Pirates: Tides of Fortune Review

Itchy Cutlass Hand

As a long time pirate, I am always lookin’ for ways to scratch that buccaneer itch for plunder. I’ve played a number of games to that end.

Despite being a more detailed option to me old favorite, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, I was not sold on Pirates of the Black Sea. Yes, it is more detailed… much more detailed. But, it didn’t have the same feel.

So, when a mate on The Book of Face sent me a recommendation for Pirates: Tides of Fortune, ye know I had to take a peek.

Setting Sail

I arrived at the big splash screen with the lovely Captain Anne O’Malley (A tribute to pirate legends Anne Bonney and Grace O’Malley?) and a mighty pirate ship at her back. A kindred spirit is she?

The setup is that the Captain has captured yer ship but offers ye a chance to become a pirate ye-self. She sets ye up on an island and also functions as the tutorial with her Irish lilt verbalizing all of the descriptive text.

So, that be right kind to set me up in the plunder business but wait a landlubbin’ minute –

Island of Farmville

The game is actually a resource strategy game!

Me black heart sank a bit. No crossed cutlasses. No swinging across to captured ships on a lanyard. Pretty much bloodless.

But, I can say that the game is very easy to jump aboard and get started.

Managing yer lumber, gold and rum is the typical balancing act as ye spend ye ill-gotten gains to upgrade, buy improvements and hire cutthroats to do ye biddin’.

The complications come from the political ties ye make to fellow pirates and brotherhoods (think Mafia gangs), tradin’ with others and developin’ new technology (well, 17th Century tech anyway).

A Little Bit of This

Tides of Fortune has the classic pirate and nautical elements but it borrows from other sources for things like light-than-air craft for spyin’ or the use of undead sailors.

Basic play also borrows from other familiar browser games and that’s really a positive, though some options I was seeking were not so easy to find, but thankfully the help is detailed.

Grow Yer Own Galleon

So, tis farmin’ of lumber, rum and gold to raise an army of thugs and conquer the islands. Not exactly the pace I like to set but these isles can be a nice casual visit when I just wanna’ put down me pistols and put my toes in the surf and take it easy a bit.

I know this game has been around a little while, but it’s new to me. Might become new to you too, mate.