BENGALURU : It is apt that the first game I purchased on the `50 Xbox Game Pass was “Sea of Thieves”, because this game is a steal! While the game is not new, this pirate adventure constantly adds improvements and new lore to its gameplay. The most recent update was a huge one announced during E3. Captain Jack Sparrow made a swashbuckling entry to this game last week.
Sea of Thieves is an online, open-world adventuring game. It is playable on the Xbox and PC and has cross-play which means that in co-operative mode (1-4 players), a PC user can play with someone on the Xbox! This is ideal because Sea of Thieves is not best played alone. A pirate captain needs her first mate and an active crew to sail the high seas, and beat dreadful sea monsters to uncover bountiful treasure.
The game is like a full course meal, it has something for every kind of gamer. For starters, you have the puzzle element, through clue solving. Across Tall Tale and Voyage options, blind sailing across the seas is not an option. Quest maps and lore books provide a direction towards treasure. The clues require some deliberation, as the language is not straightforward.
Next, there’s an element of quiet sea navigation. As the size of the ship and number of players increase, so does the complexity of ship operation. The high seas are terrifying and solitary. To guide you through it is an abstract map and your compass. Coordination between the wheel, the anchor, and the sails makes travelling a process.
Of course, there’s combat — sea monsters and skeletons spawn aplenty, providing a nice challenge before you get to the treasure. There are also other pirates (in the same online server instance), who could fight with you. The game has “proximity chat”, which means that you can directionally hear players next to you, shouting out. This is fun especially during the PvP combat sequences. Blasting canons, boarding enemy ships, sword fights, and gun battles are tough, but satisfying. The punishment for failing combat isn’t too harsh — so the reduced anxiety makes it more enjoyable.
The game pushes you to progress and continue playing for chances of better rewards. For example, at each outpost, there are options to become emissaries of different traders. It’s a game that can easily keep you occupied for several hours at a single stretch, without realising it. It taught me the importance of a well-rounded gaming experience; while the graphics are fairly basic, it did not deter me from continuing to play the game. A full 5/5 for this Arr-mazing game. Off with ye, let’s get kraken, to hunt some gold.
Anusha Ganapathi
@quaffle_waffle
(This economics graduate spends her leisure time preparing for the zombie apocalypse)