Sid Meier’s Pirates! is a great game for kids. There’s loads to do but plenty of time to do it in, which means it’s never boring or stressful – a fine line to maintain for any game. As a 17th century pirate captain on a rescue mission in the Caribbean, you run the gamut from searching for loot via treasure maps to fighting enemies on land and sea, and from dancing with beautiful women to getting arrested and breaking out of jail.
Here’s a quick rundown of what gamers can do:
Quote:
- Descend upon unsuspecting seaside colonies armed with a motley crew of loyal seafaring scoundrels.
- Embark on exhilarating missions, locate secret maps and discover treasure chests bursting with gold and jewels.
- Use newfound riches to barter for supplies and build ships with stronger firepower and bigger sails for faster speed and better navigation.
- Plunge head-first into exciting pirate ship battles, unleash a furious barrage of cannonballs and send nautical enemies to Davy Jones’ Locker.
- Dispatch noisy blowhards using expert swordsmanship in clanging fights of sharp blades of steel.
- Pursue and win the hearts of fair maidens through cunning tactics and charming good looks.
Like I said, there is a lot to do – a pirate’s work is never done. You can even customize your character’s hair and clothing, as well as your ship’s features.
I have to say I found the best part of this game to be slashing the Wii remote around like a sword during duels. It does take a while to get the timing down just right but, all in all, it’s seriously good fun.
Word of warning: While the game does allow for multiplayers, it is best played alone. Secondary players really don’t have that much to do other than adjust sails or be a parrot, which is about as fun as it sounds. That said, I give the game an 8 out of 10.
Sid Meier’s Pirates! is rated E10+ for everyone 10 and older. The game can be purchased on
Amazon.com and
Amazon.co.uk.
Review: Sid Meier’s Pirates! 
