Game Reviews

Sid Meier’s Pirates!

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| Sid Meier's Pirates!
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Sid Meier’s Pirates!
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| Sid Meier's Pirates!

Pirates are cool. Everyone knows this. Yet walk into a trendy bar dressed as a pirate and you’ll be laughed out the door. If only there was some way to engage in 17th Century pillaging without the social stigma attached.

Fortunately for us pirate wannabes, Oasys Mobile has brought Sid Meier’s seminal Pirates series to mobile.

Like the idea of hunting down some buried booty? Grab your shovel and start digging. Want to swordfight on the deck of a boarded ship while the rest of the crew lock blades and swing from rigging? Yes, there’s that too (although you’ll have to imagine the swinging).

There are no levels - instead, your character ages over time, giving the game a very organic feel that draws you into its world. Ports change hands either by chance or by your own blade, wars between nations erupt without warning, governor’s daughters swoon at your mighty deeds and crews mutiny and desert you when everything goes horribly wrong.

Unfortunately, this final aspect is what most newcomers to the series will encounter when they first start out. No tutorials are given and the only help available in game is a rather long control list. Pirates isn’t the most complicated game to play, but certain aspects would benefit from context sensitive help menus.

One such section is the swordfighting mini-game. The animation in this part is very limited and it's unclear how your actions affect on the other captain. This makes the whole process a bit of a button-mashing mess compared with the original’s rhythmic sword-ballet.

Thankfully, some satisfying, if basic, ship to ship and ship to land combat can be had before the sun sets on your pirating career, and the random and ever changing nature of the gameworld offers a great deal of replayability and variety.

Fans of the original and those harbouring dreams of becoming Jack Sparrow will be pleased with this mobile conversion, but the lack of help and unclear swordfights may prevent some from fully enjoying the experience.

Sid Meier’s Pirates!

An entertaining Pirate game let down by lack of help and visual feedback. Those that persevere will be rewarded with an addictive and oddly compelling little gem
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Will Wilson
Will Wilson
Will's obsession with gaming started off with sketching Laser Squad levels on pads of paper, but recently grew into violently shouting "Tango Down!" at random strangers on the street. He now directs that positive energy into his writing (due in no small part to a binding court order).