Sid Meier's Pirates is a solid game that cannot be classified under an existing genre. At its heart is a series of minigames, all of which, while addictive and entertaining, soon become tedious and repetitive.

Graphically the game is excellent, with a palette of colourful visuals. The sails of your flagship glow and flutter in the breeze, and the light aquamarine water is very well rendered, with good but not exquisite detail. The characters speak in a form of Sim-like gibberish, which contrary to what one may expect does not detract from the game. The music is similarly excellent, with sweeping orchestral themes.

It is in the area of gameplay, however, that Pirates fails to engage. The game is constructed as a series of mini-games/quests, all of which begin as enthralling and suspenseful pursuits. In the space of twenty minutes, you can engage in several naval battles, all of which possess surprising tactical depth, dance with half a dozen governors' daughters, participate in duels, assault towns and sneak into cities. The minigames are very satisfying, and since the four main factions of the game (The English, French, Spanish and Dutch) are often at war with each other, the player can gain promotions from various governors. For example, sinking a few Spanish War Galleons may well see you promoted to an English Admiral or Captain. However, despite the range of mini-games on offer, the game fast becomes tedious and frustrating. By far the weakest area of the game are the treasure quests. Having attained a map of buried treasure, one must land and search for the aforementioned booty. Despite the map, treasures are incredibly difficult to find, and after an hour of trudging through bland landscapes, the fruitless search soon becomes an exercise in frustration. Moreover, the main quest (that of freeing your enslaved family from the clutches of the evil Baron Montalban) is itself irritating, as even after destroying the Baron several times, he is still respawned until the player discoveres his hideout. (Which, like treasure is incredibly difficult to find.) Finally, the ships sail far too slowly. On occasion I sailed for fifteen minutes across the Carribean at an incredibly sluggish pace. Given that the wind is uniformly westerly, it is very difficult to sail quickly in any direction apart from west.

In conclusion, though "Pirates" is flawed and at times downright annoying, it still manages to be a satisfying and enjoyable experience for the first few hours of gameplay.
Sid Meier's Pirates is a solid game that cannot be classified under an existing genre. At its heart is a series of minigames, all of which, while addictive and entertaining, soon become tedious and repetitive. Graphically the game is excellent, with a palette of colourful visuals. The sails of your flagship glow and flutter in the breeze, and the light aquamarine water is very well rendered, with good but not exquisite detail. The characters speak in a form of Sim-like gibberish, which contrary to what one may expect does not detract from the game. The music is similarly excellent, with sweeping orchestral themes. It is in the area of gameplay, however, that Pirates fails to engage. The game is constructed as a series of mini-games/quests, all of which begin as enthralling and suspenseful pursuits. In the space of twenty minutes, you can engage in several naval battles, all of which possess surprising tactical depth, dance with half a dozen governors' daughters, participate in duels, assault towns and sneak into cities. The minigames are very satisfying, and since the four main factions of the game (The English, French, Spanish and Dutch) are often at war with each other, the player can gain promotions from various governors. For example, sinking a few Spanish War Galleons may well see you promoted to an English Admiral or Captain. However, despite the range of mini-games on offer, the game fast becomes tedious and frustrating. By far the weakest area of the game are the treasure quests. Having attained a map of buried treasure, one must land and search for the aforementioned booty. Despite the map, treasures are incredibly difficult to find, and after an hour of trudging through bland landscapes, the fruitless search soon becomes an exercise in frustration. Moreover, the main quest (that of freeing your enslaved family from the clutches of the evil Baron Montalban) is itself irritating, as even after destroying the Baron several times, he is still respawned until the player discoveres his hideout. (Which, like treasure is incredibly difficult to find. ) Finally, the ships sail far too slowly. On occasion I sailed for fifteen minutes across the Carribean at an incredibly sluggish pace. Given that the wind is uniformly westerly, it is very difficult to sail quickly in any direction apart from west. In conclusion, though "Pirates" is flawed and at times downright annoying, it still manages to be a satisfying and enjoyable experience for the first few hours of gameplay.