Sea of Thieves: XBox One Review

Sea of Thieves: XBox One Review

Studio: Rare
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Platform: XBox One

Sea Of Thieves has arrived on the gaming ocean waves with as much fanfare as you'd expect for a title from a studio that's always been a pioneer.

Their latest has a very simple MO - you're a pirate, doing piratey things in a pirate's world.

Operating from first person perspective and thrusting you - whether you like it or not - into the multiplayer world to crew your ship and carry out various, Sea of Thieves is clearly aimed at being a co-operative game that wants to get you to work with mates or people you don't know.

But there's little else to it unfortunately, and it emerges as slightly underwhelming at this point, once you realise that all it is, at its core, is a simple go and grab something, protect it and return it.

Grind is the name of the game, and it's a little tiring to be frank in places.

Even though it's more fun with mates, and the whole Pirates are evil ethos which permeates the game is part of its MO, Sea of Thieves does suffer from a feeling that all your good work can be undone by some blaggard who simply wants to rob you. (Though, in fairness, that's what a pirate is.)

Graphically, the game's cartoony edges and the fact it presents the most wondrous water ever
committed to console history are big pluses.

There's a certain silliness that pervades proceedings, with sea shanties and cannon ball firing that's kind of catchy.

But much like the PUBG experience has been marred by the fact that the whole thing feels incomplete, Sea Of Thieves similarly suffers from a launched a little too early syndrome.

It's taken a while to get into games, and servers have been plundered by problems with too many gamers getting in on the action and it not coping. That's a frustration, especially given the numerous tests that Rare deployed.

Ultimately, as well, a lack of deeply immersive content makes Sea of Thieves hard to fully hoist the black flag of approval.

Sure, it's wacky fun and good for a gaming night with mates, but with a solo campaign that lacks depth and a reason to live, and not quite enough to keep you sailing the seven seas, there's a feeling that a content roadmap needs to be put out there.

All in all, Sea Of Thieves is commendable in parts, disappointing in others.

It has the potential, but at the moment, it feels like the treasure chest is half-full when it could be brimming over with golden gaming swag.