It’s hard to find multiplayer games that are just fun without getting too competitive, sometimes it just takes joy out of playing with friends. Well, Sea of Thieves is here to change all that.
The game lets you live out your childhood pirate fantasies as you sail across uncharted waters! Search for lost treasure or rob someone who’s already done the hard work! The choice is yours.
The closed beta did have a limited amount of things to do in terms of quests, weapons, upgrades etc but it was more then enough to justify the rather high asking price of approximately Rs 4K. You can play the game alone, with one friend or with a crew of up to four members! Each ship is designed to use every single crew member to steer, work the sails, spot other ships and rocks and of course fight. The small ships are more agile, but at the same time weaker while the larger ships are much tougher to control if your crew isn’t on the same wavelength.
What I was truly impressed with Sea of Thieves was the sailing mechanics. The sails, although quite simplistic take some time getting used to; that coupled with understanding the wind mechanics will really set apart the best pirates. It makes for some epic moments as you steer away from a raging storm where you lost control of your ship or you catch the wind to flank an unsuspecting enemy ship. Sea of Thieves content is literally endless, it is whatever you want to make of it.
The quest system in the game allows you to buy treasure maps and solves clues to reach specific positions to reveal the next step towards the hidden treasure. It’s actually quite fun and a little frustrating when you’re walking around counting ten paces to find where the treasure is buried in the middle of the night while skeletons try and attack your crew! But at the end of the day, it’s almost always worth it, both in terms of the reward and the exciting experience of getting back to an outpost without being boarded!
The real fun however is when you’re fighting other ships! Man the canons, pull off epic manoeuvres with your ship or simply board them and steal their stuff. While the melee and gunplay can feel clunky, it’s still a lot of fun in addition to the crazy naval battles that can last up to half an hour if you make all the right moves and stay alive!
Sea of Thieves isn’t just great to play but looks gorgeous as well. They’ve really nailed their art style and the water mechanics and visuals are to die for. While it may not be the game that puts Xbox back on the map, its definitely not one you want to miss especially if you’re looking to have some fun with your buddies. Cross Play means it doesn’t matter whether you or your friends are on Xbox One or PC, you can still play and despite it being a beta I had little to no problems in terms of connecting to friends.
Overall, Sea of Thieves is definitely looking like one of the top games coming out this year, so don’t be fooled by its cartoony vibe. You are going to enjoy most of your time playing games in 2018!
