The pirate online game Sea of Thieves was released on March 20, 2018. It has been officially playable for over half a year now. What has happened during this time?
Sea of Thieves has been controversially discussed from the very beginning. Many found it lacking in content and progression opportunities. Others loved the freedom the title offers. How does it look now, after half a year?
Sea of Thieves had a tough time
A stormy start: When Sea of Thieves launched on March 20 of this year, it wasn’t well received by all players.
- Some expected something different, more like a pirate MMORPG
- At the beginning, there was too little content and the quests quickly became repetitive
- Players missed more options to improve their characters
Nevertheless, the game’s release was a great success for the developer studio Rare. Only about a week after launch, over 2 million pirates were already playing, and more players continued to join. This was surely also due to the Xbox Pass, which allowed interested players to play Sea of Thieves for €10.
Not all feedback was negative. Many loved the atmosphere, the vibe, and especially the freedom to do what they wanted. However, the criticism of “too little content” was shared by many.
This is why Sea of Thieves was controversially discussed: With Sea of Thieves, the developer studio Rare aimed to create something new.
- It was to be an online game but not a traditional MMORPG
- Fast-paced adventures were to be in the foreground
- Players should be able to quickly join and find players to search for treasures or wreak havoc on the seas
- No one should have to deal with a complicated rules system or a complex UI. Quick fun was prioritized
Many players did not quite understand the game mechanics or had expected something different. It took some time for Sea of Thieves to find its target audience.
Additionally, Sea of Thieves launched as a “skeleton” game and that was planned by the developers. The base game was complete and released, with plans to address further content afterward.
However, it turned out after launch that several technical issues needed to be addressed first. This delayed content updates. After all, Sea of Thieves should provide a stable gaming experience upon which new content could be built.
The game is changing
New content delights fans: Rare has finally reached the phase where they can introduce new content. Three content updates have already been released:
- The Hungering Deep was released in May – It was the first attempt to introduce a narrative structure with quests revolving around a gigantic shark. Additionally, the focus should shift from sandbox PvP towards PvE and co-op.
- Cursed Sails followed in July – The DLC introduced a necessary change that the developers initially wanted to avoid – AI-controlled ships. Ships full of undead made the waters unsafe, prompting players to collaborate through an alliance system to discover the origin of the invasion. This aimed to steer the focus further away from PvP ship battles towards a story.
- Forsaken Shores came in September – The game area was expanded with the volcanic zone Devil’s Roar. New challenges await players here, forcing them to rethink their playstyle, as the new areas are so dangerous. New missions such as the cargo run, the rowboat, and additional achievements that you unlock are also included. Especially because navigating Devil’s Roar is so perilous, the gameplay in this area noticeably changes.
This is what the future brings: Forsaken Shores already shows the direction in which things are headed. Sea of Thieves is set to be expanded with new content. These will always build upon the base game and expand it.
What exactly fans can expect, Rare does not want to reveal yet. There are so many things, say the developers.
Among them is even something very big. This feature is said to have a significant impact on the gameplay of Sea of Thieves and change it. Fans can be very excited about what is to come.
Sea of Thieves has changed: The online game is no longer the same game as it was at release in late March. The updates and DLCs brought so many changes that those who turned their backs on the title at the beginning now encounter almost a different game. Moreover, Rare’s online game has found its target audience.
Player opinions still diverge somewhat, yet it is now mostly well-received, even if many still demand more content.
- Games_Should_Be_Fun comments on Eurogamer: “Sea of Thieves is not a game I can play for days. There simply isn’t enough variety to make me want to come back. But I like to dip my toes into the warm water every now and then.”
- deadly TRIFORCE writes on Polygon: “I love the story of Sea of Thieves. It’s so silly and dumb, but it fits the theme perfectly. Destiny and others become somewhat inconsistent after a certain time in comparison.”
Those who found Sea of Thieves a bit monotonous and too focused on PvP at the beginning can definitely give the title another chance. A lot has changed, and the PvE content might also interest story fans.
