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Sea of Thieves is unquestionably awe-inspiring, artistically beautiful, superbly unique, and delivers (what can be) an unbelievably immersive and memorable experience if you’re willing to build a deep understanding of its mechanics...

HOWEVER, you MUST keep this key point in mind if you’re considering playing this game:

THIS IS A PVP GAME. Your enjoyment is based *entirely* on whether your style of play harmonizes with the other players who share the sea.

That in this mind, here’s my summary for each audience:

• IF YOU DON’T HAVE FRIENDS WILLING TO LEARN, SUFFER, OR GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE SEA OF THIEVES GAUNTLET, DO NOT PLAY THIS GAME. You’ll have to endure A LOT of trivialized efforts, crushed dreams, verbal abuse, and game mechanics that are wholly unsympathetic of your time to reach the enjoyable parts of the experience.
  
  
• IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A GOOD, STORY-BASED EXPLORATION GAME FOR YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS, THEN PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK. That good, story-based exploration game is *definitely* in there, but can get lost in the salt.
  
  
• IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A COMPETITIVE ONLINE FIRST-PERSON PIRACY GAME WITH BRILLIANT NAVAL COMBAT AND COSMETIC-BASED PROGRESSION, *ABSOLUTELY* PLAY THIS GAME! It will be worth your time to learn, master, and conquer the high seas!

Okay; onward to the in-depth review points!

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➕ SAILING MECHANICS. The cornerstone of any sailing game should be the boat mechanics, and Sea of Thieves delivers. It does a masterful job of blending the complexity of sail and wind management, ship-to-ship cannon-play, and a variety of sailing mechanics to create a brilliant seafaring experience!

➕ THE WATER. THE WAVES AND WATER IN THIS GAME: U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E! 🌊🌊🌊

➕ The ART. In fact, the *ENTIRE* art style of the game is undisputedly STUNNING! From the golden shores to the volcanic frontiers, the game is built on National Geographic-quality landscapes!

➕ BETTER WITH FRIENDS. This can’t be understated enough: the seas can be a ROUGH place—both when it comes to gameplay AND the people you meet along the way. Bring a crew so you don’t have to face it alone! 💯

➕ HORIZONTAL PROGRESSION. The game has no vertical progression; there’s no “leveling up” to become a better pirate with better equipment or gain any mechanical advantage over your opponents. The playing field is level every time you roll a new ship—apart from your personal knowledge and mastery of the game mechanics!

➕ The OPEN WORLD and the “INFINITE QUEST LOOP.” While the world is your oyster to explore the moment you leave the dock, there’s also an incredibly brilliant “quest loop” that emerges as you discover expeditions and unlock special emissary quests as you gain their favor. The game rewards you with better and quicker rewards the longer you play—making it incredibly easy to lose yourself for HOURS on end!

➕ The STORY VOYAGES (aka “TALL TALES”). Much of the game’s lore is presented in story voyages known as Tall Tales. These concise, open world stories are a *fantastic* way to explore the world and learn about the magic that drives the Sea of Thieves. (There’s even checkpoints to save your progress in case you’re ganked by some salty pirate!)

➕ HUMOR! As is typical in most Rare games, there’s a glorious, tongue-in-cheek humor woven throughout the gameplay and narrative experience. The world doesn’t take itself too seriously, which helps you get lost in the joy of the game!

➕ The LIVESTREAM COMMUNITY. Where the game falls short of teaching the game and community norms, the streaming community is a BRILLIANT resource to fill in those gaps. Take the time to tune in and find a few favorite streamers:

• Sea of Thieves on Twitch[www.twitch.tv]

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〰️ QUESTS (aka “VOYAGES”). Voyages are quests offered by the trading companies that help you grow your wealth. Each company only offers two or three *unique* voyages, and while there is some randomness inherent to each voyage, they will begin to feel repetitive after (admittedly) several hundred hours of adventuring.

〰️ HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT. On one hand: the mechanics are relatively straightforward, simple to pick up, and offer room to master a multitude of tricks that’ll give you the upper-hand in a fight.

On the other: long animations, hit-reg issues, and a lack of “weight” to your hits can make it feel like you’re dueling with wet pool noodles.

〰️ ⚠ SAFETY PROTOCOLS: DISENGAGED ⚠ The moment you set sail, you’ll be with the greenest of green sailors and the hardest, saltiest, most cutthroat pirates on the waves. Though skeleton ships will help you practice and prepare for the PvP encounters you’ll inevitably face, there’s no real, “safe” space to hone your skills as you play—a daunting hurdle to overcome early in the game experience.

〰️ The PLAYERS …are truly a mixed bag. Some days you’ll make meaningful connections with pirates who are humble in victory, merciful through teaching, or powerful allies on the seas. Other days, you’ll encounter the most toxic, unfeeling players whose singular goal is to break your spirit. All you can do is be prepared for both…

〰️ FISHING. While fish are both a source of nourishment and highly-desired by the fishing guild, the fishing mechanics themselves aren’t that interesting, and sadly feel like more of a time sync than an enjoyable minigame with meaningful rewards.

〰️ The LACK OF SEA LIFE. While not game-breaking in any way, the variety of ocean life is sadly lacking in an otherwise STUNNING game... 😞

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➖ The game only *KIND OF* CARES ABOUT YOUR TIME. My biggest complaint with Sea of Thieves is the fact that many mechanics are designed to waste your time. Whether seeking out tiny dig spots on massive islands, fighting waves of skeletons for hours, or fighting a hooked fish for several minutes, the game is NOT friendly if you’re looking to jump in for any less than two hours at a time.

➖ The game does very little TEACHING. While the Maiden Voyage is a good place to learn the basic mechanics of the game, it doesn’t go into great depth and fails to cover several critical mechanics to the experience: including wind angles, bailing and repairing in combat situations, cannon mechanics, etc.

➖ The game relies on XBOX LIVE. While this unifies all of the different platforms under a single account, the XBL service is clunky when it comes to making, inviting, or communicating with friends.

➖ The PIRATE CODE are more what you'd call...“guidelines”...than actual rules. The code is a reminder of what the game proposes in a community and where it consistently falls short of nurturing that environment.

➖ CHARACTER CREATION. While character creation guarantees a…”gruff” selection of pirates, it can be frustratingly limited if you’re particular about the look of your character..

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Sea of Thieves is a truly fantastic game held back by its indifference to the player experience and an insufferable community…and while some days will create some of your most memorable experiences in gaming, others will make you regret every hour you’ve invested to get there.

⭐ OVERALL: 8.5/10