Sid Meier's Pirates! sets sail on the PSP, opening a whole new door for adventure fans. Not only can they live the pirate life, but now they can take it with them anywhere they want -- even to Grandma's house.
Pirates! succeeds because of its open-ended game play. People can play it over and over again, experiencing a new adventure every time. Right from the start, gamers take their character, a lowly buccaneer looking for revenge and choose an allegiance. Such interested parties include the English, the Dutch, the Spanish and the French. From there, the sea can be explored, along with many neighboring towns, villages and coves.
Gamers take part in a number of fantastic sub-quests, such as sneaking into towns to steal goods and plunder, engaging in wild high-seas battles, swash-buckling through a few dramatic sword-fights and even romancing Governors' daughters in an attempt to win a kind-hearted wench. The PSP version of the game also includes more treasure hunting than previous editions, where characters pick up pieces of maps and search for gold. Of course, players must keep the crew and any pirating partners happy. Otherwise, they'll mutiny.
Thankfully, Pirates!' game play remains consistent throughout. Sneaking into ports requires a heavy amount of strategy, as gamers move around on a grid while avoiding detection. It takes some practice (as well as a little patience -- movement can be slow at times), but it still works very well. Sailing has never felt smoother in a game, even in the heat of battle. The mini-game-styled sword fights and dance segments annoy at first, as players must keep a close eye on the bottom of the screen to coordinate their button presses. However, all of this ties together into a wonderful playing experience, with only a few slight quirks in timing and menu selection getting in the way -- such as talking to people in a tavern and trying to read some fuzzy text.
In addition to the enjoyable single player adventure, up to four players can jump into a full-blown war on the open sea, each choosing a respected country and trying to prove their superiority. Players need to track down three other people with a copy of the game, but that shouldn't be hard -- especially considering its cheap $20 price.
Sadly, a few presentational quirks keep this game from perfection. The graphics have been modified so the game runs at an acceptable pace on the PSP. This results in slightly less detail than the Xbox and PC versions. However, the visuals still look good, and the load time doesn't take as long as in other PSP games. Finally, the music and sound effects provide some pirating bliss to go with the on-screen action, even if it pops into odd moments of silence every now and then.
Those who pass up the handheld exquisiteness of Sid Meier's Pirates! deserve to walk the plank. The endless possibilities within the single player mode promise several play-throughs, and the multiplayer battles should help draw in those who might consider this a boring pirate simulator. Shove off and set sail already.
Final Score: 8 (out of 10)
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