Pirates of the Burning Sea (PC)

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Ship battles are complex but fun

You control everything from the timing of your canon fire to the type of ammunition used (certain types are best for shredding sails and slowing enemy ships down, others are better for reducing the enemy crew number, meaning there will be less bad guys to get through if you decide to board the vessel and plunder its treasures), all in real time. Ships are upgradeable too, in dockyards at towns. And the prospect of having great big 25 vs 25 ship battles sounds brilliant - just don't expect that until much later in the game.

When you get up close with another ship you can attempt to grapple on to it and board it, rather than simply blast it into oblivion. If you do successfully grapple on to an enemy ship you'll switch to its deck where you, as captain, and a number of fellow crew members engage with the remaining enemy crew in sword fights. If you die you respawn, and you can call in reinforcements from your ship if things don't look like they're going your way. But you have to think before you hit the button - the more crew members you call in the more you can potentially lose, leaving you short later on. It's a cool concept, but because the combat is so underwhelming you often find yourself preferring to completely destroy a ship and passing on the opportunity to board and plunder it.

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You'll quickly notice that PotBS likes instanced combat. One early quest requires you to sink eight enemy pirate ships. When you engage with one the ship combat transfers into your own small instanced fight which to other players will look like two static ships doing nothing. There are instance-based quests too - one involved a pirate attack on the pirate starting port town. As cannon balls reined in from the sea and buildings burned, it was your job to clear out the invaders and rescue citizens. It was a nice touch but, this being an MMO, once you finish the quest the whole town returns to what it looked like before you started the quest.

Graphics wise, PotBS looks great in parts - the character models are large and detailed, the towns are varied and full of NPC life. There's loads of voice-acted chatter - we especially like the hubbub of the auction houses - and the soundtrack sounds like it's been ripped straight from the Pirates of the Caribbean films. There's a degree of charm here that many MMOs fail to deliver. Indeed the open sea sections are impressive - you can zoom right in on your ship and see everyone in your crew performing individual jobs on deck - but the sea, while realistic-looking from a distance, looks like treacle close up - and it can often feel like you're dragging your ship through tar at times, especially when going against the wind and turning. But overall players looking for that Pirates of the Caribbean look should be satisfied.

PotBS is one of the better-looking MMOs out there

As with any MMO, your enjoyment of PotBS has as much to do with the other players and the friendliness of its community as it does the way it plays. From our time with the game, there seems to be a willingness to answer any questions you might have, and everyone seems friendly enough - very un pirate-like. The game itself is extremely complicated, with a user interface that feels as if it's designed to turn you off, but the concept behind the game is inherently appealing (who doesn't fancy living the life of a pirate?).

It's also worth casting an eye over what PotBS will have in store for players who get to later levels. Societies replace guilds (you can only join a society of members from your own nation, which we think is a bit of a drag). We've already talked about the tantalising prospect of 25 vs 25 PVP fleet battles, but we're also interested in port conquests. Societies can make a port vulnerable to conquest by fighting NPC trade envoys, naval squadrons and privateers in sea battles and engaging in economic based missions, for example manufacturing gunpowder and other supplies and giving them to rebels in the port. It's then up to you and your sea mates to turn the tide of control on the port, giving your society a server-wide victory and special loot. Nice.

We're concerned the on-foot combat won't keep many experienced MMO players hooked for long - the best bit about the game is the ship to ship battles. You'll find yourself anxious to set sail and explore the seas rather than run errands on foot for NPCs. And really no other MMO offers anything like it. Newcomers might find things a little too complex, but PC gamers who have experience with these types of games should be rewarded for their efforts. This being a subscription-based MMO, Pirates of the Burning Sea will also burn a hole in your wallet, so think carefully before committing. But we'd say it's worth it, especially for veteran MMO players tired of orcs, elves and space cadets.

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