Developer Mercat Games and publisher Ultimate Games recently unveiled Frigato: Shadows of the Caribbean, a stealth game set during the golden age of piracy. Despite Pirates of the Caribbean‘s long-standing popularity, and the general appeal of swashbucklers, few pirate-centric games have managed to break the mold in gaming. The much-beloved Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag offered an amazing sea-faring experience, complete with historical figures, great naval combat, and gameplay that truly accentuated the romanticized vision of pirate life.
Other titles such as Rare’s Sea of Thieves have also captured the thrill of piracy on the open seas. Many may recall that last year the Xbox exclusive received a Pirates of the Caribbean crossover update called A Pirate’s Life, which added Captain Jack Sparrow, Davey Jones, and the Black Pearl as a cosmetic item. Such an addition helped the Rare title secure a place atop the Steam charts for a time, suggesting that the thirst for more pirate-centric content in the gaming space won’t soon subside. Fortunately, something new is peeking over the horizon.
While the wait for pirate games like Skull & Bones persists, developer Mercat Games and publisher Ultimate Games have announced a project that Steam players will soon get a chance to explore in some capacity. Frigato: Shadows of the Caribbean constitutes the title in question, coming in the form of a real-time strategy game replete with stealth-based gameplay elements. Frigato presently lacks an official due date but will receive a Steam demo next month on June 13. Players will command a “motley crew of sea rogues” during the golden age of piracy, sneaking across ships, harbors, and mystical locales to outmaneuver the British Royal Navy in an attempt to plunder the most valuable treasure in the Caribbean. Check out the official gameplay trailer in the following video:
In addition to placing the pirate motif front and center, Frigato: Shadows of the Caribbean seems to borrow heavily from the stealth gameplay of Metal Gear Solid. This seems most apparent in the use of exclamation marks to denote enemy alertness. Plus, the brief stinger at the end of Frigato’s trailer shows one pirate sneaking around in a barrel, a move reminiscent of Snake’s cardboard box antics in MGS.
Though a Pirates of the Caribbean game à la the canceled Armada of the Damned title seems increasingly unlikely, it appears that pirate games, in general, won’t soon walk the plank. Hopefully, the likes of Frigato: Shadows of the Caribbean, Skull & Bones, and whatever else may be coming down the pike leads to even more swashbuckling adventures.
