One of the great mysteries of video game history: why is it so darn hard to make a good pirate game?
It really makes so little sense. The great scope of adventure, the captivating settings, and the harrowing stakes—not to mention the abundance of gameplay mechanics to mess around with—should, in theory, combine to make this a developer’s dream arena.
But alas, we got Skull and Bones.
Ok, to be fair, there is AC: Black Flag, Sea of Thieves, Pillars of Eternity’s move into the space, and the interesting new entry of Republic of Pirates (reviewed here by the great Worth a Buy).
But thankfully there is one game that still stands as an example of what the 1600s Caribbean can look and feel like in a video game: Sid Meier’s Pirates! Yes, the GOAT who masterminded Civilization was also the designer of a 2004 gem that continues to resurface in the crowded gaming consciousness of today.
In the game, you play as a generic pirate protagonist with two twin goals: avenging your family’s destruction at the hands of the dastardly Marquis de Montalban and amassing the largest fortune possible on the Spanish Main. In a terrifically modern design structure, you work toward both goals in the manner and order of your choosing.
Though technically a remake of a Commodore 64 release from the late 80s, Sid Meier’s Pirates! demonstrates a remarkably forward-thinking approach to the already complex hybrid genre of “Action-Strategy.”
The game has a “hub-and-spoke” structure of sorts, with mini-game activities such as sword-fighting and governor-daughter-dancing threaded together with a beautiful overworld Sailing Map where you control a single ship up to a full fleet of ships. From here, you have full control on what ports to sail into, which of the four colonial nations to enrage or support, which money-making or story-forwarding activities to engage with, and more. From the conclusion of the opening cinematic, you have an essentially free hand to do whatever you choose, which is the title’s greatest strength.
Being a pirate implies a level of lawlessness and spontaneity that this game delivers at every moment. Freedom is not a necessary ingredient to every good game, but sometimes the game world is just begging for the player character to be let loose. And the great games trust you to make meaning from that freedom to explore, confident in the knowledge that their mechanics and story will be interesting enough for you to choose to engage with. Oh, and you need to feel like you are reward–not punished–for choosing your own path. So few games walk this tightrope well, and Pirates! is one of them.
Feeling like a pacifist run? Sure, just hunt down buried treasures, schmooze the governors of the wealthiest ports, and manipulate the trade markets using your collection of hulking Spanish galleons. Feeling more like a slash-and-burn playthrough? Amass the largest collection of backwater sailors you can, burn any ship unlucky enough to get caught in your trade wind, and sack St. Kitts until it has a worse economy than the Jesuit mission up the coast. Perhaps you are a tad more clinical? Then make it your mission to track down and eliminate the ten real-life pirates that are cohabitating the Caribbean with you.
None of these is a wrong way to play. In fact, you are likely to find more success and positive feedback by playing into your own strengths since you must often perform well in a particular mini-game to receive any rewards. The six main gameplay scenarios are (ranked in order of quality):
- Ship battles
- Sword fighting
- Romance dance rhythm
- Turn-based land battles
- Sneaking into towns
- Searching for buried treasure or “lost cities”
Fortunately, the two most prevalent activities are at the top of my quality list. Ship battles feel tight, and there is a great back-and-forth between the two vessels, especially when there is a clash of styles (i.e. a juggernaut Ship of the Line against a nimble Indian War Canoe). Sword fights are exciting but quick affairs that rely on a simple parry-dodge-attack system. The difficulty level makes a huge difference for these first two. The dance mini-game can be quite a whirlwind on the higher difficulty levels, but it is somewhat amusing.
The land battles (how you go about sacking a port city that hates your guts) see you fielding your pirate-sailors on a large grid full of environmental bonuses and hazards. These can drag on, though, and often boil down to “whoever has more guys wins.” The sneaking mini-game where you navigate the walls of a port town at night avoiding armed guards is the least fun of the mini-games, and it is only used to bypass the security of a port that has barred you from entering or to escape prison. The buried treasure is the mechanic I avoid the most in my playthroughs as the excursions onto land with your small band of sailors are painfully clunky and confusing, though I guess it makes some sense that you would have a hard time finding treasure that has been intentionally hidden.
None of these are game enough on their own, but they are fun just because you have the variety of jumping between them at your own discretion.
Last, we have the story. It revolves around reconnecting your family that has become separated at the hands of a cruel Marquis. Very average, but the rewards for pursuing these family members make it worth the time and effort.
So what’s bad? Well, if you don’t enjoy the mini-games, you won’t like the game. Ship battles and fencing are so common that either might be a sticking point if you find them repetitive or painfully easy.
Conclusion:
Sid Meier’s Pirates! stands as an example of the timelessness of thoughtful, exploration-friendly game design and continues to carry the metaphorical flag for the pirate game world with its excellent variety of gameplay mechanics and player agency.
Rating: Genre Definer
(credit to u/MrchntMariner86 for some corrections to the original post)
