Sid Meier's Pirates!

by Atari

Product Features

• Swashbuckling Features!

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002YFU5E
• Media: DVD-ROM
• Release Date: November 16, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,949 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Originally released in 1987, Pirates! received unprecedented critical acclaim for crossing multiple game genres to offer unique, unrivaled gameplay options. Pirates! set the industry standard for innovative game design with its unique blend of open-ended role-playing, real-time adventures and thrilling action sequences. Now it's time for Sid Meier and Firaxis Games to bring this pioneering action-adventure game into the 21st century. An entirely new game engine will deliver updated gameplay, stunning new features, spectacular 3D graphics and enhanced sound effects, so players can fully experience the intrigue, adventure and danger of life as a pirate on the Spanish Main. In Pirates! you take the leading role of a Pirate Captain in the 17th century Caribbean amassing fortune and fame in an attempt to seize your rightful place as one of the most revered... and feared pirates in history. Test your skills as a sea captain exploring the high seas and exotic ports in a richly detailed 3D world. Overtake the enemy and seize valuable booty. Exchange plank-shattering broadsides in fierce naval battles, and engage in duels with worthy opposing captains. The new Pirates! carries on with the great gameplay and design simplicity tradition of the award-winning original, while adding more challenging and exciting battle options. It offers a deeper and more varied role-playing experience that includes multiple paths to a wealthy retirement. This and many other features and additions make this gaming classic one of the most highly anticipated releases of this century! Swashbuckling Features! Experience an all-new story built upon the most fun and compelling features of the original Pirates game. Live out multiple quests through a non-linear, open life timeline where every decision poses distinct challenges and possibilities. Witness the consequences of your actions in current events throughout the Pirates! world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Addicting, March 27, 2007

By 

Timothy Medora (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This isn't the biggest, baddest game out there. But it's an engaging romp through the Caribbean following a very flexible and open storyline. It IS an RPG, after all... multiple paths are part of the gameplay, and the Pirates! succeeds at having historical structure and some general constraints while still letting the user do pretty much anything they want.

PRO

- Very playable, easy to understand
- Family-friendly; any violence is very cartoon-like and pretty tame
- Engaging mini games that take some skill to master but are fun right from the get-go
- Easy to succeed at little things right off the bat, while more elusive targets beckon.
-

CON

- Ballroom dancing mini-game. I see where it fits into the story, but I found myself avoiding it. Fortunately, it is not really critical to the game overall.

- Lack of training against tough opponents. Once you advance in skill level beyond a certain point, fencing becomes significantly harder. Practice makes perfect, but initially, you may find yourself going from "owning" every opponent to losing all your ships and thrown in jail. More practice or more granularity between levels would be a plus.

- Simplistic AI. Dialogs and text are all very vanilla.

Overall, a ton of fun.