King of Seas is the latest open-world pirate game to join the fray in the pirate genre. An action RPG in a procedurally generated world, King of Seas will have players embarking on voyages across the seven seas to become the ruler of all pirates. Despite its visions of grandeur and potential allure to players fond of the open-world pirate genre, King of Seas faces some stiff competition on the market and can’t compare to some of them.
The open-world pirate genre is a market in gaming that has persisted for quite a while. While not as mainstream or popular as FPS or battle royale genres, there are enough options to give King of Seas a run for its money. With its limited immersion, tedious exploration, and repetitive combat, both new and old pirate games succeed in rivaling King of Seas as a dominant pirate game. Perhaps the most appealing aspect to the game is its procedurally generated map, which makes each player’s experience of the world unique with each playthrough.
When comparing open-world pirate games, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is arguably one of the best. The amount of customization for players to enjoy is astounding, as they can personalize the Jackdaw in a thousand different ways as they sail the seas and take on other ships. The ability to board other ships and interact with a grander cast of characters in Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, including some of the most nefarious pirates on the sea, makes players feel vital from the very beginning. Of course, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag enjoyed a monstrous budget thanks to its development by the AAA game studio, Ubisoft, while King of Seas was developed by 3DClouds, a smaller studio. With its smaller budget and scale, King of Seas succeeds in grasping the adventurous allure of being a pirate but requires some quality-of-life changes to stand up to pirate games from the past.
King of Seas’ Biggest Competitor Is Sea of Thieves
In terms of the open-world pirate genre, the biggest competitor in the market is Sea of Thieves. Despite a slightly rocky launch, Sea of Thieves has secured a massive player base through consistent content updates, stories, and its functions to welcome new and old players alike with each new session. Players can pursue many in-game goals and playstyles, and random world events such as the Leviathan or Megalodon keep ocean exploration thrilling and tense. While Sea of Thieves does not include King of Seas’ procedurally generated map, or offer upgrades to make ships more effective in combat, it rewards the learned skills of its players through PvP and PvE action.
Sea of Thieves and King of Seas have a good number of similarities, right down to the names. Unfortunately, King of Seas fails to set itself apart from its competitor in any way. Due to its recent release, a good number of patches are likely still on their way to smooth out issues for players who have purchased it. The slightly cheaper price of King of Seas eliminates many of the features Sea of Thieves offers, and its older age means more frequent sales and potential drops in price. Sea of Thieves is also on Xbox Game Pass, making it more readily available. With more content, a stable community, and a secured future, Sea of Thieves beats King of Seas in almost every significant field.
For King of Seas to stand against other open-world pirate games, it needs some work. Its story has potential but is frequently bogged down by slow gameplay with overcomplicated mechanics. A procedurally generated world keeps things fresh, but limits its consistency, and only increases in making exploration tedious and unenjoyable. Coordination in combat and ship upgrades are only rewarded if players can successfully avoid the repetitive motions of enemy ships. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Sea of Thieves both manage to outdo King of Seas as an open-world pirate game, and the newest pirate game on the market needs some serious quality-of-life changes before it can stand against these giants.
