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I was huge fan of the PC version of this game a couple of years ago, so you can imagine how excited I have been at the prospect of a PSP version. I think a game like this is perfect for a handheld console as it’s not too strenuous graphically and is very easy to just dip in and out of, which is great for those of us that are on the move gamers!
Anyone remember Elite or Frontier? Well Pirates is like a very pretty sea-based version of those games, but a little easier to pick up and maybe a touch simpler too.
It’s an open ended game, billed as strategy but in reality containing a lot more than just strategy elements. Pirates! Gives you the chance to live out the life of a pirate however you like, whether you want to be a treasure hunter, explorer, merchant or even an actual privateer, hiding outside busy ports and attacking the merchant ships to steal their precious bounty!
During the average game you can expect to get stuck into some tricksy swordfights, trade cannon shots with other ships and even wind up dancing with the Governor’s daughters!
As I said, the game is pretty much open ended, but the overall aim of the game is to build up as much loot as you can before you retire-as time passes your character will age, and if you have created enough of a name for yourself over the years you may even find yourself in the pirate hall of fame!
The game’s opening scene runs through a standard story of familial imprisonment as a young boy leading to dreams of vengeance as your character grows. Pretty standard fare but it does give a nice sideline to all the pillaging and looting as the game goes on.
Once the game itself starts you will find yourself in a port where you can visit a bar to catch up on all the local goings on and also hire some crew and buy some items for your ship.
When you leave the port your main view becomes that of the ocean, with your ship roughly in the middle with a side on/isometric type view. This works very well and enables some swift manoeuvring to be easy to pull of due to the simple control system. When the time comes for battle, the screen zooms in to be centred on your ship, so you are treated to an enlarged image of the action. This is great, and the battles, though fast and often quite short, are very tactical affairs. This is due to the fact that the cannons only fire from the sides of your ship, meaning you have to present the enemy with a huge target in order to fire your own shots, and also the fact that the ships can move much faster in one direction than in another, due to wind directions. Couple that with the fact that you have various kinds of ammunition to fire at any given time and also that you have to contend with reloading times, and you have yourself some pretty exciting battles. It’s these battles which we have been given for multiplayer, up to four players simultaneously, and while much shallower than the main game, it’s a hell of a lot of fun!
Overall I’d say that Pirates! Is an essential purchase for any PSP owner with a passing interest in the strategy genre-not quite as perfect as the PC version but then again you can’t take your PC on long car journeys lol.
Graphics: I’d give it an 8 for graphics, pretty good if a little simplistic.
Sound: Sound is 6, not too good unfortunately, there are a few instances of lag and sadly some stretches of the game seem to be completely silent!
Overall: 8 out of 10-Add one to the score if you are a fan of the series, take one away if you hate strategy!
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