"; if(is_file("header.php")) include "header.php"; else include "../header.php"; ?>

Sid Meier has done it again Sid Meier is a genius. Whenever you see his name on the front of a computer game box, you know the game is going to keep one philosophy in mind: Fun first. It's a GAME. Happily, that philosophy is in full effect for Sid Meier's Pirates!. A Pirate-simulation game that oozes fun, cheesy stereotypes, and Yo!Ho!Ho! all over it, that I would not have been surprised if Johnny Depp appeared somewhere in the game. In multiple interviews, Sid Meier has repeatedly stated that during the design of a game, whenever realism of a setting and fun gameplay conflict in a gaming decision, fun always is selected. Good for him. Leave the reality to whatever edition of Flight Simulator is out this week. The game uses a story of the wrongful imprisonment of your family to seek vengeance for the injustices imposed on them and you. As fate would have it (and as it is explained in the opening cut scenes of the game), your mission of vengance leads you to the command of your own vessel in the caribbean. But who cares? It's pirate time! And what a great time it is. The gameplay is similar to the real-time simulated worlds observed in Grand Theft Auto, where life goes on whether you participate or not. You can go anywhere. Trade with anyone. Attack any ship. Plunder the caribbean. Charm the hearts of several governor's daughters. Seek buried treasure. Become the most feared pirate in the seven seas. A respected trader. A hero in one country, an outlaw in another. All at the same time. There's swashbucklling swordfights! Ship to ship battles! Become an admiral, a nobleman, perhaps governor of your own town. If not, that town can be attacked and plundered by your crew anyway. There was something else...oh yes, revenge for your family. Well, you can get to that eventually. Or not, it's your choice. Right now, the beautiful governor's daughter in Santiago needs wooing at the next ball, right after you use that map you bought in VeraCruz to dig up blackbeard's hidden treasure. As you can tell, I love this game. It comes from a simpler time, where games were made simply for the buyer to enjoy, not suffer through. The graphics are beautiful, the art design captures the romanticized version of pirate life perfectly, the sounds and music are not just perfect, they are appropriately timed. The only con I have for this game is the lack of a tutorial. However, the game is so easy to learn and play, it is quite forgivable. The other problem is the occasional crash to desktop. It's not too big a deal thoug, because the auto-save feature and the ability to quick-save anywhere when sailing minimizes this flaw. One "flaw" that many reviewers seem to point out is the repetitiveness of the gameplay. I'm sorry, but I don't see that as a flaw. Do you repeat several actions? Sure do. Are certain cut scenes replayed over and over again? Of course! But I don't find the overall gameplay repetitive, because MOST games have repetitive gameplay. Think about it: How many games of Madden football look and play exactly alike? All those fighting games break down to the same few moves for each character. And every shooter out there has one core repetitive feature: point gun, shoot. Sid Meier's Pirates! also has repetitive actions, but includes a dynamic caribbean setting that changes based on the way you play. You may perform the same actions in a swordfight or dance, but I guarantee no 2 games will play out the same. You can start your career sailing under the flag of one of several nationalities, you can change the beginning skill of your hero, there are several time settings used for the caribbean that change the overall starting point for each nation, and the end result of the gameplay is up to you. There is no set goal. You can save your family or not. Retire as a swashbuckler or the hero of a nation. Doesn't sound repetitive to me. The only game that comes close to this is another pirate game, Port Royale 2. Although Port Royale 2 has even more options available, the complexity of the gameplay minimizes the sheer fun available. If you want a complex 17th century caribbean merchant/pirate simulator, try out Port Royale 2. If you are in the minority of gameplayers that can handle it, congratulations. If you are like most of us, and want a pirate game that allows you to enjoy the setting, is simple to learn and play, adds plenty of depth and variety to enrich the experience but never sinks you in details, then Pirates! is for you. Generally, if you are tired of the same old shooters, too full of themselves RPGs, strategy games that require a PhD to understand how to play, this game is right up your alley. Easy to learn, nothing to master, just plenty to enjoy.