Live Magazine September 2017

SID MEIER’S PIRATES!
- Nick Getley
Xbox and Rare’s upcoming Sea of
Thieves looks like it’s going to be a
massive hit, and what better way to
get people excited for the swashbuckling
MMO than by releasing Sid
Meier’s Pirates! On Xbox One? With
a fantastic mix of sailing, plundering,
trading, sword-fighting, cannon-fire
and festive dancing (yep, you heard
that right), Pirates! Has something to
offer everyone.
Players are cast a young boy on a
quest to avenge the murder of his
father and kidnapping of his mother
and sister. After overthrowing
the cruel captain of a ship, players
are able to become career pirates,
pirate-hunters, traders, treasurehunters
and more. They’re also able
to solve mysteries and reunite their
family, if they’re able to locate and
defeat the infamous Bartholomew
“Black Bart” Roberts.
speak almost identically to the language
spoken in The Sims, and the
game’s animation and art style is
bright and charming. It’s very easy to
get sucked into the game, and it isn’t
long before players find themselves
capturing more powerful ships, upgrading
them, hiring rare crew members
and acquiring rare loot. It’s also
refreshingly non-linear in its design –
you can complete the main quest in
your own time or leave it all together.
After all, having a family means having
to share all that loot, right?
As serious as Pirates! Narrative is
though, the game itself is very accessible
and humorous. Characters