Customer Reviews
Great game 
2008-04-21
I'm told this is a great update of an old Sid Meier's Classic. It's apparently gotten a lot easier in the new edition (as video games tend to do), but there's plenty of challenge if you play in Swashbuckler mode.
Good game with above-average (think B to B+) replay value.
good time killer 2008-04-12
If you are looking to kill 3 hours during the day it is very easy to get wrapped up in plundering the seas. Not overly difficult, but fun.
I own the game, but haven't played it for over a year. 
2008-03-18
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?
Good game for family 2008-02-24
I purchased this game to play with my kids. I admit that the repeat graphics and perdictability of the game tend to make it less exciting then other games I have played. But I contiue to play the game long after my kids have grown tired of playing. No gore or over the top violence. Not crazy about the overly busty bar wenches, for the kids. But beyond that I most enjoy raising an army of pirates and attacking the cities. FUN!
Pirates Dissapointing 2008-02-15
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.
Popular Gift in My Family 2008-07-07
I haven't played this game myself suprisingly, but a few of my family members have now all requested it and love playing it. They've ben playing it for quite some time and are still just as into it as day one.
Great game with hours of entertainment. 2008-06-18
The new installment of the old classic (I remember playing Pirates Gold on the Sega Genesis) is a great update. The different difficult levels force players to hone their pirating skills on land, sea, and with the ladies.
The tactical battle setup is a vast improvement. Crushing the enemy, drawing them into an ambush, or sneaking troops by to storm the city all come with their own risks and rewards. The only drawback is the inability to choose the type of troop you will have (i.e. pirates, officers, or buccaneers). Additionally, it would be nice to have comparable troops to those of the enemy (mounted units perhaps?)
The sea battles are great. New ship types, difficult winds, and great graphics combine to make the battles both engaging and entertaining. Again, customization of the ships in your fleet could be more in-depth. You have the ability to change the type of cannons, the sails, and add extra troops, but actual full customization might be enjoyable.
Finally, capturing the booty and the booty make for extra entertainment, as you attempt to not only conquer the New World, but also the heart of a beautiful governor's daughter. Including side quests and the dancing portion are great improvements over the original, and bring finding a wife into a brighter spotlight.
Overall, Sid Meier has done it again. Another great game for sim/strategy enthusiasts. The graphics, sounds, and game play are all top-notch. The only room for improvement would be through customization through means other than mods.
Outstanding game play! 
2008-06-18
Sid Meirs is genius. This game will give you many hours of intense game play. I wish there were more games of this quality to enjoy, instead of the mindless shoot-em-up stuff that makes up 90% of the games sold. I love the open endness of the game which allows the player to enter the game as not only a pirate but a trader or Spanish raider. It's also educational for younger players; teaching them the geography of the tropics and the location of many current cities. Highly recommended!
Awesome!!!!!! 2008-06-04
I loved this game. The graphics are good and it shows all the aspects of the life from a pirates eyes.
Captain Blood. 2008-05-31
This is a game is which the player is in charge of a ship and sets about the seas in search of his kidnapped family. You can become a privateer, a pirate, a trader, or anything in between. You can plunder ships or cities. You can also court Governor's daughters. There is a separate type of play for ballroom dancing, dueling, naval combat, land combat, navigating, treasure hunting, and more. The game is entirely open-ended. It has beautiful graphics, a wonderful story-line, and is much fun. So what is not to like? Well....
My main complaint is its lack of realism. It is not just the fact that when you stick a rapier into someone he only staggers back as if the blade is not sharp; the main problem is that nobody duels properly: Yourself and your opponents pull back blades before thrusting, and make absurdly large swings. There are lots of minor problems aside from that, but as a fencer who studies the history of dueling, that type of cartoon fighting will always irk me.
