Age of Pirates 2 preview

[jango]

Well now me hearties, I be sprawled out on my Jack Jones starin' into the abyss quizzin' meself about old ship mates and lost treasure yarrrrrrrrrr .. OK enough of that, I can't do the whole preview like this, sheeesh ..

*Cough*

Listed as a role playing game, 'Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships' is being marketed as a swash-buckling romp across the high seas, while ignoring the rip-tide of references to Pirates of the Carribbean nipping at its rudder .. so, what's the fuss?

Well, following on from the mildly successful, mildy mild impact of the the mildly beige and mild original 'Age of Pirates' the sequel is meant to enhance the gameplay that made the first game mildly successful in the beige sea of mildness. Hmm .. perhaps I should elaborate ..



For some time since games like Age of Empires and the like came on the gaming scene a lot of games have tried their best to mimic or expand this sub-genre of games. Games like 'Rise of Nations' or 'Anno 1404 Dawn of Discovery' along with notable others have tended to stand out in this field, whereas others have floundered like used nappies in the flotsam and jetsom. Generally speaking the thing that's differentiated games in this sub-genre has been mostly down to one thing - gameplay. Even in the case of 'Anno 1404 Dawn of Discovery' the gameplay won through despite the game not receiving adequate global support (the support being 90% in German for the love of god ..). So, a game like Age of Pirates 2 has some work to do, and some tricky waters to navigate ..

The features of Age of Pirates are officially listed as follows:

• Face fierce ship-to-ship combat or stand toe-to-toe with the most feared swordsmen in the Caribbean
• Choose from 3 different characters and 3 different classes, Merchant, Corsair and Adventurer, each with their own quest line with more than 10 missions
• Four main campaigns with over 40 quests
• Over 40 quest generators allowing for an additional infinite amount of quests
• New combat system for faster fights
• Choose from 3 weapon classes: light, medium and heavy
• New "P.I.R.A.T.E.S." role playing system with the following characteristics: Power, Impression, Reaction, Authority, Talent, Endurance, Success
• Advanced trading system
• Meet real-life historical characters such as Jamaican governors Colonel Thomas Lynch and Thomas Modyford
• Accurate maps of the Caribbean with a vast array of land-based locations, from dense South American jungle to dark Caribbean cave complexes (3 times the size of the 'Caribbean Tales' world)

So, reading this makes the game sound very interesting indeed but, and I'm sure you picked up on it also, you can't help but feel it may be an elaborate smoke screen or pure genius. However, the game has so far received very mixed previews and commentary, with some sites citing it as "interestingly revolutionary" (which to me suggests 'win' but wrapped in 'fail') while others describe it as "a ship wreck" (nice).



It would appear that Age of Pirates, much like other games like it recently, will be an acquired taste .. like frog's legs, sushi, or licking the under-side of a horse .. and perhaps just as inticing to new-comers. Will it be good? Who knows .. but much like wondering if it would hurt to dangle your privates over a fire the signs of it being a bad idea are around you ..

Age of Pirates 2 comes out on the 21st of May this year and there will be more details available as time goes by ..

Excitement factor - 4/10
Potential gameplay - 5/10
Potential boredom - 8/10
Overall: 4/10


Other AoP2 stuff:
- Official site
- GameSpot info
- Video review

[HamadaLFC8]

mhm.... great review. I was excited at first when I read the title, then I saw your score and I was like .... yeah....... hahha xD

Thanks tho!

[jango]

mhm.... great review. I was excited at first when I read the title, then I saw your score and I was like .... yeah....... hahha xD

Thanks tho!

hehe .. well like i said in the preview the gameplay is the key factor with these games, and the proof of that is often in the eating

.. but yeah, some of it looks incredibly ropey compared to other recent RPGs, in fact almost totally unrelated to them ..

[RaiDae]

I love your reviews gowl. Always good for a smile. XD
Do you have any intention of getting it when it comes out or will you play it safe?

[jango]

I love your reviews gowl. Always good for a smile. XD
Do you have any intention of getting it when it comes out or will you play it safe?

hehe thanks

hmm .. to be honest i would want to definitely try a demo first before deciding on getting it or not. Some games I can be sold on and don't care about a demo, but this one (just look at it .. omg ..) will only convince me to get with a decent demo that proves my first impressions wrong.