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Might be nice, but I wouldn't know...

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 15
Date: May 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Someone at Firaxis apparently decided to release this game while it was still in beta. It wouldn't run at all on my computer. I installed it on a friend's PC, and it runs for about 2-3 minutes before crashing. Gameplay looks intriguing, but it's way too unstable to play. After spending over an hour installing the latest patch and doing some basic troubleshooting, I'm giving up. It's hard to believe this comes from the same people as the venerable Civilization franchise. I feel ripped off.

Overly ambitious, doesn't quite deliver

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 9
Date: February 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Sid Meier has gotten to the point in the gaming industry where all he has to do is attach his name to a game and it will sell. Pirates! is a game that offers so much promise, but it never really quite gets there.

Yes, the game did provide me with several hours of enjoyment. The basic premise of the game is a blast. However, each goal in the game is accompanined by a mini-game. At first, the mini-games are nice Easter eggs, but they get very boring very fast.

Overall, the game needs a lot of improvement. With a little tweaking, I believe Pirates! had the ability to become one of those games that define a genre. As it is, the game seems incomplete. The main quest never stops being enjoyable. The mini-games that must be accomplished in order to complete the main quest get unbearably tedious.

Just Not That Good (Honest Review)

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 12
Date: February 05, 2007
Author: Amazon User

After reading all the positive comments on both gamespot and amazon about this game, I ordered it through amazon with the highest expectations. The result: a very mediocre game that is very disconnected and frustrating.

I have a fascination with pirates, I've read several books on the "real" life pirates of the 16th and 17th centuries. While it's true that all the stuff you would want in a pirate game is present: buried tresure, swordfights, ship battles, land battles, etc. etc, each of these events are represented in their very own boring and most of the time, corny mini-game.

Actually navigating your ship is really frustrating. I still haven't figured it out. The wind blows in a certain direction, and if you are not headed in that direction your ship moves at a snails pace. It takes forever to get from one end of the map to the other. The rest of the minigames are either really boring or just plain corny. For example, one minigame involves dancing to impress the Governor's daughter. Dancing around like a fancy boy is not what being a pirate is all about, let's get real. Ship battles are cool, but if your ship is somewhat far apart from your enemy it's VERY difficult to get close to them. For some reason in the ship battle mode your ship doesn't really move at all.

The swordfighting is ok, but is pretty cheesy and gets boring very quickly while the land battles are excruciatingly slow. It's like moving chess pieces. Buried treasure I haven't even tried yet because the map they give you to find is very difficult to read.

All in all, I really don't understand the high reviews for this game. The game is VERY disconnected and just really not that fun. I do not recommend this game to anyone.

A modernized classic.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: November 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

While there should be little doubt that this game is a reissue of the original pirates game of the 80's, and some parts seem dated at best, it is still hours of fun. The drawbacks of the game are dated graphics, some repetitious fight scenes, and rather generic quests but there is just something about Pirates! that is somehow addicting. Hardcore strategy buffs might not care for the game due to its limited choices and micromanagement but for those of us who grew up with the original, it is a wonderful re-release of a classic, and a more than a fair gaming value.

I like milk (almond)

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 8 / 23
Date: November 15, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I saw my brother looking at Sid Meier's Pirates about 6 months before Cristmas. Then i got it for Cristmas(actully it got lost in the mail and i got i 1 month later). I was so happy. When i played it it was extremly fun. I think you should get Sid Meier's Pirates. =) =) =) =)

Arr! 'Dis booty be worth de 20 pieces o'eight!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 17
Date: December 13, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Me first mate returned from plundering de merchant wit' Sid Meier's "Pirates!", an' it be a precious treasure, me bucko! Fightin', ale-swillin', pilot'n yer own flagship, hardy seabattles, stormin' ports, searchin' fer buried treasure, facin' de top ten terrors o' de high seas, sneakin' about enemy lands, woo'in de guvners' daughters (yes, I've woo'ed more'n one lass, an de less dey know, de better!), an' battles wit' buccaneers an' scurvy dogs'll git yer a nice pair o' sea legs, dey will! Ye can choose to work as a privateer fer one o' de kingdoms (de barmy English, de scurvy French, de snivellin' Spanish, or de bilge-swillin' Dutch), an' fly the flag o' yer likin' (a royal flag, native flag, or a good ol' Jolly Roger).

Alas, de ale-swillin' an' lass woo'in do be gettin' might repetitive fer de likes o' scurvy dogs like yerselves. Once ye've whipped an enemy cap'n wit' a boatoar, ye've whipped 'em all wit' a boatoar. Ev'ry fight be de same until ye take on bolder challenges to test de mettle o' yer scurvy black heart, an ev'ry dance wit' de lasses be de same, from Antigua te Villa Hermosa. If'n ye ask me, dat many lasses be a bit much trouble!

Dis be a good bit o' fun to return to, but de randomly gen'rated adventures lacks de plot depths o' Davy Jones' Locker, arr!

Fun For 10 Hours

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 7
Date: July 18, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The game is amazingly addictive for a short while, until the mini games get repetitive. Since the mini-games are 70 % of the game, there's no real point in playing this game more than once. Also, at the game-age of 32, it's SUPER DUPER hard to beat the boss on swashbuckler difficulty, for me at least.

not too bad, worth $20

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: July 04, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I played the orignal Commodore 64 game back in the 80s. That's why I bought this one. It is a fun little game, definetely worth $20. You could easily kill 3hrs playing this an not know it. It's not terribly exciting, and some parts could be done better. The pistol/double pistols you aquire do nearly nothing. The fighting anmimation is bright and colorful, like a dinsey cartoon. Having a longer time before your crew's morale drops so low you have to disband would be better. Also, even if I killed and looted another pirate, getting 30K worth of gold, my crew still hardly increased their morale.

Pirates Dissapointing

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: February 15, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I purchased Pirates after reading a few reviews and expected it to be an entertaining game. While the concept of the game is solid I found it to be very disappointing as a whole.
First of all, there is little possible customization within the game, as you can only choose from a set of ships and buy generic upgrades.
The character interaction is frustrating and quite boring as the voices can only say "blah" and "meh".
The controls are very hard without a number pad and I could not find any way to change them. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME IF YOU SO NOT HAVE A NUMPAD. Dueling is nearly impossible on my laptop without a numpad.
I like the civilization series, but was disappointed byt Pirates. I would recommend saving your money to buy CIV 4 if you don't have it, and don't waste it on Pirates.

I own the game, but haven't played it for over a year.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: March 18, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I was initially enthused by the elements of this game, and the fact that it's a Caribbean Pirates scenario. Several factors have positive merit, the sea battles being one, the other the ability to roam everywhere on the map. Navigation is fairly easy, and the printed map very useful. But one major facet of the game bugs me to no end, the dancing. Ugh! Why, oh why, is your character forced to dance with every single governor's daughter in order to gain additional items? Not only does it subtract from the gameplay, but it's deliberately prissy and a huge waste of time. I tried several games not even bothering with daughters, simply walking away from them. That felt great.

Then I went out, and as my pirate aged, attempted to sink and capture as much Spanish shipping as possible before I grew too old, ignoring the main objective of searching for missing relatives. Attacking the abundance of Spanish ships was fun and thoroughly satifying, unlike the awful dance scenarios. I wish there were an option to delete those sequences. That's why I haven't played in over a year. I can't get those sugar-coated dance scenarios out of my head. Good Gawd, Sid, what were you thinking?

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