Pirates! Gold Plus

About

Set sail in the golden age of piracy in "Pirates! Gold Plus." As a daring pirate captain, explore the Caribbean, engage in ship-to-ship combat, and trade with colonies in a quest for wealth and fame. Navigate treacherous political waters, complete missions, and even become a privateer or pirate hunter in this open-world classic adventure game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

57%

Audience ScoreBased on 115 reviews

emotional2 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game is a nostalgic throwback to the original 1987 version, providing a fun and open-ended experience that many players remember fondly.
Players appreciate the game's ability to teach about Caribbean geography and history while offering a mix of adventure, economics, and politics.
With some configuration adjustments in DOSBox, players have found the game enjoyable and addictive, allowing for creative gameplay and exploration.

Many players report that the controls are laggy and unresponsive, making the game nearly unplayable, especially during critical moments like ship battles.
The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including crashes and bugs that disrupt gameplay, leading to frustration among users.
The lack of proper copy protection and configuration guidance has left some players feeling misled and disappointed with their purchase.

music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The music in the game is widely praised for its classical compositions that enhance the nostalgic experience of exploring towns and navigating waters. While some users initially faced performance issues with music playback, recent fixes have improved the overall experience, allowing for smoother integration with gameplay. However, a few players still report lag and freezing, indicating that performance can vary.
- “With the timeframe, a backdrop of classical music parades through your PC speaker (or Tandy) as you explore towns and navigate dangerous waters.”
- “It seems that the issues that others were having with DOSBox have now been fixed - the music plays normally and the ships move at the appropriate speed.”
- “It caused the music to get messed up and the game to run awfully.”
- “Music and play are laggy, freezes a ton, etc. Just poor performance.”
- “The music and layout have such a nostalgically fulfilling aspect to it.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized, with many reviewers describing them as subpar and a poor conversion from the original. While the visuals and sound design may suffice for a DOS game, they fall short for players seeking modern HD graphics and a compelling storyline. Overall, those looking for a polished graphical experience are advised to seek out newer versions of pirate simulations.
- “If you want a pirate sim that lets you upgrade your ship, build specialty crew members, have tactics with different cannon shots for combat, has cute graphics for combat, and a better story focus for finding your lost family, then I say get the newer version.”
- “The graphics and sound design get the job done for a DOS game.”
- “Everything is here; only the graphics suffer from the conversion.”
- “This is not Sid Meier's game but a cheap rendition; they sure did a terrible job on the graphics.”
- “Everything is here, only the graphics suffer from the conversion.”
- “If you're looking for HD graphics and a great storyline, sadly you are looking in the wrong place.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
Gameplay is significantly hindered by bugs, which detract from the overall experience. While the mechanics of ship combat and town attacks are present, some players find them less enjoyable compared to the 2004 remake of Sid Meier's Pirates, which, despite its own shortcomings, is preferred by some for its overall execution.
- “You will also fire at ships and attempt to board them, a similar mechanic has you attacking towns.”
- “It is not noticeable in gameplay, but it has some serious effects.”
- “The bugs ruin gameplay.”
- “If you never played pirates before, go for the 2004 remake of Sid Meier's Pirates. The gameplay of the remake is pretty much the same, not as good as this version though; some things got left out or worsened, but I personally prefer the remake to this version.”
- “You will also fire at ships and attempt to board them; a similar mechanic has you attacking towns, and I'm not a fan of this.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
Users report significant optimization issues, noting that even on modern midrange gaming laptops, performance is drastically worse than on older systems. Many experience lag, freezes, and overall poor performance, contradicting expectations based on hardware advancements.
- “This computer is literally hundreds of times faster than the original PC I played this on, and yet performance is so much worse... this version of the game defies Moore's Law.”
- “This computer is literally hundreds of times faster than the original PC I played this on, and yet performance is so much worse... this version of the game dumps Moore's law on its head.”
- “Music and gameplay are laggy, freeze a ton, etc. Just poor performance.”
- “On my midrange, modern gaming laptop, the cycles for optimum performance for me are 10,000.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The story in this game is criticized as weak and simplistic, primarily revolving around the quest to find relatives. Players seeking a compelling narrative or high-quality graphics may be disappointed, with suggestions to explore newer versions for a better story experience.
- “And there is a (crappy) storyline here: find your relatives.”
- “If you want a pirate sim that lets you upgrade your ship, build specialty crew members, have tactics with different cannon shots for combat, has cute graphics for combat, and a better story focus for finding your lost family, then I say get the newer version.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The Mac version of the game on Steam is reported to be plagued by significant stability issues, including frequent bugs, laggy music, and performance freezes, leading to a frustrating experience for players.
- “Trying to play the version for Mac through Steam is completely bug-ridden.”
- “Music and gameplay are laggy, freezing a ton; it's just poor performance.”
- “The game is plagued with bugs and stability issues on the Mac version.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as deeply impactful, with users expressing a sense of heartbreak due to its potential being hindered by functionality issues. Despite these setbacks, the game's quality shines through, evoking strong feelings from players.
- “It's heartbreaking, because it's a great game when fully functional.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Replayability is considered average, with many players feeling satisfied after approximately 8 hours of gameplay, suggesting that the game may not offer enough variety or incentive for extended play.
- “Replayability is okay, but after about 8 hours, I've had my fill.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game incorporates humor through its clever anti-piracy feature, which includes a whimsical design of pirate flags and names throughout the instruction manual, adding an ironic twist to the theme of piracy.
- “This game was designed with an anti-piracy feature (I know, ironically funny) where each page of the instruction manual had a pirate's flag on it with a real pirate's name.”