Try it for 30 days free - Love it or your money back :)
This game is definitely worth trying. I've read some of the other reviews and recognize the names of exploiters and others venting their frustration by writing a review of what they DIDN'T like. The truth is that this game is really a niche game - and is tailored to a certain audience.
Before I start describing parts of the game, seriously consider the items Gamespot put onto their review board. Better than the sum of it's parts, Oh Snap, Strong Competitive Multiplayer, Unique, and Steep Learning Curve. All of these are the highest praises for a game (with the exception of Steep Learning Curve, which in my opinion just says there's a ton of stuff to do).
Pirates of the Burning Sea (PotBS) is designed around one element - economy. The 3 factions + pirates all fight over ports to keep taxes low for their nation, and to gimp the other nations into defeat. Fighting takes place on the open sea in front of ports in a struggle to create enough contention to start a port battle. Port battles are incredibly vast endeavors that place 2 teams of 24 (all human controlled players) against each other in huge Ships of the Line and support boats (all built from scratch by players) that work together to decimate all enemies, or capturing / holding the port from the enemy. The twist is the port owners pay the least tax in that port (by quite a significant amount - from 5% to 80%) which contains only certain resources (oak, iron, fir, copper, the list goes on). The player based economy coupled with ships that you LOSE when they are sunk makes for a dramatic, exhilarating, and sometimes frantic experience that separates the leaders from the followers.
This game is extremely organized by the players. The economy is a free market, with an auction house in every port - yet some players took matters into their own hands and set up an internal economy with their societies, allowing them to quickly pump out more ships for a cheaper price. Port battles are fought in groups that have evolved from mad dashes of 48 ships at each other to gigantic line battles where everyone is on ventrilo and discipline is the key to victory. Check out this video (3 parts) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TClxeVb5mA which includes ventrilo transmissions as the port battle progresses. Both sides have multiple first rates, each of which takes months to build.
There is a pretty steep learning curve (not as bad as eve of course), but a ton of helpful players on each nation to help you out. If you're tired of killing NPC's in that same boring game over and over again, and are looking for a truly epic adventure fighting side by side with like-minded allies, I seriously suggest playing this game.
Like I said before, here is the Activation code you put into Sony's Station Launcher to activate a new account for 30 days with no charge, and no credit cards or any kind of money required.
"BoardingParty14"
The worst thing that can happen to you at this point - is that you might not like the game as much as I think you will.
Free trial for awesome game = Win