Pirates of the Burning Sea [PC]

Set around 1720 in a fictional version of the Caribbean, Flying Lab's Pirates of the Burning Sea is a massively multiplayer game in which you can play as a buccaneer or sail for the era's three leading maritime powers, Britain, France and Spain. Under any flag, capable captains will find they have ample opportunity to gain both fortune and fame.

Commendations Obviously a crucial element, the naval combat system appears to have good pacing, an accessible learning curve and a nice balance between tactics and firepower. There's also an interesting strategic layer in which completing enough PvE missions gives a faction the chance to capture an enemy port in a scheduled PvP engagement. Players can own a selection of vessels up to a powerful but ponderous warship carrying 104 guns, and can customize them in various ways. Some other notable elements are avatars you can personalize to your liking, a player-driven manufacturing-based economy that won't require repeatedly crafting insignificant items, and a system allowing users to submit their own content for approval, including flag and sail designs plus 3D ship models. The visuals seem quite competitive.

Reservations Due to the duration of development, the game is no longer the only pirate-themed entry in the online world category, and the overall level of competition continues to grow. A broadband connection is required, which will reduce the potential market; the question is how much. Flying Lab is self-publishing; it's not clear how much related expertise the company has. Our impressions to date stem from only limited play in a small part of the world.

Considerations Pirates of the Burning Sea is a highly intriguing title with an unusual concept and quite a few potentially appealing features, assuming they're implemented well and provide a cohesive play experience. We're optimistic, albeit with a fair measure of caution.

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Firat Views are intended to provide current impressions as to a game's status. They may be based on information from interviews, demos, presentations, announcements et al, and limited or no playing time. - Ed.

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