I love Pirate101. I love playing it every chance I can get. Who can't resist being a pirate? So when I tell my friends that they should try it too. They give me a strange look and they often say, "But that's a game for kids, isn't it?"
It Is NOT Just A Kids' Game...
By saying that it's just a kids' game, they're making it sound like Pirate101 is less than any other adult games. Like it’s suited for five, ten years old. No, it is just as good as any adult game out there. But yes, it is a family game which means teens and adults can play together in it. Truly young children cannot play this. It's way too tough for them.
Think about this though, teens can play WoW, can't they? Does it mean that they're less smarter than adults? No. Does it mean that teens can't take good challenges? No. So if teens are playing Pirate101, it should be perfectly good enough for adults. I am an adult with no children and I love playing it. It's fun!
The only difference is that Pirate101 has safe chats for teens which frankly is sorely needed nowadays. You know teens nowadays. But Pirate101 does have open chat which you can talk freely. You just can't say bad words or trade emails or phone numbers. This is for the safety for the teen players. It wouldn't prevent you from having a good time in Pirate101. I mean, really, it wouldn't. Really!
The Dark & Somber
People seem to think that Pirate101 is a lighthearted game for children to play. Again, it’s not for children. They also don’t realize that it has actually a dark theme. The Pirate character at the very start is an orphan whose parents died in a tragedy. There is even a scene where the Pirate gets to hear their parents from beyond the grave. It is heartbreaking. There’s another scene where the Pirate has to trade off their first five years of memories. What if it had memories of their parents? It was an incredibly conflicting scene that left you with more questions than answers. Then that scene in their latest expansion in Valencia Part 2… Well, I’m not gonna spoil it, but.. Again, heartbreaking.
So yes, Pirate101 is definitely a darker story for teens and adults. Is it a bad thing? No. Real life is not perfect, so games should not be perfect either. In fact, it makes us empathize with our character more and makes us work harder to find a happy conclusion for our character. Look at Bambi, he lost his mom! Lion King, same thing. But it made the happy ending a lot more satisfying.
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The Look Of The Game Graphics
Just because a game is cartoony does not mean that it's not a good game for adults. Don't tell me that if the most popular MMO game had cartoony graphics, you would think that it's a horrible game which are for kids?
Let's be real here, a major MMO game can be amazing with ANY type of game graphics available. The graphics doesn't change the most important parts of the game, the battle mechanics and the story. That also applies to Pirate101. Just because it's cartoony doesn't mean that it's not a solid game for adults to play. Believe me, even though the game might be cartoony, the graphics are BEAUTIFUL.
In general, you really shouldn't let the type of game graphics in games stop you from even playing or trying a new game. You could miss out on some great games out there. Just saying.
But Does It Challenge Me?
Honestly it does challenge me. It has an entirely different set up than most games. It uses a chessboard type for its battlefields. You have to figure out where to move every turn and when to fight, then you see what happens. Don't tell me that doesn't make you interested. Imagine how that would be challenging to someone who never played that style of a game? I love it! It makes your mind work in different directions and that's the true challenge to me.
And honestly, the game itself is not that easy. There are quite tough battles in Pirate101. You also have to worry about companions, powers, abilities, gears, weapons, pets, doubloons, and more. It's a challenge unto itself just to make sure your character is all set up to be able to survive. If you don't believe me, try it and see it for yourself.
But that's the great thing! It's not just fighting or keeping up with the story, there's plenty of side content you can do too to get your character prepped to the max. The game knows how to keep you busy, even when you're stuck at max level on your character. It’s not a short, easy game that you could finish in a week then be done.
Are You A Fighter Or Reader?
There are two kinds of gamers - fighters and readers. Many are both. I'm more of 40% Fighter, 60% Reader.
Fighters just want the best challenge there is, so they can defeat the game and feel like they're on the top of the world. I get that. I like it too. Who doesn't want to be like Godzilla on the top of the Empire State Building? There are some pretty epic battles in Pirate101. Try Moo Manchu, General Tso (that one was hilarious), and even Kane or Captain Hande in the brand new Valencia Part 2 expansion that was added recently.
But there's also readers, those who like the stories in a game. I'm one. I love feeling like I can keep up with the story, watch it progress and truly be a part of it. There's always so much intrigue and mystery. Our enemy is an Armada army who are robots. I mean, that's pretty epic! Oh, and the best part about Pirate101 is that it is filled with amazing puns and pop culture references. Some of them are quite hilarious!
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Try Pirate101 Today!
I hope I convinced you to give it a solid try. If you still think that it's not for you after playing it, well that’s alright. But for the love of gaming, don't say that it's just a kids' game again. Please. I beg you.
Thanks to Cody Sundreamer for the banner.
