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| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: Action Developer: Oxygen Studios Publisher: O-Games |
There are some games that are so amazing that they blow other games out of the water. There are some games that are so terrible
that they make bad game look good. However, sometimes there are games that are so average that they in turn become a bad game.
One such game of this type is O-Games’ latest Nintendo DS release, “Pirates: Duels on the High Seas.” There are a lot of things in the
game that make it end up being extremely bland and boring, but in the end there really isn’t anything wrong with the game.
Mechanically, everything in the game works very well, but as a game concept, it is about as exciting as sitting and watching grass grow
on a warm summer day.
The problem with the game is the fact that it doesn’t offer the player anything more than a simple go out and collect objects style of
game play. It is a very tedious game and players will think that it is only the open to a more full and exciting game. Sadly, there isn’t
anything to look forward to and as the game continues to drag on from boring one boring level to the next and soon players start to
realize that it is nothing to get excited about, and that there isn’t a whole lot of fun to be had. In the end players are going to realize that
there is only one word that can truly describe “Pirates: Duels on the High Seas,” boring.
The little bit of actual game that can be found here involves players moving their ship through a series of estuary sized waterways
picking up crates and destroying the occasional enemy boat or cannons that are able to be found along the way. Players will quickly
realize that dueling on the high seas is a part of the title that is extremely deceptive.
When it comes to the movement controls in the game, there is a little bit of awkwardness with turning being assigned to the D-pad and
forwards and backwards being done through the use of the left and right trigger buttons, respectively. Players are also able to fire a
variety of collectable weapons, such as rockets, directly ahead of themselves and broadside enemy vessels from the cannons on the
side of their own ship.
With the controls working the way that they do, it shouldn’t be any surprise that the combat in the game ends up being very clumsy.
Players will be turning circle after circle, firing their weapons when anything gets into range. However, players shouldn’t expect to use
any kind of sophisticated battle strategy in order to win any of the battles because one single tactic works on every level and skirmish
encountered in the game, shoot and keep shooting. Battles end up looking a lot like several dogs chasing their own tails, but with
cannons shooting in the process.
When players are able to destroy an enemy ship, there is a possibility that it may drop some cargo which could be anything from gold,
weapons or a castaway that is able to boost some of the capabilities of a player’s ship. These possible castaways consist of a
cartographer, shipwright, navigator or gunner and they can help to enhance the players ability to see more of the map in the game,
repair the player’s ship, increase the ship’s speed or boost the range of the player’s weapons. However, players don’t want to be
fooled into thinking that all of these extra features make the game play more enjoyable or tactical as they seem to feel weak and forced
into the game.
There is a Skirmish Mode in the game that can also be played over the Wi-Fi network but it suffers from even more basic design than in
the single player campaign. In essence, players have to circle each other while firing their cannons in an attempt to stay floating the
longest. It is all a little bit random and after two or three duels against friends, players will have worked through all of their multiplayer
possibilities.
The problem with “Pirates: Duels on the High Seas” is the fact that is was designed for a mobile handset, given that the game play is
obviously so limited, though that isn’t to criticize the mobile platform of gaming. However, the title was originally released for Nintendo’s
WiiWare channel, to a response so quiet that practically no one ever even heard of the game. So when it comes down to it, players are
essentially getting a very low budget title that has been revamped for the Nintendo DS for an increased price tag. This of course makes
the game a little less enticing, knowing that players will be paying more for a rework of a low quality title.
The one positive aspect of the game is that it is presented in a fairly quirky, comic book style with polished art design and comes with
some fairly high production values. As stated before, there really isn’t anything in the game that is wrong, but because of the fact that it
has a limited scope players would hope everything was sharpened to a reasonable standard. Sadly, “Pirates: Duels on the High Seas”
isn’t a lot of fun to play, and the price is a bit high for what players get. It is recommended that players steer clear of this disaster on the
seas.
that they make bad game look good. However, sometimes there are games that are so average that they in turn become a bad game.
One such game of this type is O-Games’ latest Nintendo DS release, “Pirates: Duels on the High Seas.” There are a lot of things in the
game that make it end up being extremely bland and boring, but in the end there really isn’t anything wrong with the game.
Mechanically, everything in the game works very well, but as a game concept, it is about as exciting as sitting and watching grass grow
on a warm summer day.
The problem with the game is the fact that it doesn’t offer the player anything more than a simple go out and collect objects style of
game play. It is a very tedious game and players will think that it is only the open to a more full and exciting game. Sadly, there isn’t
anything to look forward to and as the game continues to drag on from boring one boring level to the next and soon players start to
realize that it is nothing to get excited about, and that there isn’t a whole lot of fun to be had. In the end players are going to realize that
there is only one word that can truly describe “Pirates: Duels on the High Seas,” boring.
The little bit of actual game that can be found here involves players moving their ship through a series of estuary sized waterways
picking up crates and destroying the occasional enemy boat or cannons that are able to be found along the way. Players will quickly
realize that dueling on the high seas is a part of the title that is extremely deceptive.
When it comes to the movement controls in the game, there is a little bit of awkwardness with turning being assigned to the D-pad and
forwards and backwards being done through the use of the left and right trigger buttons, respectively. Players are also able to fire a
variety of collectable weapons, such as rockets, directly ahead of themselves and broadside enemy vessels from the cannons on the
side of their own ship.
With the controls working the way that they do, it shouldn’t be any surprise that the combat in the game ends up being very clumsy.
Players will be turning circle after circle, firing their weapons when anything gets into range. However, players shouldn’t expect to use
any kind of sophisticated battle strategy in order to win any of the battles because one single tactic works on every level and skirmish
encountered in the game, shoot and keep shooting. Battles end up looking a lot like several dogs chasing their own tails, but with
cannons shooting in the process.
When players are able to destroy an enemy ship, there is a possibility that it may drop some cargo which could be anything from gold,
weapons or a castaway that is able to boost some of the capabilities of a player’s ship. These possible castaways consist of a
cartographer, shipwright, navigator or gunner and they can help to enhance the players ability to see more of the map in the game,
repair the player’s ship, increase the ship’s speed or boost the range of the player’s weapons. However, players don’t want to be
fooled into thinking that all of these extra features make the game play more enjoyable or tactical as they seem to feel weak and forced
into the game.
There is a Skirmish Mode in the game that can also be played over the Wi-Fi network but it suffers from even more basic design than in
the single player campaign. In essence, players have to circle each other while firing their cannons in an attempt to stay floating the
longest. It is all a little bit random and after two or three duels against friends, players will have worked through all of their multiplayer
possibilities.
The problem with “Pirates: Duels on the High Seas” is the fact that is was designed for a mobile handset, given that the game play is
obviously so limited, though that isn’t to criticize the mobile platform of gaming. However, the title was originally released for Nintendo’s
WiiWare channel, to a response so quiet that practically no one ever even heard of the game. So when it comes down to it, players are
essentially getting a very low budget title that has been revamped for the Nintendo DS for an increased price tag. This of course makes
the game a little less enticing, knowing that players will be paying more for a rework of a low quality title.
The one positive aspect of the game is that it is presented in a fairly quirky, comic book style with polished art design and comes with
some fairly high production values. As stated before, there really isn’t anything in the game that is wrong, but because of the fact that it
has a limited scope players would hope everything was sharpened to a reasonable standard. Sadly, “Pirates: Duels on the High Seas”
isn’t a lot of fun to play, and the price is a bit high for what players get. It is recommended that players steer clear of this disaster on the
seas.
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