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Captains seek their fortunes across dangerous waters in Pirates of the Burning Sea.

Pirates of the Burning Sea takes us back to 1720, a time when the Caribbean was ripe for colonization and plunder, and there was plenty of money to be made on both sides of the law. Players create a character from three different nations (Britain, Spain and France), or they go with the Pirate faction and play by their own set of rules. Each nation has its own benefits, and classes determine what players can get away with. Factions and players compete with each other to establish economical and influential strength within a region, making PotBS one of the most unique massively multiplayer online (MMO) games.

The game has all the familiar elements of a role-playing adventure, such as taking on a list of quests and earning higher levels. There's even an ongoing storyline that involves a mysterious treasure map. It's not difficult to get through some of the early levels, and levels don't influence damage output, since a cannonball is a cannonball. Levels determine types of skills and special abilities that can be equipped and what kinds of ships players can captain. Even though it's possible for fast low level ships to gang up on slow moving galleons and win, they could be in for a great fight.

As expected, most of the game takes place at sea, and PotBS offers stunning graphics, with gorgeous blue waters and detailed ships that tilt when turning and sails that adjust to capture the wind. Unfortunately, a game of this nature means that the majority of quests mean hunting enemy ships and plundering their cargo or hauling goods from one port to another. Players looking for plenty of ship-to-ship battles won't be disappointed. A directional circle indicates optimal directions to face to take advantage of the wind, with a red zone indicating when the ship sails against the wind. With the wind in mind, players must maneuver their ships so that their sides (where the cannons are) face enemy ships without leaving themselves exposed. The game has a simple and intuitive system for ship battles, but prolonged fights grow difficult when a ship sustains heavy damage and becomes slower and less maneuverable. Players can fire until they sink their enemies or load up special ammunition like bar shot to break their sails or langrage (ammunition composed of silverware and shrapnel) to target sailors. Alternative ammunition helps disable ships and prep them for boarding, which leads to sword fighting.

The swashbuckling aspect works very well, and the Pirate class even has its own fighting style that uses "dirty" tactics like elbowing or hitting below the belt. Players use different moves to build up initiative, which enables complex moves. Instead of "health," players work to maintain balance, and some special moves trade between damage and balance. Things become tricky, sometimes frustrating, when more than one enemy gangs up on the character, since there aren't many moves that deal with more than one opponent at a time. Unfortunately, there's no place to run in the high seas, so players will have to fully commit to any skirmishes they engage in. Luckily, the game helps streamline some of the encounters by allowing players to simply take out a rival captain to win the ship.

When players move beyond the ship and sword fighting, they'll discover that the sea-faring life is a marathon, not a sprint. Players interested in sailing the Caribbean should evaluate what they want out of a MMO game before diving into Pirates of the Burning Sea due to its incredibly deep economic system. The majority of goods traded within the game are player made, including the best ships and equipment. Not only will players need to face enemies and complete quests, but they will also need to haul resources, refine and sell them to other players. Resources can suddenly spike in value if a port becomes contested, turning into a hot-spot for conflict. Players who know how to play these events and manage resources can make a ton of money, while others might suffer. However, this economic system could take months to mature, forcing most players to work with the weak "civilian" vessels to make their fortune until the cargo haulers and crafters get the economy fully underway.

With excellent graphics and deep player-driven gameplay, Pirates of the Burning Sea is the next best thing to taking a time machine to 1720. Port cities like Tortuga are wonderfully detailed, making them great fun to explore. Although the game offers a huge amount of territory to sail through, it's tough to imagine how it could expand with additional content months down the road, or if players will be left to evolve the game. Regardless, gamers should don their pirate hats and set sail in this enjoyable MMO.

Our Final Score: 8 (Good)