Raise the Jolly Rodger! Pirate Sid is back on the high seas. (Sid Meier's Pirates! (PC))

Member Name: GKDurkin

Product:	Sid Meier's Pirates! (PC)
Date:	29/12/07 (75 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tried and tested gameplay coupled with great new graphics.

Disadvantages: Almost too much to do in the lifepan of a pirate before retirement.

Ahoy there shipmates and splice the main brace, we set off for treasure and adventure on the high seas at sunrise, once I have.. ahem.. installed and configured this here piece of eight...

Sorry to get carried away but the welcome return of Sid Meier's Pirates to the PC has really got me caught up both in nostalgia for previous Pirate editions and the vogue for pirate themed books and movies. Those of you who remember the original Pirates in vibrant EGA graphics on the PC and Amiga will feel right at home as Mr Meier has made the wise decision to tweak gameplay but not to fix anything that is not broken.

You take to the high seas with a world of adventure ahead and it is up to you who you side with or against and how honest you are in your dealings with fellow sea dogs. Sail where you want, skirmish with pirates, rob merchant ships, carry out acts of war for your chosen governments, recruit crew from towns, trade goods and even get married to a Governor's daughter if you so desire, and that is just for starters.

Yes it really is that open ended and the the graphics are beautifully realised as the gameplay deserved after all this time. Whilst the game is easy to get into there is a slight learning curve with some of the finer parts of ship to ship combat and sneaking into towns (another thing you can do to add to the list) taking a while to master.

The plethora of pirate activities on offer can be a little bewildering if you are trying to plan out a long career on the ocean but if you jump right in and try everything you are sure to have fun and keep coming back to try out different features and attempt new feats of swashbuckling to see how much of a fortune you can amass and reputation you can achieve.

Summary: If you have played previous editions this is a must and highly recommended for those who haven't.