Pirates! will take over your life.
The game really is just plain fun. It’s very easy to pick up. The level the game starts on acts as a tutorial and give you hints to help get the hang of the sword fights and dancing scenarios. As you do better in plundering and pillaging, the game will give you the opportunity to increase your play level. This is a great feature because it lets you increase the difficulty at your own pace. You can stay at the lowest level for as long as you like, although it does pay to jump up a level.
The sound is average. The music is fitting, although it does become very repetitive, especially in the dancing sequences. There are no voice-overs. Instead, the characters use a sort of Sims-esque talk. If you hate that sort of thing, the game can grate on your nerves at points. Luckily, you spend most of your time at sea and not in towns listening to the grunts and nonsense.
The graphics are very good and the ships and oceans look spectacular. Character models are very good, although you will find that the various captains, barmaids and governors all look alike, with a few variations. The exception to this is the detail given to the famous pirate captains. The details on these nine are great. Blackbeard even comes complete with flaming beard.
The game can become frustrating at times. For example, when attempting to hunt down the evil Baron, you may discover that you just missed him, and can’t seem to track him down on the seas. I also had some trouble finding a few of the famous pirates, no matter how often I sailed back and forth on their hunting grounds. Finding buried treasure/lost cities can also be annoying, especially if there are several similar landmarks in succession. It’s very easy to get turned around and wander aimlessly looking for a dead tree or geyser.
In general, this is a superb game. It’s pure, simple fun. Just don’t expect to be able to sit down and play for only a little while. The game is addictive and hard to put down.