I am one of the cult Meier fans out there who has played the original Pirates! on at least four different platforms, loved them all, and awaited this release with a nail biting anticipation that nearly drove me nuts. This has been one of the biggest let down years for remakes; suffice to say that even though Sid (Meier) was behind this new creation, it was a game like Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown, that had me extremely nervous. I'm about as old school as you can get when it comes to games, I love the older principle of more gameplay and less eye candy. The best way to put it, Firaxis came through for us Pirates! fans :). They made a wise move during initial production to keep Sid Meier a major developing force in the game, letting him decide whether or not it fits his vision of what a Pirates! remake should be, and man did it pay off. First off, the graphics are fantastic. They are immersive and add to the fun of the game. You'll chuckle as your 32 gun Ship of The Line heaves to the side as you loose your cannons on an unsuspecting sloop, watch the cannonballs sail through the air and wreak utter carnage to the ship nearby. The water is beautiful, the characters have the Meier comical touch. The effects are perfect for this kind of game. You really couldn't ask for more from Firaxis. Sound is another part of this game that I love with all my heart. Nothing felt cooler than hearing a roaring thunderstorm in surround sound as a deadly black storm cloud was going past my ship. Even cooler, as my men and I were making our way back to Port Royale after plundering a heavily burdened Spanish treasure ship, my crew were singing "Blow the Man Down" in a made up "Simlish" like Pirate language made up for the game. I could not stop laughing. The gibberish speaking adds to the immersion, believe it or not, and lets the imagination do its own thing. Half the time you're adding your own words in and it starts playing out like a movie in your head. Sound is perfect as well. As any fan of the original Pirates! knows, the graphics don't have to be all that great to have a fantastic game. However, Firaxis has shown the brilliance to bring back the fun and addictive gameplay of old. Though some may see the game as simplistic, it is so open-ended and non-linear that you can literally carve out your own place in Pirate history, and be remembered however you want. The ship battles, privateering for one nation, (or all of them if you're really clever :)), everything just adds to one of the most addictive games made in the past 10 years. I finally realized what it is about the gameplay that makes Pirates! Live the Life such a wonderful addition to any gamer's shelf for years to come... the High Score! Before you call me insane, hear this out. One of the big objectives of this game is to simply amass as much treasure as you possibly can before you retire. There's a sense of urgency, and you also have something to prove your worth when you complete the game in the form of how much personal wealth you amassed in your adventures. This (like it did for the original Pirates!) will keep you coming back for years to come, wondering if its time to strap on your hook, tie down your peg-leg, and gather a crew for one more wild adventure on the high seas. I would recommend this to anyone who has not played the series, and definitely would urge any old-school fans not to miss out (though I highly doubt anyone who was a fan didn't have this game on release day). There's just something in this game that has been missing from the garbage that many companies call "groundbreaking" games ever since video cards and graphics laden particle effects became the primary concern before gameplay. If you long for that feeling you used to get back in the early 90s (what I call the golden age of gaming) where you simply could NOT tear yourself away from a game, where you are ready to give it another go to see what your personal best really is. Anyone who wants something new, who have been let down by so many games released anymore, can find solace in the fact that there are games out there that will show you again just why it was you started playing games like a fiend in the first place :) That's my take, take it or leave it! YAR!
When I began playing 'Pirates!' I was captivated by the colourful graphics and allround atmosphere of the game. But slowly, as the hours past by, I realized there wasn't nearly enough to do and that the game was extremel... Read Full Review
Sid Meier's Pirates! is one of the few games that caught the essence of its predecessor and mixed with new technological features to create a magnificent game, both on gameplay and graphics, and why to do not mention, th... Read Full Review
