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Sea of Thieves Review for PC

Sea of Thieves Review for PC

A Pirate’s Life for Me

Rare will always hold a nostalgic place in aging gamers’ hearts as a 90’s developer juggernaut, crafting masterpieces such as Donkey Kong Country , Banjo-Kazooie , and GoldenEye 007 . After their golden age oxidized as the new millennium rolled on, the heralded developer entered a state of abeyance, fashioning lackluster sequels, putting together fad-grabbing Kinect titles, and working behind the scenes on other Microsoft projects. That is until they were given the blessing to dive into uncharted waters, slowly piecing together Sea of Thieves , a game that does not fit into any one specific genre. This freedom provides some of the freshest character-driven experiences rarely found in the modern, bloated gaming world.

With only a meager sliver of a tutorial and the simplest of interfaces and inventory, players are left to their own devices on how to approach their newfound pirate life in Sea of Thieves . Plunked on a quiet tropical island wearing a few bland scraps, you can begin learning about the game’s lore and a finding a direction for yourself by chatting with the various NPC characters sprinkled around the beach. The beefy barmaid will enlighten you on current events while topping off your mug of grog. A few generic merchants offer article of clothing to personalize your pirate. And members of different guilds will sell you voyages (i.e. quests) to give you a target when you set out to sea.

Your ship glistens and caresses the waves by the pier, beckoning you to board it. Launching out into the open waters for the first time reveals the tasks required to keep it afloat and sailing true. Raising and lowering the sails, adjusting their angle to catch the wind, manning the helm, and checking the map to keep your bearings, all while scanning the horizon from the deck or crow’s nest for opposing ships or points of interest, are arduous chores for a single captain in a swift but frail sloop.

Rare has been outspoken when it comes to promoting cooperative multiplayer, with a larger galleon ship and a full crew of four touted as the ideal way to play Sea of Thieves . The communication between players is not only strategically important when it comes to efficiency on journeys, but it also creates memorable stories uniquely crafted by you and your crew. You could launch a mate from a cannon onto a skeleton infested island, spot a treasure chest perched precariously on a plank high above, round up some pigs, chickens, or snakes, then celebrate while you sail away by dancing on the deck, quaffing your grog, and playing your hurdy-gurdy. But while you are enjoying your sudden success, you may be blissfully unaware of the storm clouds ahead and an opposing crew’s galleon bearing down your starboard at full speed. It’s the closest thing to live-action roleplaying in a video game I’ve ever seen, and the more you invest in playing the part, the more fun you’ll have.

Sea of Thieves Screenshot

The goal in Sea of Thieves is to create experiences, above even the acquisition of wealth. Coin can be exchanged to fill the cosmetic wardrobes for yourself and your ship, but nothing provides any upgrades to your skills. Sea of Thieves is about chasing stature instead of stats, however this approach could have some negative consequences. With no leveling and no substantial progression system, the title rewards for raising your reputation with the various guilds and working towards the status of Pirate Legend may seem like a hollow goal when loot and upgrades are such staples in modern games. Being asked to spend dozens of hours completing voyages, only to be on same playing field as a newcomer, might be off-putting to a grind focused group.

Sea of Thieves Screenshot

Not only that, but the content present in Sea of Thieves at launch is fairly shallow. Voyages have you searching for buried treasure, transporting livestock, and taking down skeletons. Aside from that, you can scan for shipwrecks, follow the skull shaped cloud to a raid-like, skeleton-infested stronghold event, find some side quests in a bottle on the beach, fight other player-controlled pirate crews, and maybe even get paid a visit from the Kraken. But it feels like more could have easily been done to fill this oceanic tub with toys. Though there are a few skeleton variants, there are no other fantastical enemies to encounter. Perhaps a hostile amphibious race or a primitive tribal society could join the bestiary? Maybe there could be Atlantis-like submerged cities to explore, with players using air hoses attached to their ships to breathe. Rare has promised special events soon after launch and a growth in content down the road, but that still leaves early adopters with a light load to hoist around.

Sea of Thieves provides little comfort to the victims of aggressive pirate crews. Flight is usually the only logical action for a one-manned sloop against a fully-crewed galleon. Hours of collecting treasure could be wiped away without any recompense, should you be blown to the Ferry of the Damned. A pirate’s hours sunk to the bottom of the sea is likely to cause more than a few rage quits. The initial package also limits the social options. Only four players can officially join a galleon crew, even though there are enough responsibilities to keep twice as many crew members occupied. There is no couch co-op. There is no clan feature offering the option to build a pirate fleet. There are no specialized servers to cater to specific tastes, such as a roleplaying, pure PvP, or family-friendly gameplay.

Sea of Thieves Screenshot

If the lure for you is simply setting sail and taking in the world, then your senses are in for a treat. Islands are small nuggets in a vast, open ocean, so it helps that these are arguably the most beautiful digital waters ever seen. The cartoonish character designs and simple, yet strikingly well animated, environments add personality and whimsy to your voyage. Though the tone and orchestral makeup of Sea of Thieves ’s music score could be easily compared to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the compositions are still masterful, and the crescendo and cadence changes with each new wave of skeletons heightens the intensity of your endeavor. The ship creaks in the waves, groans when the anchor is lowered suddenly, and buckles when cannons are fired or cannonballs breach the hull. All the sights and sounds makes it one of the most immersive pirate games ever.

Sea of Thieves plots a course in the opposite direction of most big budget, predictable affairs. Loot is not about gaining power, and the thrill is in the voyage, not the destination. This may alienate some gamers, but it is a breath of fresh air for those willing to embrace the change. However, Rare will soon find the community clamoring for more content and improved social options to keep players invested and using their freedom to create limitless and fascinating stories.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.8 Graphics
You’d be hard pressed to find more beautifully rendered waters in a video game, and the cartoonish art style plays well with all the pirate shenanigans. The watery world could use a little more variety, though. 4.0 Control
The interface and inventory are simple to use, and the game uses soft skills and physics to provide players the freedom to improvise. Overall though, movement and combat don’t feel as fluid as the ocean. 4.7 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Despite many comparisons to a certain Disney rid- turned-movie series, it is unique. The music score is phenomenal, and the sound effects and use of audio range capture the pirate life perfectly. 3.5 Play Value
While the most fun comes from the experience you create with friends, the game is bare-bones in terms of content, with no emphasis on progression apart from gaining reputation. The game also needs loosen the boundaries on crew size and add more social features. 4.1 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • A New Type of Multiplayer Game – A game that provides freedom, adventure and excitement – the quintessential pirate experience. Crew up with your friends to explore the world, take on quests or seek out conflict. Complete voyages to earn gold, increase your reputation across the “Sea of Thieves” and work together to become a pirate legend!
  • Set Your Own Pace to Plunder – Designed from the ground up to allow people to play together, regardless of how long they’ve been playing the game. When players progress through “Sea of Thieves,” they earn reputation with trading companies, earn cosmetic rewards and most importantly, they earn the right to take on new quests. What’s special about the progression system is that it allows players to share these quests and take friends on adventures they might not have access to.
  • Mysteries Under the Surface – Set in a fantastical pirate world packed with everything you’d expect from a pirate adventure, such as skeletons, sea monsters, other pirate crews and many other surprises that players will discover as they explore the game’s world.
  • Anyone Can Have Fun – Designed to be welcoming and inclusive, and our mechanics encourage social bonding and cooperation between players. We’ve implemented additional features to encourage more people to try multiplayer. These include a smaller ship that allows players to get a taste of our shared world while playing alone, a non-verbal communications system that allow players to communicate even if they’re not comfortable using voice for whatever reason, and a brig system that lets crews manage troublemakers amongst themselves.

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