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Sid Meiers Pirates Review - PC

Arrrr matey! Pirates! is Sid Meier's re-imagining of his amazing 1987 classic 'Pirates!' and it's recently sailed ashore after the obligatory release date delay. Sid Meier is a legend in the gaming industry with his name pinned on such amazing games as Civilisation and Colonisation. It's fascinating to see what people like Sid are up to and when they announce plans to remake old classics, a spark of excitement runs through the media.

Pirates! is one of those games that can't really be put under a specific genre, which makes quite a refreshing change. It would best be described as an adventure role-playing game with strategic and action elements. It's quite possible to assume a game like this is either going to be wishy-washy, plain, or far too easy. Pirates! turns out to be none of these things; it's a challenging, fun and very addictive game that remains excruciatingly faithful to the original. Chalk up another classic for Mr. Meier.

The story sets you off as a young lad in a family who have for years been in debt to the evil Marquis de la Montalban. This day it's a celebration because the debt is to be paid off, the families fleet arrives on the moron. But alas the Marquis himself arrives bearing the news that the fleet has been lost - didn't see that one coming. So you, being the little scamp that you are, decide that you're not going to put up with this and sprint off in to the night to start a new life and maybe one day restore your families fortune.

The first time you play the game it automatically starts you in 1660 and on the easiest of five difficulty settings - the hardest of which is considerably difficult for the most hardened veteran gamer. After first play you can also select several time periods ranging from 1600 to 1680; generally speaking the earlier you go the more powerful the Spanish are, and the later you go the more powerful everyone else is.

You can choose to begin work as a privateer for the Dutch, the Spanish, the English or the French. Of course you needn't keep any loyalty to them; you are a pirate after all. By doing nasty things to the enemies of a country you will improve your rank with that country. You will then begin the game sailing round on your undermanned, and generally rather pathetic, ship called a 'sloop'. After a swift chat with the governor of your starting port you will be asked to attack, sink, capture and generally hassle the ships of whichever nation he considers to be an enemy.

Gameplay

The gameplay of Pirates! is split into different sections, the main of which being a top-down view of your ship sailing around the Caribbean. On this screen you sail around on your ship, which like almost everything in the game is controlled solely by the (continued next page)