Graphics
Simply put, Pirates of the Burning
Sea (PotBS) is a pretty game. It uses a very colorful palette to
bring a pleasing amount of diversity to character models. The ocean
shows reflections well, has varying shades of blue that give a sense of
depth and clarity, and plain looks like water. The environments are eye
candy, too--especially those on the horizon. When sailing, distant
shores and mountains look nice. Take a look at some
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/21144">video of sailing to
see first-hand.
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The
water looks gorgeous and the lighting sets the tone.
Interiors of buildings and camps have decent details and provide a
sense of the locations as you'd expect, but they're not going to tax
anybody's GeForce 8800. Still, when you enter a tavern, you'll know it
even if you have the game muted. The tables, the lighting, and the
patrons will all set the mood.
Players can zoom in on their ships during combat to see their crew
performing appropriate actions. Raise sails, and the crew pulls on
ropes and congregates near the masts. Fire guns and they man and load
the canons. This is a nifty graphical detail and is sometimes more
exciting than the ship battle itself!
Sound
When I booted up PotBS, I immediately set the music volume lower than
default and cranked up the sound effects. That's my default play style
for any game. I made a mistake. Be clear: I am not saying that the
sound effects in PotBS are bad. I think they are rather good. In fact,
they do a great job of becoming more intense the closer the camera is
to the source of the sound.
The problem comes from a limited number of sound effects. Try sailing
for 15 minutes with the camera zoomed in on your ship and you might
just become seasick listening to the waves crash. Just about all canon
fire sounds the same. Swashbuckling sounds are metal clinking on metal
regardless of most circumstances.
The music is fine, and you'll need to rely on it or the game can be
very quiet. It gets even quieter if you zoom out with your camera to
get a better perspective on the action. Ports are much livelier with
the sounds of militia training, revelry in the pub, and townspeople
milling about running errands.
Fun Factor
PotBS does quite a few things that increases the fun factor. Some
people will spend hours at the character customization screen. With the
plethora of looks, players can feel unique. At the same time, the story
line and economy do a lot to make the allegiance to mother country (or
pirate-kind) a strong but natural feeling. The sense of unity isn't
forced just for the sake of conflict, and that feels good.
Crafters will find lucrative trade in the business of making ships as
the best ships can only come from crafters. Meanwhile, harvesters can
try to become rich by building warehouses and harvesting facilities in
strategic ports.
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You
can help make every port a pirate port as the four factions vie for
control of the seas.
As nations war and the balance of power tilts, it will be interesting
to see how things shape up. The French economy could hit lean times if
most ports are own by Spain because non-patriots will have to pay
higher taxes. Or maybe pirates will win the day and anarchy will rule.
The use of instances allows PotBS to pack a lot of content into a
relatively small area. I have concerns about how the game will expand
as time passes. It's not like developers can introduce passage to the
moon or invent an island that doesn't really exist. The historical
nature of PotBS restricts creativity in a sense here. Still, what's
there is nice and will keep players very busy for a while.
Another positive for PotBS is the early player base. This is the first
game in a long time where I could bear having world chat enabled.
Players I encountered were mature and helpful. I saw and (very
occasionally) participated in some debates about character builds, the
balance of skills, and history. The tone was serious but not too heavy;
people were there for fun, after all.
Despite all it does right, PotBS gets a few things wrong. First of all,
the game feels as though it moves at a very slow pace. I think fans of
style="font-style: italic;">EVE Online will love this game with
its methodical planning leading to brief but intense battles. A lot of
other players will find the gaming boring or feel removed form the
action with too many strategic moves.
Ship combat, in general, was a letdown for me. After hearing it
described as some sort of frenzied affair, the lowbie level nearly
killed me with those long battles and even longer flights from
overwhelming opponents. I'd fire my guns and sit and wait for the
refresh timer so I could fire them again. The combat improves with
groups if the players coordinate their shots in a timing pattern, and I
am certain player-vs-player (PvP) combat will be thrilling as the best
captains emerge. Ten Ton Hammer's Cody "Micajah" Bye got some details
on the PvP system in his
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/17603">interview with Jess
Lebow and CES 2008.
Another minor gripe was some of the senseless zoning I was forced to do
from time to time on quests. I'd spend 10 minutes sailing from one port
to another, find a quest NPC, and then be beckoned to his or her
private office. The office would be instanced and require load times
going in and coming out. Then the person would send me right back into
the office to complete another section of the quest. I just couldn't
see any point to this, and it constantly reminded me I was playing a
game.
Parting Thoughts
Pirates of the Burning Sea
dares to be different. The game takes players out of the overused
fantasy clichés and gives them a taste of history. Combat
doesn't devolve into button mashing if players maximize their
potential, and the economy is complex. Mature and patient gamers should
find a good home with this game, and anybody with a Station Access
account should give it a whirl.
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| style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Difficulty: | Medium |
| style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Stability: | Medium/High |
| style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Graphics: |
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| style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Fun Factor: |
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Curve:
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(3.5 / 5 Hammers)
Ten
Ton
Recommendation:
Pirates of
the Burning Sea will be just what some gamers have been waiting
for, and almost anyone will have fun with a test drive. Long-term,
expect the game to have a dedicated but moderate following.
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Pirates of the Burning Sea Game Page.
