I know I'm slow at reviewing games but even for me reviewing a game that is essentially twenty years old is taking it a bit far. I first played Pirates as a kid, stood in the local branch of Tandy playing on a platform that has long since faded from memory (do believe it had red keys though)…
The PSP version of pirates is a port of the 2004 PC game which in turn was a remake of the 1987(ish) original. It’s still as simple and basic to play today as it ever was, however it still has a huge amount of depth and an incredible lifespan and replayability. If anything the PSP seems to suit the game the best of any platform to date, and it also tends to look better than it has done on any platform – including the recent PC version.
For those of you who don't know Pirates is a strategy game whereby you take on the role of a young pirate commanding his first ship for one of four nations (Dutch, French, Spanish or English) - your aim ? Well that's pretty much down to you – you are a pirate after all! You can pretty much to what you want, to who you want, how you want. The only thing that can put a stop to your career is age – when you get too old you retire. Plain and simple.
At its heart Pirates is a collection of mini-games – all of them are rather basic but as a collection they work. The sailing is done by rotating your ship to point in a certain direction and letting the wind take you. Ship battles are conducted the same way but allowing you to fire cannon at the foe of your choice. Get too close in battle and the boarding game starts. Here you fight the opposing captain in a basic sword dual. It works along the lines of “paper, scissors, stone”, but with thrusts, swipes and parries instead. There are also ‘rhythm action’ dance games and creepy stealth sections.
As I said, how you play the game is down to you. Maybe you decide to wage war against the nation of your choice, sinking their smaller ships whilst stealing there big freight ships and taking all their goods and gold with you. Beware though – they don't take kindly to this and you may soon find yourself hunted down or run out of town. That said though there are plenty of rewards to earn doing this. You can (if you are so inclined) play the game more peacefully, avoiding most combat in favour of seeking buried treasure and trading goods for best profit.
Pirates! is a game that works well in short or long sessions. Ten minutes can soon turn into a couple of hours but no matter how long you play for fun is pretty much guaranteed. The graphics look great on the tiny PSP screen – those update visuals of the recent PC version work really well on the smaller screen.
It’s hard to believe that after 20 years a game can still feel fresh and exciting, but Pirates manages both. Anyone seeking depth and longevity should certainly pick up a copy. It’s a great way to spend a short bus journey or a long afternoon.
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