Attention to detail, adventure, humor, and charm are the strengths of Sea of Thieves. Do they appeal to you? Or do open questions about long-term motivation bother you? We have created a list of pros and cons for Sea of Thieves. You should know this before buying.
The release of the pirate adventure “Sea of Thieves” is on March 20, 2018, for PC and Xbox One. The developers at Rare set themselves apart from other games with this title and bring fresh wind to your game libraries.
However, the price of €70 puts some players off. In this article, we want to present you with an overview of the game’s features. Perhaps this will make it easier for you to decide if the game suits your taste. We have also found some cons. Because there are still some questions about Sea of Thieves open.
1. Traveling in a beautiful environment
When you dive into the world of Sea of Thieves for the first time, you will be greeted by a colorful, cartoon-like world full of details. The green plants, rickety wooden huts, small tents, and quirky NPCs on the starting island early convey the humorous charm of the game.
When friends who appreciate good graphics see the sea, any initial doubts should dissipate. The water in Sea of Thieves is breathtakingly beautiful. Here, Rare uses Unreal Engine 4 and showcases what is possible with it. The combination of sunset and the tranquility of the vast sea makes you feel almost like you’re on vacation. If it weren’t for the skeletons lurking around.
The quality of the graphics is an important part of Sea of Thieves, but it does not solely define the charm. The design is in a cartoon style, which is repeatedly emphasized by funny and silly details in the game. For example, you can shoot members of your crew (or yourself) out of the cannon from your ship.
Sea of Thieves combines brilliant graphics with silly humor. But it can also be serious and call for action-packed battles and raids.
Cons: If you’re looking for a serious game, you won’t find it here
Cartoon graphics and jokes are a very specific style. If you are looking for a realistic, serious new game, you won’t be happy buying Sea of Thieves.
In the introduction trailer, the developers already showed that the game should be played with a healthy dose of humor. This does not mean that there are no challenges or expectations in Sea of Thieves. It’s just very special.
2. Exciting quests “Voyages” with potential
The quests in Sea of Thieves are called “Voyages”, meaning travels. To obtain such a quest, you must sail to an outpost. There you can buy the Voyages from the three known factions of Sea of Thieves. These factions are called “Trade Companies”.
- Gold Hoarders: The first Trade Company is called Gold Hoarder and was already introduced during the Closed Beta phases. Here you receive quests where you have to find treasure marked with “X” on the map. Additionally, there are puzzles here. You solve these to learn the locations of treasures. The Gold Hoarders also accept rare items for purchase that you find on the map.
- Order of Souls: This faction is all about killing! These mysterious NPCs pay you pirates to collect bounties from dangerous foes. So if you love adventure and don’t like searching for treasure chests with a shovel, you bring the heads of opponents to the Order of Souls and get paid for it. Rumor has it this faction will be playable in an Open Beta before the release.
- Merchant Alliance: Pigs, chickens, or gunpowder – this is about trade. The Merchant Alliance wants to dominate world trade and pays you for important deliveries. The contracts with this faction are time-limited!
These three factions have been introduced by Rare so far. But that’s not all. More factions are to be activated after the release.
Cons: So far only on paper
During the testing phases, players could only complete Voyages from the Gold Hoarders so far. How varied the tasks of the other factions will be and whether they will bring a completely different playstyle is questionable.
Many players felt that after a few hours in the scale tests, they were no longer entertained due to a lack of variety. The developers deliberately refrained from further content because they wanted to save it for the release. A decision with risks.
3. Alone or as a group – Coop in Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves is special with its multiplayer mode. Players who travel as a group and communicate with each other are rewarded. Because communication on a ship with various tasks such as setting sails, operating the rudder, and navigating is extremely important.
The large galleons are manned by large 3-4 player crews. They are better armed and sturdier than the small sloops for solo or duo players.
However, those who still want to play alone should not feel excluded. The 1-2 man ships are nimble and easy to control for solo players or small crews. The most critical controls for sails, rudder, and anchor are easily reachable and only an arm’s length apart. However, the small ships cannot withstand as much damage as the large ones.
The developers at Rare say that solo players will not have it easy in Sea of Thieves. They can easily be overwhelmed by 4-man crews. So if you do sail alone, you will need to play more cautiously and look ahead.
Cons: Solo players have a hard time
If you want to “just play a round” and don’t want to concentrate much or put on a headset, you will have a hard time in Sea of Thieves.
The disadvantage of individual players scares many away. Here, the coop factor is clearly at the forefront – the single player is more of an alternative, which comes with much risk due to the vulnerability in-game.
4. Action-packed fights – cannons, swords, and pistols
When you sail alone or with your crew across the seas, you must constantly expect dangers. Enemies could appear around every corner looking to claim your found treasures. If you are unlucky, they might even sink your ship.
So be prepared for a fight at all times. On deck, you will find several opportunities to respond to enemy visits with the massive cannons. Battles with other ships occur while sailing.
However, you also have to manage your ship. There is no autopilot to protect you from approaching dangers in the water and to steer.
After firing a cannon, you should always check whether you are still on course or if the waves are pushing your ship off course. If you get hit by enemy cannonballs, you must patch holes below deck with wooden planks. Then your multitasking sense will come into play.
On land, on the islands, the fight continues with other weapons. Skeletons or other pirates hide on the islands and guard the treasures. Draw your swords, pistols, or rifles to win the battle for the loot chests.
Cons: One-sided fights
Apart from the fights at sea, the fights in Sea of Thieves quickly became one-sided. The skeletons on land can be easily defeated with three sword strikes.
Hopefully, more work has been done on the AI for the release so that they aren’t brain-dead.
5. Dress in your favorite outfit
Before entering the starting island, you will be greeted in Sea of Thieves by the IPR, the Infinite Pirate Generator. Instead of adjusting the width of nostrils and size of upper arms with hundreds of sliders, the game randomly creates countless pirate designs to cover every player’s taste.
The pirates come in various body sizes, hair colors, statues, genders, and facial expressions. If you don’t like anything from the first selection of eight characters, you can simply create eight new ones.
Once you have chosen a pirate, the next fun begins. In the shops at the outposts, you can exchange your hard-earned gold for cosmetic items. From wooden legs to new shirts, everything is available.
Rare has already confirmed that there will also be microtransactions in the finished game, but they will forego loot boxes.
Cons: Specific tastes and characters – Hope for randomness
Some players want to customize their characters exactly and are therefore happy to have as many sliders and dials as possible.
In Sea of Thieves, however, randomness alone decides how the characters are built. If someone wants to play a very specific type, they must therefore be very patient and hope that the pirate generator will eventually produce the style they prefer.
6. Treasures that change gameplay
During the closed beta and the past scale tests, pirates could find unusual treasures. Their effects directly impact the game.
- The Chest of a Thousand Grog affects the bearer with an immediate drunkenness feeling. Walking straight is then only possible with counter steering. So be careful not to fall off the ship while stowing the chest in the cabin.
- The Chest of Sorrow will start to cry randomly. What seems harmless at first quickly turns into a problem. Because when the crying chest is aboard, your ship fills with water. If you don’t counteract with a bucket and free the ship from tears, you will sink.
These special chests directly change the gameplay of Sea of Thieves. As players have already found out, for example, playing the hurdy-gurdy or the concertina calms the Chest of Sorrow and stops the tears.
Are the chests worth the extra effort? It is worthwhile to take these chests because the Gold Hoarders pay a higher price for them.
In concept sketches of Sea of Thieves, there were already other chests that seem to be out of the ordinary. What their peculiarities are remains to be seen. We hope that there will be more factors from chests that change gameplay.
Cons: Little choice when testing
With the two special chest designs of the Sorrow and Grog chests, the team has already shown that these chests will bring variety to the game. However, which effects will come with them is still just an estimate.
The problem is well known: Many features are kept secret in order to surprise at release. Too little information leaves players believing that there may not be anything else to report.
7. Skeleton Forts and Raids
Since the first images of Sea of Thieves reached players, the community has been wondering about the skull cloud with glowing eyes. Meanwhile, it is known that these clouds promote a special feature.
A massive skull cloud will randomly appear above one of the skeleton forts and inform all pirates that a raid is taking place at that location. Interested pirates will then sail to this island, where they can team up with other crews or fight against each other for control of the island.
Once you have defeated the waves of enemies, the skeleton captain appears and challenges you to a fight. If you defeat him, the cloud dissipates and he drops a key to the treasury. Once the treasury is opened, other crews can sabotage you.
Can all the loot be stolen? Rare has already explained that there will be more loot in these treasure chambers than fits on a single ship. How the raids ultimately take place is in the hands of the players.
- Do you team up with other crews,
- or do you sail away with the key and hide until the other pirates leave the island?
A data miner on Reddit has already found various hints about special skeleton types in the game’s code. These include the types “bone”, “metal”, “plant”, and “shadow”.
Cons: Sharing treasures – Risk factor
The treasures gained from raids are desired by other players as well. As is often the case in a pirate game (and should be), a certain risk factor is involved. If opponents want to ruin your game, they simply wait behind the next corner with their boats and intercept your boat.
This factor makes sense in Sea of Thieves but does not appeal to everyone.
8. Become a pirate legend – Endgame content
The phrase “become a pirate legend” was not just a marketing slogan from Sea of Thieves but is indeed a feature of the game. It is about endgame content.
As you increase your reputation with the various factions, you will become a more sought-after pirate. Once your reputation reaches a certain point, a group of mysterious NPCs seeks you out, whom you are meant to impress. It is currently unclear what challenges these NPCs will present to you. What is certain is that you will be invited to the tavern of legends if you prove worthy.
This secret cave lies somewhere in the world of Sea of Thieves and was even present in the closed beta. However, no player reached the required rank to be invited.
When you enter this secluded cave, a ghost pirate will sell you legendary quests (voyages). Even though these voyages yield the most gold by far, they can be shared with other “normal” pirates who haven’t reached the legend rank yet.
The developers expect the first pirate to arrive in this cave a few weeks after the release of Sea of Thieves. When that happens, we will likely encounter unique cosmetic items and high-ranking pirates sailing around the world.
Cons: Long-term motivation?
This key issue regarding the endgame has long been a topic of conversation within the community. Already after the first tests, players asked, “That’s nice and all, but how long will this be fun?”
Apparently, the developers have thought about the endgame. Players can become a pirate legend. But how long this status will motivate and what other goals will follow are still open questions. There is also no long-term roadmap for Sea of Thieves; they want to wait for feedback.
9. Legendary Captain – A title for the best
Rare has already announced that the first major update for Sea of Thieves will bring another achievement. You can become a legendary captain.
The second stage of endgame content makes the tavern of legends your personal hideout. When you start a game session, you will spawn in this special tavern. The ship at the dock then belongs to you. You can sail it and customize it visually.
When other players see you sailing out of the waterfall of the hideout with this powerful ship, it makes an impression.
Cons: Too little reputation?
A special secret hideout plus ship are cool gimmicks, but is that enough for the best players to stand out from the crowd? When many players reach this legendary captain status after months, the rewards may no longer be special.
10. “Release the Kraken”
After much speculation and rumors, it is now officially confirmed: Yes, there is a Kraken in Sea of Thieves. This behemoth can quickly turn your adventure upside down when it grabs hold with its huge tentacles.
In the game, the Kraken appears like a natural force, similar to storms: unpredictable and possible at any time. When the Kraken is nearby, the ocean turns dark, and the in-game music indicates the lurking danger.
If you cannot get away from the Kraken, it will wrap its huge tentacles around your ship (and all nearby ships) and try to crush them. Crew members can become injured while struggling against the enormous power of this sea creature.
As a special gimmick, there is a reward for players who win the fight against the Kraken. What that is remains undisclosed by the developers.
Cons: The random factor
The Kraken is supposed to appear randomly and haunt players nearby. So far, it is not known that the creature is “summoned” through certain events or actions. Therefore, randomness always plays a certain role.
Pirates sailing alone will likely have problems with the Kraken and may lose all their loot. If the Kraken were to scale with its opponents and only become stronger when many players fight against it, this problem could be mitigated.
Are you now tempted to play Sea of Thieves? Or do you still have too many questions about Sea of Thieves?
In our buying guide for Sea of Thieves, we show you editions and additional accessories.
