[3000+ Hours Update] Sea of Thieves is visually awe-inspiring, artistically beautiful, superbly unique, and delivers (what can be) a truly immersive and memorable experience if you have the time and patience to learn the game. The skill-based sailing, canon-play, and hand–to-hand combat mechanics offer ample room to explore and grow, and the cosmetic-based progression ensures you have every tool unlocked right at the start of the game.

However, Sea of Thieves is an acquired taste. While there is a single-player experience where you can practice and learn the game (cleverly named “Safer Seas”), the real magic happens on the High Seas, where there’s one CRITICAL point you need to keep in mind:

THIS IS A PVP GAME. The experience is inherently driven by player interactions in an open PvP setting. As such, your enjoyment is rooted in how you react to sudden and stressful moments of piracy.

All that said, there’s a few ways to determine whether it’s for you:

• WATCH LIVESTREAMS. The Sea of Thieves community offers a wealth of knowledge about the game and its intricacies. It’s really your best tutorial to learn about the experience!
  
  
• TRIAL THE GAME. If you have an XBOX Game Pass trial, try it there; if you like it, pick it up here on Steam!
  
  
• PLAY WITH A CREW. You should *absolutely* avoid playing the game on your own (at first). There are open crews you can join, but the game is best enjoyed with friends!

Okay; onward to the in-depth review points!

CORE CHARACTERISTICS

• STYLE: Open World PvP Sandbox
• AVG. SESSION: 1-2 hours
• CHALLENGE: Medium to Difficult
• MOOD: Peacefully Meditative w/heavy swings to High-Intensity Piracy

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➕ SAILING MECHANICS. The cornerstone of any sailing game should be the boat mechanics, and Sea of Thieves DELIVERS. It does a masterful job of simplifying the complexity of sail and wind management, ship-to-ship cannon-play, and a variety of sailing mechanics to create a truly unique and brilliant seafaring experience!

➕ THE SEA. The water and waves are U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E! 🌊🌊🌊

➕ The ART. The environment art team has done a job of creating a STUNNING world to explore: from the golden sands of the tropics to the volcanic frontiers.

➕ The SOUND DESIGN. Both the sounds and music create one of the BEST audio experiences in gaming! Sound is used as a feedback device: enhancing and explaining the experience as you sail, explore, and fight your way across the sea.

➕ BETTER WITH FRIENDS. This can’t be understated enough: the seas can be a ROUGH place—both when it comes to gameplay AND the people you meet along the way. Bring a crew so you don’t have to face it alone! 💯

➕ COSMETIC PROGRESSION. The game has no vertical progression; there’s no “leveling up” to become a better pirate with better equipment or gain any mechanical advantage over your opponents. The playing field is level every time you roll a new ship—apart from your personal knowledge and mastery of the game mechanics!

➕ The OPEN WORLD. The world is your oyster to explore the moment you leave the dock. The game rewards you with better and better rewards the longer you play, making it incredibly easy to lose yourself for HOURS on end!

➕ The STORY VOYAGES (aka “TALL TALES”). Much of the game’s lore is presented in story voyages known as Tall Tales. These concise, open world stories are a *fantastic* way to explore the world and learn about the magic that drives the Sea of Thieves, or to explore fun crossovers with Pirates of the Caribbean and Monkey Island.

➕ HUMOR! As is typical in most Rare games, there’s a glorious, tongue-in-cheek humor woven throughout the gameplay and narrative experience. The world doesn’t take itself too seriously, which helps you get lost in the joy of the game!

➕ ONGOING SUPPORT. The Rare team have done a TON to evolve and grow the game over the years with *outstanding* new mechanics, improvements, and systems. Their ongoing dedication to this amazing game is well worth applauding!

➕ The LIVESTREAM COMMUNITY. Where the game (still) falls short of teaching the mechanics or establishing community norms, the streaming community is a BRILLIANT resource to fill in those gaps. Take the time to tune in and find your favorite streamers: Sea of Thieves on Twitch[www.twitch.tv]

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〰️ QUESTS (aka “VOYAGES”). Voyages are quests offered by the trading companies that help you grow your wealth. Each company only offers two or three *unique* voyages, and while there is some randomness inherent to each voyage, they will begin to feel repetitive after (admittedly) several hundred hours of adventuring.

〰️ HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT. On one hand: the mechanics are relatively straightforward, simple to pick up, and offer room to master a *multitude* of tricks that’ll give you the upper-hand in a fight.

On the other hand: long and inconsistent animations, hit-registration issues, and a lack of “weight” to your hits can make it feel like you’re dueling with wet pool noodles.

〰️ The PLAYERS …are truly a mixed bag. Some days you’ll make meaningful connections with pirates who are humble in victory, merciful through teaching, or powerful allies on the seas. Other days, you’ll encounter the most toxic, unfeeling players whose singular goal is to break your spirit. All you can do is be prepared for both…

〰️ The LACK OF SEA LIFE. While not game-breaking in any way, the lack of variety in ocean life and sea creatures is a notable shortcoming in an otherwise STUNNING game... 😞

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➖ The Sea of Thieves SERVERS. The biggest (and most consistent) enemy you’ll face are the SoT servers. Ongoing bloat to the systems and mechanics have stressed them well beyond what they’re capable of handling smoothly…and issues like hit-registration during fights, game crashes and disconnects, low frames around the busier islands, and server merges at odd times continue to be regular jokes within the player community.

➖ The game does very little TEACHING. While the Maiden Voyage is a good place to learn the basic mechanics of the game, it doesn’t go into great depth and fails to cover several critical mechanics to the experience: including wind angles, bailing and repairing in combat situations, cannon mechanics, etc.

➖ The game relies on XBOX LIVE. While this unifies all of the different platforms under a single account, the XBL service is clunky when it comes to making, inviting, or communicating with friends.

➖ The PIRATE CODE are more what you'd call...“guidelines”...than actual rules. The code is a reminder of what the game proposes in a community and where it consistently falls short of nurturing that environment.

➖ CHARACTER CREATION. While character creation guarantees a…”gruff” selection of pirates, it can be frustratingly limited if you’re particular about the look of your character..

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Sea of Thieves continues to be a truly fantastic game which has come a very long way over the years. While it’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, it will grab you hard if you are willing to learn and master the open-ended gameplay. And if you can endure the issues that crop up from time to time (as with any live-service game), the dedication of the Rare team will reward you with an outstanding experience that is well worthy of the genre it inspired.

⭐ OVERALL: 8.5/10

[b][3000+ Hours Update][/b] [i]Sea of Thieves[/i] is visually awe-inspiring, artistically beautiful, superbly unique, and delivers (what can be) a truly immersive and memorable experience if you have the time and patience to learn the game. The skill-based sailing, canon-play, and hand–to-hand combat mechanics offer ample room to explore and grow, and the cosmetic-based progression ensures you have every tool unlocked right at the start of the game. However, [i]Sea of Thieves[/i] is an acquired taste. While there is a single-player experience where you can practice and learn the game (cleverly named “Safer Seas”), the real magic happens on the High Seas, where there’s one CRITICAL point you need to keep in mind: [quote][b][u]THIS IS A PVP GAME.[/u] The experience is inherently driven by player interactions in an open PvP setting. As such, your enjoyment is rooted in how you react to sudden and stressful moments of piracy.[/b][/quote] All that said, there’s a few ways to determine whether it’s for you: [list] [*] [b]WATCH LIVESTREAMS.[/b] The [i]Sea of Thieves[/i] community offers a wealth of knowledge about the game and its intricacies. It’s really your best tutorial to learn about the experience! [*] [b]TRIAL THE GAME.[/b] If you have an XBOX Game Pass trial, try it there; if you like it, pick it up here on Steam! [*] [b]PLAY WITH A CREW.[/b] You should *absolutely* avoid playing the game on your own (at first). There are open crews you can join, but the game is best enjoyed with friends! [/list] Okay; onward to the in-depth review points! [quote][h3]CORE CHARACTERISTICS[/h3] [b]• STYLE:[/b] Open World PvP Sandbox [b]• AVG. SESSION:[/b] 1-2 hours [b]• CHALLENGE:[/b] Medium to Difficult [b]• MOOD:[/b] Peacefully Meditative w/heavy swings to High-Intensity Piracy [/quote] [hr][/hr][h1]🟢 THE POSITIVES[/h1][hr][/hr] [b]➕ SAILING MECHANICS.[/b] The cornerstone of any sailing game should be the boat mechanics, and [i]Sea of Thieves[/i] DELIVERS. It does a masterful job of simplifying the complexity of sail and wind management, ship-to-ship cannon-play, and a variety of sailing mechanics to create a truly unique and brilliant seafaring experience! [b]➕ THE SEA.[/b] The water and waves are U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E! 🌊🌊🌊 [b]➕ The ART.[/b] The environment art team has done a job of creating a STUNNING world to explore: from the golden sands of the tropics to the volcanic frontiers. [b]➕ The SOUND DESIGN.[/b] Both the sounds and music create one of the BEST audio experiences in gaming! Sound is used as a feedback device: enhancing and explaining the experience as you sail, explore, and fight your way across the sea. [b]➕ BETTER WITH FRIENDS.[/b] This can’t be understated enough: [b]the seas can be a ROUGH place—both when it comes to gameplay AND the people you meet along the way. Bring a crew so you don’t have to face it alone! 💯[/b] [b]➕ COSMETIC PROGRESSION.[/b] The game has no vertical progression; there’s no “leveling up” to become a better pirate with better equipment or gain any mechanical advantage over your opponents. The playing field is level every time you roll a new ship—apart from your personal knowledge and mastery of the game mechanics! [b]➕ The OPEN WORLD.[/b] The world is your oyster to explore the moment you leave the dock. The game rewards you with better and better rewards the longer you play, making it incredibly easy to lose yourself for HOURS on end! [b]➕ The STORY VOYAGES (aka “TALL TALES”).[/b] Much of the game’s lore is presented in story voyages known as Tall Tales. These concise, open world stories are a *fantastic* way to explore the world and learn about the magic that drives the [i]Sea of Thieves[/i], or to explore fun crossovers with [i]Pirates of the Caribbean[/i] and [i]Monkey Island[/i]. [b]➕ HUMOR![/b] As is typical in most Rare games, there’s a glorious, tongue-in-cheek humor woven throughout the gameplay and narrative experience. The world doesn’t take itself too seriously, which helps you get lost in the joy of the game! [b]➕ ONGOING SUPPORT.[/b] The Rare team have done a TON to evolve and grow the game over the years with *outstanding* new mechanics, improvements, and systems. Their ongoing dedication to this amazing game is well worth applauding! [b]➕ The LIVESTREAM COMMUNITY.[/b] Where the game (still) falls short of teaching the mechanics or establishing community norms, the streaming community is a BRILLIANT resource to fill in those gaps. Take the time to tune in and find your favorite streamers: [url=https://www.twitch.tv/directory/game/Sea%20of%20Thieves]Sea of Thieves on Twitch[/url] [hr][/hr][h1]🟡 THE..."TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT"[/h1][hr][/hr] [b]〰️ QUESTS (aka “VOYAGES”).[/b] Voyages are quests offered by the trading companies that help you grow your wealth. Each company only offers two or three *unique* voyages, and while there is some randomness inherent to each voyage, they will begin to feel repetitive after (admittedly) several hundred hours of adventuring. [b]〰️ HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT.[/b] On one hand: the mechanics are relatively straightforward, simple to pick up, and offer room to master a *multitude* of tricks that’ll give you the upper-hand in a fight. On the other hand: long and inconsistent animations, hit-registration issues, and a lack of “weight” to your hits can make it feel like you’re dueling with wet pool noodles. [b]〰️ The PLAYERS[/b] …are truly a mixed bag. Some days you’ll make meaningful connections with pirates who are humble in victory, merciful through teaching, or powerful allies on the seas. Other days, you’ll encounter the most toxic, unfeeling players whose singular goal is to break your spirit. All you can do is be prepared for both… [b]〰️ The LACK OF SEA LIFE.[/b] While not game-breaking in any way, the lack of variety in ocean life and sea creatures is a notable shortcoming in an otherwise STUNNING game... 😞 [hr][/hr][h1]💢 THE NOT-SO-GREAT[/h1][hr][/hr] [b]➖ The [i]Sea of Thieves[/i] SERVERS.[/b] The biggest (and most consistent) enemy you’ll face are the [i]SoT[/i] servers. Ongoing bloat to the systems and mechanics have stressed them well beyond what they’re capable of handling smoothly…and issues like hit-registration during fights, game crashes and disconnects, low frames around the busier islands, and server merges at odd times continue to be regular jokes within the player community. [b]➖ The game does very little TEACHING.[/b] While the Maiden Voyage is a good place to learn the basic mechanics of the game, it doesn’t go into great depth and fails to cover several critical mechanics to the experience: including wind angles, bailing and repairing in combat situations, cannon mechanics, etc. [b]➖ The game relies on XBOX LIVE.[/b] While this unifies all of the different platforms under a single account, the XBL service is clunky when it comes to making, inviting, or communicating with friends. [b]➖ The PIRATE CODE are more what you'd call...“guidelines”...than actual rules.[/b] The code is a reminder of what the game proposes in a community and where it consistently falls short of nurturing that environment. [b]➖ CHARACTER CREATION.[/b] While character creation guarantees a…”gruff” selection of pirates, it can be frustratingly limited if you’re particular about the look of your character.. [hr][/hr][h1]🤔 THE FINAL WORD…[/h1][hr][/hr] [i]Sea of Thieves[/i] continues to be a truly fantastic game which has come a very long way over the years. While it’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, it will grab you hard if you are willing to learn and master the open-ended gameplay. And if you can endure the issues that crop up from time to time (as with any live-service game), the dedication of the Rare team will reward you with an outstanding experience that is well worthy of the genre it inspired. [quote][h2]⭐ [b]OVERALL: 8.5/10[/b][/h2][/quote]