Pirates have always been one of fiction’s most interesting characters. They have no rules set on them other than the ones that they set for themselves and they go around fighting, looting, and looking for treasure.
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Whether or not that’s historically accurate (it isn’t) there are a ton of games that take that idea and attempt to make a solid experience based on it. Some of these games hit the nail on the head and are ready to set sail and some of them should really just walk the plank instead.
10Best: Sid Meier’s Pirates!
While most people know Syd Meier in relation to theCivilizationseries of games which his name is has been attached to since its inception, but that game series isn’t the only one that his name has been attached to.
Syd Meier’s Pirates!was released back in 2004 and was a strategy, action, and adventure game. This game is actually a remake of the original version of the same name that was released back in 1987.
9Worst: Risen 3: Titan Lords
TheRisenseries is probably one of the most underrated video game series that has been released in recent years, perhaps due to the relative niche status that the pirate video game genre has.
Nevertheless, it has remained a popular franchise with a lot of fans being excited for the release of the third game in the trilogy. In 2014Risen 3: Titan Lordswas released and received some very mixed reviews with some outlets saying that it was decent and others calling it a big letdown.
8Best: Risen
TheRisenfranchise started in 2009 with the release of the originalRisengame, which received a lot of praise, especially when compared to its second sequel. The original game received very positive reviews on its release with the worst reviews of it saying that it was still a decent game with a solid foundation to work off of.
Fans and reviewers alike praised the game for its world-building and solid RPG mechanics, especially on its PC version.
7Worst: Uncharted Waters Online
Uncharted Waters Onlineis anMMORPGthat was released all the way back in 2004 and was fairly well-liked at the time. The game can be compared a lot toEVE Onlinein its push to be more RPG-like than an action game. This means that there’s a lot less ship battling and raiding, and a lot more of buying goods low and then selling them high.
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There’s no problem with making a stock market simulator, but it’s weird to market it as a pirate game.
6Best: The Curse Of Monkey Island
Thelegendary cult classic from Lucasartswas first released in the last millennium in 1990 and it currently has a 10/10 on Steam. you may’t just get that rating out of nostalgia; there needs to be something behind it.
The game is a simple point and click adventure game built around puzzles. Those game mechanics were solid and offered a fair challenge, but the game is also fondly remembered for its writing and excellent character building and design.
5Worst: Sea Of Thieves
If you are big on indie and early access games on Steam, you might be wondering how this can be one of the worst games. A game being bad doesn’t mean that you may’t have fun with it, especially with a bunch of friends, the way most people playSea of Thieves.
The game has a solid foundation for something great when it is finally completed, but the fact that it seems to be content with staying in its pretty broken state is enough to earn its position.
4Best: LEGO Pirates Of The Caribbean
TheLEGOgames have always been able to avoid the movie tie-in game curse and produce something that is at the very least a decent and competent game. This extends to theLEGO Pirates of the Caribbeangame. The game was released in 2011 and encompassed the story of the first four movies in the series.
There isn’t too much that we can say that you won’t already know about theLEGOgames;you’re playing through thePirates of the Caribbeanmovies in LEGO form, but it’s really good.
3Worst: Pirates Of The Caribbean Online
Keeping on thePirates of the Caribbeantrain with something that some people might think was a fever dream.Pirates of the Caribbean Onlinewas Disney’s attempt to cash in on the MMORPG craze that was started byWorld of Warcraftbut this time with an established film property to really guarantee success!
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Unfortunately, it didn’t really work out. The game was uninteresting and definitely rushed and the servers were open for about 6 years, closing in 2013.
2Best: Assassin’s Creed 4
It’s strange how one of the best pirate games ever released comes from a series that isn’t even really about pirates, with the exception of one game. With the ship battles introduced inAssassin’s Creed 3being most people’s favorite part of that game, it’s obvious why Ubisoft would make that the focus of another entry into the series.
This led toAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagstarring Edward Kenway with all of the swashbuckling adventures you could ask for. the game even has Blackbeard as a main character.
1Worst: Arcania: Fall Of Setarrif
You probably haven’t heard of this game or don’t remember it, butArcania: Fall of Setarrifwas a stand-alone expansion forArcania: Gothic 4. Despite taking a lot of aspects from the fantasy genre, the game did have some pirate-like themes and mechanics, mainly built around the sailing aspects. However, the game was met with lukewarm reviews upon release at best and most of the reviews were even worse than that.
