Sea of Thieves

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VideoGameCritic
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Sea of Thieves

Postby VideoGameCritic » March 24th, 2018, 1:29 pm

Being interesting pirate lore, I was reading reviews for Sea of Thieves (Xbox One). It's not really the kind of game that would normally appeal to me. It's a MMO (massive multiplayer online) title that you can't play offline. Still, I was curious to see how it turned out, after so much build-up.

So far the reviews are pretty bad. Not only does the basic gameplay sound like a chore, but it's downright painful when other hostile gamers (you can't avoid) descend upon you. They say it feels unfinished.

But what really annoy me are reviewers that say they don't like it "yet" as if they are keeping the door open for the developers to revamp everything and suddenly make the game fun.

Maybe I'm harsh, but I think these reviewers far too forgiving. This game is being sold at full price. If it's bad, or incomplete, they should just slap an F on it (as I would). Instead, they are wishy-washy. By their low standards, no online game would be given a failing grade on the off-chance that one day it would improve.

Anybody else feel this way?

DaHeckIzDat
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Re: Sea of Thieves

Postby DaHeckIzDat » March 24th, 2018, 1:51 pm

I'm 100% happy with my PS4, but this is the one time I've ever felt salty for an exclusive I can't play. I might get it if/when I finally get my gaming PC fixed. As for the gameplay being a chore, I'd say that's open to interpretation. It's one of those games that's actually trying to feel like a simulation, so the ship works more or less the way it would in real life, and that means that you have to actually do... ship things. One guy has to steer, one has to man the sails, someone works the cannons, etc. It's all about teamwork. Personally I think it sounds fun, but other people who might just want to jump in and play might not feel the same.

CharlieR
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Re: Sea of Thieves

Postby CharlieR » March 26th, 2018, 3:45 pm

VideoGameCritic wrote:But what really annoy me are reviewers that say they don't like it "yet" as if they are keeping the door open for the developers to revamp everything and suddenly make the game fun.

Maybe I'm harsh, but I think these reviewers far too forgiving. This game is being sold at full price. If it's bad, or incomplete, they should just slap an F on it (as I would). Instead, they are wishy-washy. By their low standards, no online game would be given a failing grade on the off-chance that one day it would improve.

Anybody else feel this way?


I have not played this game or watched/read any reviews on it, but from what you are saying, it sounds like some critics are catering the whole modern review agenda of being favorable and giving it the benefit of the doubt that a patch is coming.

In general, do they know a patch is coming, or do they just assume? If a game came out in the n64 era and was bad, it would stay that way forever. They assume bad games in this day and age will get better.

Anyway, I like your stance on this. A bad game should be given a bad grade. A patch could make some improvements, but if the core game is bad (i.e. gameplay,) it's bad.

HawgWyld
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Re: Sea of Thieves

Postby HawgWyld » March 28th, 2018, 3:18 pm

DaHeckIzDat wrote:I'm 100% happy with my PS4, but this is the one time I've ever felt salty for an exclusive I can't play. I might get it if/when I finally get my gaming PC fixed. As for the gameplay being a chore, I'd say that's open to interpretation. It's one of those games that's actually trying to feel like a simulation, so the ship works more or less the way it would in real life, and that means that you have to actually do... ship things. One guy has to steer, one has to man the sails, someone works the cannons, etc. It's all about teamwork. Personally I think it sounds fun, but other people who might just want to jump in and play might not feel the same.


The teamwork aspect is fantastic. Heck, that makes the game. This game is shallow and somewhat pointless (i.e., you go on quest after quest to get gold and buy close and such that help with aesthetics, but don't improve your character/abilities a bit). Still, I play this with my son who is in the Navy and stationed far from home -- this game is a great opportunity for us to spend some time online together, visit and -- oh, yeah -- complete a mission or two. Anyone hoping to enjoy the single-player aspect of this game will likely be very disappointed, but it is a great game for those more interested in the social/casual aspects than an immersive experience.

Now, it is great fun for us to lurk around the seas and attack other players here and there for the sheer hell of it. I can't imagine how ship battles would go without someone to steer and someone else to load and fire cannons.

I got this one through my Xbox Game Pass and I'm probably not too bothered by the shallow gameplay and odd mechanics (cutlass battles suck in this) because I really didn't pay a dime for this.

GameOfThrones
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Re: Sea of Thieves

Postby GameOfThrones » March 30th, 2018, 6:41 pm

Initially I was like great. The legend of the black pirate. This game is going to be so much fun. Now it is just that I wanted it to be great and then I thought oh what the hell. No one player. I admit it. I have loads of mp games and never play them. I do not like the vibe. Though I do play EDF with my pal a lot and that is online but more of a hoard experience.

I will get the games pass in the summer when my term time (uni not jail) has finished. Then I will play it and see if I like it. I am not going to buy the game.

I know I feel negative about these games but I grew up with a VCS. We had fun my friends and me playing games. I still hanker for a game like ship of the line on the sinclair spectrum.

Though as the chap above says he has played it and it is fun. So I will give it a go.

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Crummylion
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Re: Sea of Thieves

Postby Crummylion » March 30th, 2018, 10:30 pm

The game is pretty much Microsoft's No Man's Sky, probably will take a few years for it to be actually good in the long run.
It is decent but gets repetitive after some time. What makes it worthwhile it to me, like with Friday the 13th, is the voice chat. The best way to experience this game without spending 60 dollars is with Xbox Game Pass.

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Gentlegamer
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Re: Sea of Thieves

Postby Gentlegamer » April 2nd, 2018, 8:27 pm

As near as I can tell, Sea of Thieves is a good-looking, but terrible streamer bait multiplayer game. Basically the NuMale's Sky of Xbone.

Sonicx9
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Re: Sea of Thieves

Postby Sonicx9 » April 4th, 2018, 2:48 am

A little late, but here is a very good video that people need to watch on First Impressions Are Everything for games without patches and DLC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h2msgNsGig

Steve
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Re: Sea of Thieves

Postby Steve » April 4th, 2018, 11:58 am

A little late, but here is a very good video that people need to watch on First Impressions Are Everything for games without patches and DLC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h2msgNsGig


These extended, profanity laden rants are such a phenomenal waste of internet bandwidth in my opinion. It contains no information that an educated gamer (like just about everyone here) can find elsewhere. Can someone explain the appeal of a rant like this? Is the swearing a means to gain viewers? It's also an insult to a large section of the population. I don't think I've played any of the games referenced in the video but I can make that decision based on intelligent discussion and simple research.

People can agree or disagree with the main topic and personally I won't be playing Sea of Thieves for a couple of reasons, even as a game pass member. However, these rants just seem counterproductive. It almost makes me want to play all of the games mentioned in the video.

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Stalvern
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Re: Sea of Thieves

Postby Stalvern » April 4th, 2018, 2:16 pm

Steve wrote:These extended, profanity laden rants are such a phenomenal waste of internet bandwidth in my opinion. It contains no information that an educated gamer (like just about everyone here) can find elsewhere. Can someone explain the appeal of a rant like this? Is the swearing a means to gain viewers? It's also an insult to a large section of the population. I don't think I've played any of the games referenced in the video but I can make that decision based on intelligent discussion and simple research.

People can agree or disagree with the main topic and personally I won't be playing Sea of Thieves for a couple of reasons, even as a game pass member. However, these rants just seem counterproductive. It almost makes me want to play all of the games mentioned in the video.

The guy actually makes some decent points about how alarmingly quickly the masses of the Internet forget about problems the moment they're out of the spotlight and how this keeps the companies that cause them from having any accountability (this by no means applies only to the video game industry!), but it's nothing that wouldn't be better as an article. On the other hand, the idiots who are actually sticking up for these companies don't read anything long enough to require scrolling, so getting all worked-up for a ranty YouTube video is probably the most practical way to get the message through to them. But back on that first hand, the video has, uh, 133 views. So it goes.


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