Port Royale 3

It might not be the best game ever made, but it does take up a lot of your time.

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Port Royale 3: Pirates & Merchants is the third installment to the business simulation game Port Royale: Gold, Power and Pirates and Port Royale 2. It is set in the Caribbean during the 16th and 17th centuries. Created by Kalypso Media which founded Gaming Minds Studios in 2009 after Ascaron Entertainment went bankrupt, it combines a business simulator with real-time battles and towns that can be …

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Reviews

58%

Audience ScoreBased on 535 reviews

story11 positive mentions

grinding11 negative mentions

Engaging trading mechanics that allow players to build and manage their own trading empire.
Nostalgic appeal for fans of the series, with a mix of trading, naval combat, and city building.
Customizable controls and the ability to automate trade routes enhance gameplay experience.

Combat mechanics are clunky and often frustrating, leading to reliance on auto-resolve.
The game feels dated and lacks modern features, making it difficult to recommend over newer titles.
Technical issues and bugs, including broken achievements and crashes, detract from the overall experience.

story
50 mentions
22 % positive mentions
72 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered generic and lacking depth, with some players noting that it feels contrived and repetitive. While there are campaigns and side quests that provide a basic narrative framework, many reviewers express disappointment in the execution, citing bugs and mission glitches that hinder progression. However, some players appreciate the engaging elements of the storyline and the fun of trading and naval combat, suggesting that the game has potential despite its flaws.
- “Port Royale 3 is an epic story of European powers' expansion to the Caribbean islands and the southern U.S.”
- “The story is well done and similar to the one in Grand Ages: Medieval.”
- “Yeah, the voice acting, plot, and story are all very good, but this is now very dated, and the controls are very simple, akin almost to a mobile game.”
- “The story seems contrived and a little pointless.”
- “The main campaign is impossible to advance; it bugs almost every quest for some reason, and I don't expect this to be fixed.”
- “It was really fun and great, just the kind of game I was looking for, except that I can't even continue on with the story because of a glitch with the takeover Cayman quest.”
gameplay
49 mentions
27 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its lack of depth, poor mechanics, and a confusing user interface. While some appreciate the trading and economy systems, they feel that the overall experience is marred by simplistic mechanics and a lack of strategic options, particularly in battles. Despite its appealing graphics and potential for enjoyment, many players suggest that the game feels rushed and incomplete, often recommending other titles for a more engaging experience.
- “The trading and economy mechanics are easy to learn, yet still decently complex.”
- “Beautiful graphics, great music, addictive gameplay.”
- “Outstanding and versatile strategy game, pretty much impossible to run out of gameplay if you're doing it right.”
- “Ultimately, despite trying out the different gameplays, there just isn't any depth to this game whatsoever.”
- “You can tell the developers rushed through it and didn't flesh out the game nearly enough, as evident in game mechanics that make absolutely no sense. For example, if a town of yours is under attack, not only can you not assist it with any outside fleets coming to the rescue, but any fleets already in town don't actually contribute to the defense, which makes no sense. (Yes, I know they added that as DLC later, but come on, making us buy DLC expansion to fix that is just greedy.)”
- “The confusing fighting mechanics and the limit to three ships on each side in the battle is evidence of the shortcuts the developers of this game were taking.”
graphics
49 mentions
45 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the improvements over its predecessor, Port Royale 2, and noting that they are quite good for a game released in 2012. However, some players express disappointment with the overall aesthetic and user interface, describing certain elements as ugly or confusing. While the graphics are generally considered a highlight, some users feel that the focus on visuals has come at the expense of gameplay depth and mechanics.
- “The graphics in the game are quite good for its time and the gameplay is quite enjoyable.”
- “Graphics are outstanding for a game made in 2012.”
- “Beautiful graphics, great music, addictive gameplay.”
- “The game's graphics seem to me as all the developers appear to concentrate on.”
- “They took Port Royale 2 and removed mechanics, added nothing new, and upgraded the graphics.”
- “Given what I know about the previous games in the series, while having upgraded graphics, seems to have downgraded gameplay in exchange.”
grinding
11 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while some players find the trading and mission optimization enjoyable and relaxing, others describe it as tedious and overly simplistic, leading to a lack of real conflict. The intricate business management can be appealing for strategy enthusiasts, but many users express frustration with the repetitive nature and clunky mechanics, which can detract from the overall experience.
- “The trade system is dull to the point of tediousness.”
- “Too easy and turns into an idle game without any real conflict besides tediously hunting down pirates.”
- “The business management part of the game is fairly intricate and grindy.”
optimization
7 mentions
29 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
57 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is notably poor, with users reporting significant stuttering, especially on AMD GPUs, and frequent black screen flashes that hinder gameplay. It lacks support for modern gaming features and has not been updated to run smoothly on contemporary hardware, leading to a frustrating experience despite the nostalgic appeal. Overall, the optimization issues make the game nearly unplayable for many players.
- “If you're the type of player that likes to have a second computer nearby for optimization, you will absolutely love this game.”
- “There are always supply chains and trade routes to be optimized.”
- “The game is nice but unfortunately, if you have an AMD GPU like me, you'll get some really bad stuttering every few seconds. It doesn't seem to matter how powerful the card is (R9 395X2) or the graphic setting you choose.”
- “You'll get stuttering, and every couple of minutes the screen will flash black, essentially making the game unplayable. It's a real bummer because I still remember playing Port Royale 2 on my father's laptop and loving it, so I was really excited to play the third iteration. Plus, there really isn't a modern alternative to Port Royale.”
- “Lots of loading between maps and towns, poor controls, poor performance, and re-skinned Patrician 4 trading.”
replayability
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers high replayability, particularly in its multiplayer and single-player modes, appealing to strategy enthusiasts. However, some players feel that the limited map options diminish its long-term replay value, despite features like randomized goods in freeplay mode enhancing variety.
- “Excellent strategic game of exploration, a bit dated, but fun and high replayability.”
- “Pretty graphics, lots of replay value.”
- “Whether teaming up with my friends for some multiplayer, or simply losing a whole night of sleep to the game’s endlessly replayable single player, this is one game that any strategy enthusiast, or, hell anyone strat-curious should check out.”
- “The option to randomize goods produced in cities in freeplay mode adds a little more replayability.”
- “Pretty graphics, but the replay value is lacking.”
music
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall experience, complementing the engaging gameplay and impressive graphics. While some users note that there may not be as much content as in previous titles, the background music remains a highlight that adds to the game's atmosphere.
- “Music enhances the game in the background, sound effects are entertaining, and the graphics are good.”
- “Beautiful graphics, great music, addictive gameplay.”
- “The graphics are the best; I cannot emphasize how good they are, and the music is very beautiful.”
stability
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting frequent freezes and glitches, particularly during card gameplay, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, some players still find enjoyment in the game, indicating that the aesthetic and gameplay elements may partially compensate for the instability.
- “The game often freezes when I go to play cards (perhaps it is a message not to gamble).”
- “It is such a beautiful game, but the enjoyment is totally wrecked by these glitches and nonsensical mechanics.”
- “Despite starting to play a buggy and unstable release, I really enjoyed it.”
humor
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark comedy and absurdity, particularly evident in the amusing portrayal of battles where seamen comically fall overboard. Additionally, the economic and trade elements are highlighted as hilariously entertaining, contributing to the overall comedic tone of the pirate-themed experience.
- “The battles are hilarious with the pirates!”
- “The economy and trade aspects are funny as hell.”
- “It's a funny and morbid twist when seamen fall into the sea during battles.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its wholesome and enjoyable emotional experience, blending elements of trade, naval battles, and resource management to create a feel-good atmosphere.