Pirate video games are a criminally under-developed genre. Swashbuckling through a high-seas adventure makes for an excellent video game, but there’s not a ton of quality options for gamers that want to fly the skull and bones.
Pirate RPG games make for great fun, but there’s also pirate-themed MMO’s and indie games that will indulge even the most seasoned scallywags. Some of the best things to do in Pirate games are design, customize, and sail ships, board enemy transports for hand-to-hand combat, and trade goods between islands.
Some top-tier pirate games are Sea of Thieves and Port Royale 3, along with classic pirate-themed titles like Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, and Pirates of the Caribbean Online. This article will start with the classics first.
Best Action Pirate Game – Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
Black Flag was Assassin’s Creed‘s first trip to the high seas. The previous games in the series focused more on stealth and combat, but Black Flag turned the series towards RPG elements. The ship-to-ship combat was a bit lacking for this pirate adventure, but boarding enemy ships became incredible fun using Assassin’s Creed combat mechanics and combos. Guns weren’t overpowered in this game, which helps it remain true to its historical setting. This is the pirate game with the best combat.
Best (Dead) Multiplayer Pirate Game – Pirates of the Caribbean Online
Popular at the height of MMORPG’s, this game was competitors with Runescape, Toontown, and Wizard 101, and managed to stay afloat. Each player had Cutlass, Pistol, and Sailing skills to develop, which unlocked new weapons and boats. There was a membership option, but free accounts had access to most content before achieving Notoriety level 7. The reason Pirates of the Caribbean Online held its own among other classics is the quality of it’s questing and multiplayer ship combat.
Quests in Pirates of the Caribbean Online had multiple tasks that involved killing enemies, traveling and crafting items, not just a bunch of “Go and Talk To…” quests, which is what other MMORPG’s were doing. Being a MMORPG, the most fun way to spend time was to hop on friend’s ships and man one of the cannons, which made for a fantastic teamwork playstyle between the captain and their gunners. This was the best multiplayer pirate experience before it was shut down in 2013, but luckily there’s a fan-made remake that will please nostalgia seeking gamers.
Best (Alive) Multiplayer Pirate Game – Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves is the best title for multiplayer pirating currently available. There’s so much joy in teaming up with two or three friends and sailing a Galleon into unknown waters. The character models are cartoonish, which makes graphics run smoothly. Enemy skeletons are challenging enough to players and don’t just roll over. It’s got great treasure hunting and the Trading Companies provide enough variance for players to sink hours into the game. It’s the best multiplayer console pirate game around, but it’s not much fun solo.
Best Simulation Pirate Game – Port Royale 3
Games in the Port Royale series contain best ways to complete every pirate’s main goal and favorite pastime: getting rich. Port Royale 3 is a trading sim set in the 16th century Caribbean, and players have to trade and create goods to make money. It’s a bit more dry that an action RPG because players have to manage several convoys. That being said, it’s one of the best trading sims available, pirate-themed or not. The ship combat isn’t it’s best feature but it is present, and this game shines the brightest in its city building and economy simulation.
Pirate games are gaining popularity, and anticipation continues to build for Skull & Bones, a new AAA pirate title set for launch on next-gen consoles in March 2021. For players that want to get out and stretch their sea legs before that, these four games will satisfy.
