While
Pirates! is an open-ended game where you can do as you please, the game does offer a rudimentary story and “penultimate game goal,” which is to find and rescue all the members of your family and defeat the evil marquis that took them from you when you were a boy.
In addition to these story-driven goals, the game also offers a wide array of “quests” that you can complete to increase your fame and fortune. These are tasks such as putting together pieces of treasure maps, finding wanted criminals, and increasing your rank with a country. This is done by sinking the ships of that country’s enemies, and doing anything else that generally makes a nuisance of yourself. It’s possible, though difficult, to eventually achieve the top rank with all four countries: English, Spanish, French, and Dutch. This will require a little political finagling, and committing acts that are a little more neutral in nature such as sinking the ships of smugglers.
Sid Meier’s name means quality, and it rarely disappoints. Sid Meier’s Pirates! Live the Life is a perfect example of this and is a great addition to anyone’s collection.
