Pirates Ahoy!: Pirates Ahoy! -> Pirates of the Caribbean Stock Game Review

The Good:

-An interesting, engrossing, and fun main quest

-Great graphics, with late day sailing truly being a sight to behold

-Numerous enjoyable side quests

The Bad:

-Bizarre puffs of red smoke signaling hits on enemy ships

-Several unaddressed bugs and problems

-The end of the main quest signals the end of your game




In depth:

Ah, yes, Pirates of the Caribbean – the successor to the wildly original Sea Dogs, the game which put little ol'Akella on the international PC gaming scene's map. Alas, the same success wasn't to be seen with Pirates of the Caribbean, which was noted for its many bugs and shortcomings by reviewers, and how thrown together the game felt upon initial release by those who bought it – one need only explore the many files and folders of the original version to find a multitude of unused models and numerous other resources. Were one to overlook all the negative press, and just dive right in and install the little bugger, what one finds is entirely unexpected: a buggy, somewhat unfinished game which, although it might disappoint you somewhat, will keep dragging you back for more.

Upon starting the game, you'll find yourself right in the main quest – the handy thing here is there's a sort of “mini tutorial” built into the start of the game, and you end up learning as you go for a time. When you decide to go exploring the world or taking on a side quest or two a little later on, you should be well-versed in the basics of the game. I'd say more at this point, but if I keep going, I'll end up revealing some of what happens. Hence, I'll end with this: the main quest is very enjoyable, and you should take your time with it in order to get the most out of it.

Graphics-wise, you'll probably find yourself wandering around the towns and other locales, gawking at the “purdiness” of everything – for a game from 2003, it still looks pretty darn good even today. Sailing in first- or third-person view as the sun is setting looks spectacular. Storms, when you encounter them at sea, look mind-blowing, with insanely high waves, driving wind, lashing rain, and lightning lacing the sky.

Pirates of the Caribbean also has many side quests, such as being approached by individuals interested in trying to sell you maps which are rumoured to lead to untold mountains of gold and jewels – maps which, of course, can all be had for a right princely sum. What you find once buying and following them, of course, is something I'm not at liberty to divulge (another words, quit reading my silly review and go play the game already!). The side quests are for the most part enjoyable, but more often than not, you'll find yourself out on the open ocean hunting that fat merchant ship on the horizon!

Yes, it's that time again – here comes the negative part of ye olde review. Obviously, if I were writing for some big, paid-for-by-the-developers,-but-not-really-if-that's-what-you're-thinking site, you wouldn't be seeing any of this right now. Fan sites like PiratesAhoy are the only place to get true, accurate, and unbiased reviews. Is it just me, or did that last bit sound like the start of a national newscast?

Something you'll no doubt notice when in battle is all the red smoke – no, you're not in the middle of a Fourth of July parade – this is one of the weirdest things in the whole game. It won't matter in the least what you hit your enemy with, it'll always result in red smoke. Where Akella came up with this one is beyond me and, as far as I can tell, everyone else.

The game is, sadly, riddled with many bugs and problems, which seem to be a trademark with all of Akella's products – even the venerable old Sea Dogs required a major patch before it would even start up for many users. One of Pirates of the Caribbean's many problems is with your ship's crew, who in the third-person view can be seen walking the decks and climbing the rigging – switching to first-person view, though, results in you standing on a ghost ship, whose sails mysteriously raise and lower on their own, and whose cannons fire and reload under the guidance of unseen hands.

The biggest fault of Pirates of the Caribbean, though, is with the ending of the main quest which, unfortunately, brings about the end of your current game. Completing the game leaves one wanting so much more, and you'll more than likely find yourself trying to figure out a way to kill the marchin' Credits and get back in the action.




Overall Score:

Gameplay: 7/10
Graphics: 9/10
Immersion: 8/10
Replayability: 8/10
Sounds: 7/10

Total: 39/50 = 78%