Clunky island controls and gameplay darken what is otherwise an extremely enjoyable action RPG that truly shines during its high seas adventures.

Growing up there wasn't one person that didn't want to become a pirate. Sailing the seven seas, waging war on unsuspecting fleets, hunting for treasure, and of course winning the heart of the damsel in distress. Yes the life of the pirate seems like a glamorous one that not many of us will ever be able to obtain. To help us live out our fantasies developer Akella has created an action RPG entitled Age of Pirates: Carribean Tales that promises to allow us to play through every aspect of pirating from the high seas thrills of boarding and looting a ship to recruiting aspiring pirates to work the decks of your fleet.

One of the most apparent parts of Age of Pirates is the time and effort that the developer took to try and capture the true feel and look of the pirate atmosphere. Everything from the mysterious buried treasure storyline to the loading screens is designed to drag you kicking and screaming into a world where powdered wigs and swords rule. Unfortunately it seems as though the developers were only given time to develop the image and feel of the game, as many other features of the game are slightly flawed.



Graphically Age of Pirates ranges from average to breathtakingly beautiful. While in third person island mode the player will experience the typical drab island with sparse grass, fishing nets littering the shore and numerous cantankerous inhabitants that won't even take the time to talk to you unless they have some type of inheritance to grab or are running from the law. The real visual treat comes when you're off the island sailing around the ocean capturing enemy ships. While in sailing mode the player will be able to bask in the glory of amazing sunsets and treacherous storms that threaten the well-being of both your ship and your crew mates.

While walking around the lands controls seem better suited for a console gamepad rather than a PC keyboard and mouse. Players will frequently find themselves backing up to find a better position so that they can talk to a native to take on a mission or just to take lodgings at the local tavern for the night. While this can be aggravating players will soon find that the simplistic sea and battle controls more than make up for the few minutes they spend on land. While sailing, everything from fighting other ships, boarding, and simply telling which way the wind is blowing is designed perfectly.



Many of the main war commands can be accessed with a simple menu system that players will find very intuitive and effective. Other important information, like the direction of the wind, ship conditions and hostile fleets, are portrayed with visual cues.