Sid Meier's Pirates! Reviews

• A Pirate's Life For You

  
  By A8BRFFOBFH5OC on 2006-09-26
  There's a LOT of game in this box.
  
  There are enough delightful aspects to make it worth a geezer gamer's time and enough light-hearted and simple action to be fun for any kid old enough to enjoy _Treasure Island_. For the hardcore I imagine it's just a romp.
  
  Pirates! is a beautifully-rendered set of minigames stitched together as a story-construction kit packed with yer basic pirate tall-tale elements, plus an extra or two just for fun.
  
  We got the swordfighting part, the ship-jacking part, the town-pillaging part, the pirate-treasure part (complete with fragmentary clues).
  
  We got ripe chaos in the colonies, bad men, good women, and you.
  
  Oh. Did I mention there's dancing?
  
  The action is in sailing, sea battles, sword fights and dancing. The controls in all of them are simple enough that the games are almost instantly immersive, and the acting is never bad, sometimes outstanding, with a lot of rewarding attention to detail. I'll mention the tavern maid after she whacks a lout with a bottle and the exulting Spaniard captain.
  
  The pace is fast enough that you start out busy trying to keep up, the controls simple enough that you can definitely learn how, and about the time you do learn, the depth and detail of the game starts seeping in around the edges.
  
  The Caribbean political and economic situation is constantly changing. Everything about a colony except its existence depends on what comes in or out, by sea. The ships in the game are merchants and smugglers and immigrants and invasion fleets and raiders and garrison troops and couriers. And pirates, of course. You can, ahhh, interfere with this traffic, with consequences.
  
  Another major story element available is getting yourself hooked in to the Caribbean-wide gossip networks of Governor's daughters, tavern maids and mysterious travelers. The latter two will chat with anyone, but the Governors' daughters are choosy about who they'll talk to. Who wants to talk to a pirate that lacks charm? Dance with the ladies, Cap'n.
  
  Dancing, like swordfighting, has a definite rhythm and depends on paying very close attention to your partner. You get better -- there's a basic common repertoire of simple four-step sequences that you soon learn to recognize -- but the variations as you climb the social ladder (did I mention that aspect of the game?) get increasingly complex and the timing and cues subtler and more varied. Swordfighting is child's play compared to the dances women invent.
  
  I've only mentioned some major and minor parts -- sea battles? assaulting cities? (that one's not an action game)? marriage? climbing the social ladder? -- and there are lots of details I won't mention at all. I'll summarize them all this way: they fit.
  
  There's nothing like it. If the minigames themselves were deeper, I suspect you could completely lose yourself in its world. As it stands, it's just a gloriously good game.
  
  I played this on a machine with a (low-end) Radeon X200, a gig of RAM and an Athlon 3500+. I had to crank all the graphics options down to the minimum (although I can run 800x600 rather than 640x480, which matters), set the power-saving CPU speed option to "Always On", and go into the advanced display settings to keep it from forcing e.g. antialiasing. I'm pretty sure the real bottleneck is the graphics card, and that if you've got even the least of the gamer graphics cards you've got nothing to worry about; this one is great up to the low-end 3D stuff but quickly runs out of steam after that.
  
  

• A Great Game for Kids and Adults

  
  By A4QC76NMWE5OC on 2007-06-19
  Recently I bought Pirates for my son who is now at the age where he can enjoy computer games more and who has shown great interest in anything pertaining to pirates. Originally, I was going to play the game myself without high expectations of enjoying the game and then show him how to play. However, I've enjoyed the game a great deal!
  
  There are five levels of difficulty, ranging from Apprentice to Swashbuckler and certain skills (fencing, medicine, romance, etc.) your pirate can possess.
  
  Your pirate is able to earn "fame" scores through: promotions, wealth attained, pirates defeated, enemies avenged, pirate treasures recovered, and perhaps other means too.
  
  The graphics are great and another good thing about the game is that your strategy is open-ended based on what you want to be (a romantic, plunderer, wealth accumulator, etc.).
  
  Highly recommeded for both kids and adults (sometimes as in my case it may be hard to differentiate which one I may be when it comes to fun games!). The game manual is extremely well-written and very helpful!!!
  
  Play and enjoy yet another great title by Sid Meier.
  
  By the way Sid, when will you make some other Civil War real time games and make your Gettysburg game compatible with Windows Vista?
  
  

• Game for the whole Family

  
  By A16BN0WIFOM2WM on 2006-07-25
  Dad, mom, and three kids all enjoy this game. It can be played on many levels and does not contain the sort of graphic images that would preclude the children in our household. The kids enjoy the adventurous nature of the game, while the adults like the strategic aspects. Plenty of fun, easy to learn, and the difficulty level accomodates a range of players. A game everyone can enjoy.
  
  

• Okay, fun, but not a really great game

  
  By ABKAPN87T5G80 on 2007-04-04
  This game is kind of strange. Its essential activities can be summarized: capturing treasure, swordfighting, gaining quests, etc, but as a whole, there is no real plan, no overall strategy or mission. however, i keep playing it, which probably says more about me than the game.
  
  
  

• ARRGGHH!

  
  By A1TUM1Q5Z1CY2U on 2006-07-27
  This is my favorite game. There are so many cities it's almost impossible to remember everything so it feels much like a new game each time you play. Sometimes the sea travel seems slow but they did speed up the ship battles in the last patch. There is no lewd behavior or language, no blood and guts, and no death so I think that this game is pretty family-friendly.
  
  
• Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Fun
  By A23FP9UR5OSMEJ on 2006-07-27
  This game is undoubtedly one of Sid Meier's best. The game is easy to learn, fun to play, has GREAT graphics, and several different difficulty levels.
  
  "Pirates" also has an interesting (if innaccurate) historical aspect. Nine famous pirates can be tracked down and defeated in the game, including Blackbeard, Henry Morgan, L'Ollonais, and Jean Lafitte. History buffs like myself will of course know that Lafitte and Blackbeard were about 115 years apart in history, but it certainly doesn't take any fun out of the game.
  
  There are several different modes of play that keep the game interesting- sailing the seas, battling between ships, duels between you and various opponents (Ship Captains, Military Officers, Wanted Criminals, and other Pirates), tactical attacks on cities (my personal favourite), and dances with governors' daughters. Each mode of play features fast paced yet simple gameplay and excellent graphics.
  
  When you aren't sailing around the world collecting loot, you can also play the storyline. This includes hunting down the evil Baron Raymondo to gather information about your family who was kidnapped when you were a child, followed by daring attempts to rescue them based on the info you gather. Even more important and dramatic is the search for the notorious Marquis Montalban, who had kidnapped your family in the first place due to a debt they owed. Another major game villain is Colonel Mendoza, who will kidnap any fair lady you are on the verge of marrying.
  
  The scale of the game is also impressive. There are dozens of cities and settlements to visit, each one either allied to the French, English, Dutch, or Spanish. There are also Pirate Havens where you may be asked what city is most vulnerable to attack. You are also able to expand your character's abilities by purchasing or recieving as gifts everything from pistols to armor, to improved rudders, to telescopes, to dancing shoes, to shrunken heads, all of which improve the ability of your character.
  
  The game has so many options, quests and possibilities that you can play for hours on end without anything seeming stale. Truly one of the best games I have ever played.
  
  And yes, you can dig for buried treasure.
  
  
• A modernized classic.
  By A2PQLAV0JIIBDU on 2006-11-09
  While there should be little doubt that this game is a reissue of the original pirates game of the 80's, and some parts seem dated at best, it is still hours of fun. The drawbacks of the game are dated graphics, some repetitious fight scenes, and rather generic quests but there is just something about Pirates! that is somehow addicting. Hardcore strategy buffs might not care for the game due to its limited choices and micromanagement but for those of us who grew up with the original, it is a wonderful re-release of a classic, and a more than a fair gaming value.
  
  
• Sid's Best Yet
  By A2HHQ5U4YR0UWK on 2006-07-30
  This game is so addictive, I never want to stop playing it. There are five levels of difficulty, Apprentice, Journeyman, Adventurer, Rogue, and Swashbuckler. The object is to defeat notorious pirates, find buried treasure, defeat Marquis Montablan, and rescue all your family members. You can become the first, most notorious pirate in the entire Caribbean. I love this game.
  
  
• This is the type of game that is just fun to play
  By A1Y3ANWY7RQ0EV on 2006-08-10
  In today's gaming world so much time is spent on nitpicking pixels to death that so often we overlook the basic concept of games: fun. This game takes the romanticized ideal of a pirate slaps in some historical surroundings and characters and is just fun to play. Definitely recommend it to everyone.
  
  
• I like milk (almond)
  By on 2006-11-15
  I saw my brother looking at Sid Meier's Pirates about 6 months before Cristmas. Then i got it for Cristmas(actully it got lost in the mail and i got i 1 month later). I was so happy. When i played it it was extremly fun. I think you should get Sid Meier's Pirates. =) =) =) =)
  
  
• Very addictive, consuming fun!
  By A2GMO620ZX5J1H on 2007-02-12
  This is truly a fun game. My husband and I have played for hours at a time. I've had no trouble with crashes, bugs, etc. Just lack of sleep! If you want a game for pure enjoyment, strategy, and adventure, this is definitely it!
  
  
• Great Game for Everyone
  By A151F9P7YTDL9S on 2005-11-28
  This game is alot of fun to play again and again. Every time it is different. We all had fun helping each other find treasures and lost relatives and laughed at each other doing the dancing. From the best gamer in the house to the novice gamer, we all enjoyed it.
  
  
• Arr! 'Dis booty be worth de 20 pieces o'eight!
  By A3H374LWGUHJGQ on 2006-12-13
  Me first mate returned from plundering de merchant wit' Sid Meier's "Pirates!", an' it be a precious treasure, me bucko! Fightin', ale-swillin', pilot'n yer own flagship, hardy seabattles, stormin' ports, searchin' fer buried treasure, facin' de top ten terrors o' de high seas, sneakin' about enemy lands, woo'in de guvners' daughters (yes, I've woo'ed more'n one lass, an de less dey know, de better!), an' battles wit' buccaneers an' scurvy dogs'll git yer a nice pair o' sea legs, dey will! Ye can choose to work as a privateer fer one o' de kingdoms (de barmy English, de scurvy French, de snivellin' Spanish, or de bilge-swillin' Dutch), an' fly the flag o' yer likin' (a royal flag, native flag, or a good ol' Jolly Roger).
  
  Alas, de ale-swillin' an' lass woo'in do be gettin' might repetitive fer de likes o' scurvy dogs like yerselves. Once ye've whipped an enemy cap'n wit' a boatoar, ye've whipped 'em all wit' a boatoar. Ev'ry fight be de same until ye take on bolder challenges to test de mettle o' yer scurvy black heart, an ev'ry dance wit' de lasses be de same, from Antigua te Villa Hermosa. If'n ye ask me, dat many lasses be a bit much trouble!
  
  Dis be a good bit o' fun to return to, but de randomly gen'rated adventures lacks de plot depths o' Davy Jones' Locker, arr!
  
  
• One of the Best pirate Games ever!!!!!
  By on 2007-03-29
  This game has a few dificult parts like sneeking out of the towns. But it contains all the pirate activities I could wish for, enough to keep you busy but not to many to get frustrated. After you get the hang of it It's very fun with very easy controls.
  
  Soon all the fair maidens will faint at the sound of your name and sailors will tremble, your home country will stand proud when they hear you sunk another ship.
  
  Capturing towns, wooing fair maidens, finding buried treasure, defeating pirates, and transporting imigrants are only some of the things you do. In all it deserves 100 stars!
  
  
• IMPORTANT INFO
  By on 2006-03-15
  VERY IMPORTANT. I love this game, but I must warn you there are 2 versions. The Atari and the 2K one. I have the Atari, and love it. I don't no how good the 2K is. Thanks
  
  
• Arrrrr!!!
  By A181ZZX5K86D4Z on 2006-08-31
  If ye' be wantin' adventurous fun, this be it, lads. Treasure ships and Trade Galleons will fear your name in this incredible game by Sid Meier. My only problem is how little there really is to do, great replay value though!
  
  
• Very addictive!!
  By A25C5MVVCIYT5D on 2007-08-15
  This game is so fun to play! The only thing I didn't like about it was when I was forced to retire. The only real problem with it is like other reviewers have stated; you start to play it and before you know it half the day has passed and you tell yourself you are going to do just one more thing.. ahh! But if you want a game that's fun and has really good replay value this is it!
  
  
• Ahoy Matey! Get ready for a fun game.
  By AN4H9QOZLNUWG on 2005-11-27
  The game is different each time you play it and it's fun. I have Pirate Hunter also which is similar but this game is easier to control than Pirate Hunter.
  
  
• The Bad Side
  By on 2005-12-25
  This game, produced by the creator of Civilization, Alpha Centauri, SimGolf, Gettysburg, and Antietam, has a few big bad sides to it! For example, some dances at the governor's mansion can get real confusing. I suggest that when you divide the plunder at the end of your voyage, you revert down levels as soon as you can, or you will suffer terrible difficulty conquering or sneaking in or out of cities. Other than that, this game is the best!
  
  
  
• Not just for kids!
  By A3R4E9W5ZVNK5G on 2006-06-26
  Though it would be family friendly, I'm proof that it's highly addictive to adults too!
  The different eras and levels of difficulty mean that the game can be played many times over. Various piratical activities offer the chance to use different skills - dancing needs some coordination, whereas for land battles you'll need to strategise.
  It's great fun seeing your pirate become more and more famous and rise through the dastardly ranks as you defeat other notorious characters.
  Highly recommended.
  
  
• Want to be a Pirate? This is the game for you.
  By on 2007-01-09
  Pirates! is an adventurous game for an age range of about 8-??? You play a man that has lost his family and is looking for them while privateering for the Powers: England, France, Spain, or Dutch. You also can engage yourself with quests: searching for treasure, hunting down a certain ship, among other adventures. You can recruit a crew and divide the plunder when they get restless for their treasure after months at sea. While playing, you could romance the Govener's Daughter or fence with the enemy captain. Pirates! is a game that everyone will love and play for hours.
  
  
• Just Not That Good (Honest Review)
  By A2EHCZQTCWVXPV on 2007-02-05
  After reading all the positive comments on both gamespot and amazon about this game, I ordered it through amazon with the highest expectations. The result: a very mediocre game that is very disconnected and frustrating.
  
  I have a fascination with pirates, I've read several books on the "real" life pirates of the 16th and 17th centuries. While it's true that all the stuff you would want in a pirate game is present: buried tresure, swordfights, ship battles, land battles, etc. etc, each of these events are represented in their very own boring and most of the time, corny mini-game.
  
  Actually navigating your ship is really frustrating. I still haven't figured it out. The wind blows in a certain direction, and if you are not headed in that direction your ship moves at a snails pace. It takes forever to get from one end of the map to the other. The rest of the minigames are either really boring or just plain corny. For example, one minigame involves dancing to impress the Governor's daughter. Dancing around like a fancy boy is not what being a pirate is all about, let's get real. Ship battles are cool, but if your ship is somewhat far apart from your enemy it's VERY difficult to get close to them. For some reason in the ship battle mode your ship doesn't really move at all.
  
  The swordfighting is ok, but is pretty cheesy and gets boring very quickly while the land battles are excruciatingly slow. It's like moving chess pieces. Buried treasure I haven't even tried yet because the map they give you to find is very difficult to read.
  
  All in all, I really don't understand the high reviews for this game. The game is VERY disconnected and just really not that fun. I do not recommend this game to anyone.
  
  
• Overly ambitious, doesn't quite deliver
  By A8P8KPVXCWV9R on 2007-02-21
  Sid Meier has gotten to the point in the gaming industry where all he has to do is attach his name to a game and it will sell. Pirates! is a game that offers so much promise, but it never really quite gets there.
  
  Yes, the game did provide me with several hours of enjoyment. The basic premise of the game is a blast. However, each goal in the game is accompanined by a mini-game. At first, the mini-games are nice Easter eggs, but they get very boring very fast.
  
  Overall, the game needs a lot of improvement. With a little tweaking, I believe Pirates! had the ability to become one of those games that define a genre. As it is, the game seems incomplete. The main quest never stops being enjoyable. The mini-games that must be accomplished in order to complete the main quest get unbearably tedious.
  
  
• for kids and adults!
  By A1MD8X5VDFOSDJ on 2007-02-24
  I was pleasantly surprised to hear how much my husband liked this game. He knows a lot about boats and excitedly told me that they got all the boats right on the game. So not only does he have a great time playing it with the kids, but they also get to learn about the different ships, sizes, weapons that were used and more!
  
  
• One of the best games I've played in a long time
  By A3QB2VPGHT0SVC on 2008-01-22
  I've only had this game for two weeks and I was a little worried that some of the bad reviewers would be right and that the game would get boring. That didn't happen with me.
  
  This game is a lot of fun and a bit addictive, in ways alot of other games are not.
  
  The premise of the game is simple. You play as a young man who's family was ruined by a Spanish nobleman but you escape. You take to sea under either the British, French, Dutch or Spanish but quickly mutiny against your cruel Captain. At this point, the game is completely up to you.
  Unlike many games, where there is a progression you must follow in order to move the game along, you are not bound to any storyline. You can accept a letter of marque from any or all of the powers in the Caribbean and wage war on their behalf; attacking the shipping, capturing ships, raiding cities or you can simply attack any ships that happen to be in your area
  
  You can devote your time to reuniting your long-lost family and avenging those responsible. You can go after the other pirates and attempt to locate their lost treasure. You can explore for lost cities of the Incas and Aztecs.
  
  you can do anything you like; stay loyal to one or more nations and target only their enemies or play the game of shifting alliances, serving one power and then another. Court the daughters of the governors, fight enemies, track down criminals, recruit men to serve on your ships, build up a fleet....anything you want to do, you can.
  
  One of the most unique aspects of the game is the aging. I cannot think of any other game real-time or not that includes this. Basically, you will have between 20-30 years to do your best (or worst) and then age catches up to you. You're not long as quick with the sword as you were and soon you find yourself unable to take down the Captain of the Guards in the city or to best the Captain of an enemy vessel. You'll notice when this happens and you must just find yourself in prison if you're not careful. This of course is when you divide up the plunder for the last time and go into retirement. Here you will get to see how well you did and what becomes of you.
  
  Another aspect is the wind. While some reviewers found this frustrating, I found it fun. Instead of just mindlessly attacking ships from any direction, you have to set yourself up to be upwind from your prey and sometimes, this isn't possible and you'll be forced to give up the chase. It may get annoying when you need to travel from west to east on the big map, say from the Gulf of Mexico to the Bahamas but that's life.
  
  There are a few criticisms...
  
  You possibly could go your whole game experience without ever engaging in combat with other ships. Only you can initiate combat, even if you are near enemy ships much more powerful than your own. You may get a cannonball from them on the big map which will do some minor damage but that's it. Maybe on the harder difficulties this isn't true, but it would have been nice if your enemies could engage you and force you to fight or run for your life.
  
  When it comes time to divide the plunder (something you must do every now and then as your pirate crew will go restless), several months go by and then you can resume your adventure. However, you only have your flagship, even if you had several other ships when you went into port. Any supplies you had are also gone. This is somewhat annoying as you might capture a couple of good ships but you know you'll have to get rid of them at some point. It would have been nice if they had allowed you keep what you wanted.
  
  Another is the lack of diversity in the characters and cutscenes. Every tavern looks the same except for the barmaiden. Ditto for the daughters though some are a bit more...well endowed than others. The governors are all the same for each power. And the fights are the same over and over...oh you may start on the forecastle at one time and the main deck on another but aside from that, there is no real difference.
  
  Aside from that, the game isn't lacking much. There are so many aspects of the game to explore that you'll end up playing it several times. Ultimately, the goal of the game is to retire successfully; marry an attractive daughter, amass a fortune in gold and land, be famous for defeating the other pirates, etc.
  
  So if you're looking for a fun game, one that allows you alot of freedom of movement and one that you'll play more than once, this is it.
  
  
• I own the game, but haven't played it for over a year.
  By A8CY9L3110JNG on 2008-03-18
  I was initially enthused by the elements of this game, and the fact that it's a Caribbean Pirates scenario. Several factors have positive merit, the sea battles being one, the other the ability to roam everywhere on the map. Navigation is fairly easy, and the printed map very useful. But one major facet of the game bugs me to no end, the dancing. Ugh! Why, oh why, is your character forced to dance with every single governor's daughter in order to gain additional items? Not only does it subtract from the gameplay, but it's deliberately prissy and a huge waste of time. I tried several games not even bothering with daughters, simply walking away from them. That felt great.
  
  Then I went out, and as my pirate aged, attempted to sink and capture as much Spanish shipping as possible before I grew too old, ignoring the main objective of searching for missing relatives. Attacking the abundance of Spanish ships was fun and thoroughly satifying, unlike the awful dance scenarios. I wish there were an option to delete those sequences. That's why I haven't played in over a year. I can't get those sugar-coated dance scenarios out of my head. Good Gawd, Sid, what were you thinking?
  
  
• For once, I'm better then my dad!
  By on 2006-02-23
  I love this game. My dad, brother and I got it for X-mas and we loved making up different names. We always choose different skills and levels. And when you do ballroom dances, I can go to the end. But my dad can't. The most fun though, is when you fight the villans and get gold. The cut scenes are great (like when you a relative). This is my favorite computer game.
  
  
• Favorite Game for 7-9 year old Boys
  By A1IXKW5NLZ3B0R on 2007-03-09
  I was introduced to this game while shopping for a b-day gift for 9 year old in Target. A stranger saw me looking at all the computer games, asked what I was looking for and strongly recommended the game. I took a chance and later heard that the recipient LOVED the game. A few months later, my 8 year old son bought it himself. He and his 7 year old brother love it too. This game is one of the games they play the most.
  
  
• Great Fun
  By A19CNJHWMFEL9X on 2007-03-17
  I was afraid this remake wouldn't live up to the classic, but it does. I love it.
  
  
• Sid Meier's Pirates!
  By A2TGNALL68O9UV on 2007-07-14
  A well-designed game that is relatively quick to learn - after one time through at the novice level, I moved right up to the highest difficulty level. Pirates! is capable of providing many hours of enjoyment without the need for a fancy interface or any memorization. Tasks are somewhat repetitive, however, so make sure that this product has a core concept you'd have fun with - experienced gamers will only need a few runthroughs to master the skills involved.
  
  

• Sid Meier's Pirates! (Prima Official Game Guide)
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