure a surrender. Players can’t lose sight of their ultimate goal though which is where you’ll take this progression to find the treasure maps tied to your family be defeating a familiar foe from your past.
Summary:
- Sail the seas in this open ended game with your ultimate goal to locate each of your family members.
- Huge range of activities to participate in which gives the gameplay great variety and replay potential.
- Easy to learn but higher difficulties will push you to the edge of your strategies and reflexes.
- Sail the world as you create alliances and enemies with the major nations of the era.
- A remake of the 1987 game by the same title.
Links:
- Buy Sid Meier’s Pirates! (GOG)
- Buy Sid Meier’s Pirates! (Amazon – PSP)
- Buy Sid Meier’s Pirates! (Amazon – Xbox)
- Buy Sid Meier’s Pirates! (Amazon – Wii)
- Buy Sid Meier’s Pirates! (Microsoft Store – Xbox 360)
- Buy Sid Meier’s Pirates! (Microsoft Store – Xbox One)
Videos:
Review Platform: PC