Avast, ye hardies! Ye scalawags think you can just sail the high seas and not have to deal with the likes of Davy Jones. Well, you be thinkin' wrong, matey! Swab that deck and then set out north-by-northeast for the gold plunder that lie...ahh, you know what? I never could get down the practice of speaking like a pirate. Sure, I drink like one on occasion, but usually I just end up slurring my words and sounding like a fry cook in Hoboken. So instead, I think I'll just handle playing pirate-themed games, like Sid Meier's Pirates for the Xbox. Before running into Age of Pirates, I thought that was the definitive pirating experience. However, Caribbean Tales should open another door, thanks to PC technology and a savvy development team.

The development is being handled by the Russian team at Akella, who are no strangers to pirating efforts. The team's produced a number of PC games that let you live the high-seas life, including Sea DogsAge of Sail 2, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Age of Empires: Caribbean Tales, however, is set to cut a little bit deeper. In the game, you choose between two different characters. There's the dashing young man, Blaze, who has a taste for fortune and adventure, and then you have Beatrice, a red-headed beauty who's quick with a blade and quicker with her fighting tactics. Both are children of a legendary pirate who has since passed on, and they're out to prove that the legacy didn't end with the old man.

The presentation we saw at the recent Atari Spotlight event looks up to speed. In the game, you can navigate in a wide open environment, sailing wherever you please and engaging in a series of battles however you please. If you're up for avoiding these battles and just working your way from island to island, you have the choice, but Akella has thrown in some great ship battles here. To ignore them would be like avoiding the cookie tray at a fancy party. It'd be a shame.

The graphic engine that Akella's putting together is looking rather sharp. The water effects are unbelievable, complete with the glimmer coming off the sunlight that waves around in the water. The ships look very authentic, with waving sails and real motion that makes it feel like a wooden old ship, and not a speedboat. There's also other little effects within the game that bring the graphics to life, even though some animations are slightly stiff on-board the ship. Oh, well, it still has the pirate appearance nailed down and that's what is important.

The game isn't limited to ship battles. You can also zoom in and take control of Blaze and Beatrice as they battle against rogue captains and their soldiers on the ship, while keeping their crew in one piece. They can also build up their skill levels so they can become more exquisite fighters, which come in handy for later bosses that you'll encounter in the game.

Along with keeping your crew in line, you can also keep your ship in tip-top shape as your adventure proceeds, making sure that the old thing is still sailable after massive cannon blasts while flying some custom sails. You can also keep up on supplies and check how you rank with certain armies out there on the seas, ranking anything from "Bastard" to "Pirate". See, if you're a "Bastard", you're hated. If you go above, however, you'll find yourself able to deal with the parties for business, like picking up goods and taking part in trades.

The game has plenty of terrain to cover, with a number of islands to explore and folks to deal with, both friendly and not-so-friendly. Blaze has the option of dealing with some beautiful women, while both kids have the chance to engage in lively treasure hunts. You can also plunder merchant convoys if you're froggy enough, earning more plunder that helps keep your ship in order. But the takeovers appear to be anything but a cakewalk, as there's some fierce captains on-board these vessels that put up quite a fight.

Being able to conquer colonies is also a nice touch, as you earn a more fierce reputation with each one you take over. And it's probably one of the key components that will be involved with the game's multiplayer support. Up to 16 players will be able to battle against each other for territorial glory, between tons of ship battles and sword fights that are sure to build up some excitement. You might even score some plentiful pieces of eight in the process...and without dealing with a damn parrot. (Well, maybe. We didn't see a parrot in the build they showed off.)

The pirate craze appears to be far from over, what with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest taking big box office bucks and toys and games still selling like mad. It's here that Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales should take full advantage when it releases next month, offering PC gamers the chance to do their own plundering without having to put on an eye patch. We'll let you know how well the game sails the high seas when it arrives next month. ARRRR!