Sea Dogs: City of Abandoned Ships
- November 2, 2018
- Akella
- 3h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Sea Dogs: City of Abandoned Ships," become a feared pirate or loyal navy captain, sailing the high seas to explore, raid, and plunder. Solve ancient mysteries, cross swords with notorious pirates, and choose from 3 characters and classes in this swashbuckling adventure. Myth and reality intertwine in the dark jungles of South America.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a deep and immersive pirate RPG experience with a vast open world and plenty of quests.
- Despite its age, the game still holds up well and provides a lot of fun, especially with community mods like 'Gentlemen of Fortune' that enhance gameplay.
- Players appreciate the challenging gameplay and the freedom to choose their path as a pirate, privateer, or merchant.
- The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including frequent crashes and bugs that can hinder progress.
- It lacks a proper tutorial and has a clunky interface, making it difficult for new players to learn the mechanics.
- Graphics and overall design feel dated, which may deter players looking for a more polished experience.
- story17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is criticized for its poor execution, with many players experiencing bugs that hinder quest completion and a lack of engaging narrative. While there is a wide variety of quests and opportunities for exploration, the overall writing and quest design are deemed subpar, leading to frustration and a feeling of disconnection from the story. Players recommend using guides to navigate the complex and often unintuitive quest system, as the game lacks a proper tutorial and has a steep learning curve.
“And just when I thought I'd seen all the game had to offer, I discovered I hadn't even started any of the main quest lines!”
“What I like to do the most in this game is to do unique missions, nation questlines, and capture colonies under the name of the nation I represent.”
“There are small and repetitive missions and unique, big and important quests which you can only do once, but they are rewarding.”
“This game is not 'good.' It has an extremely high learning curve, no tutorial, a clunky interface, poorly laid out and unintuitive quest objectives, sub-par writing, semi-frequent crashes, and is heavily dependent on the community 'combined mod' to smooth out its rough edges.”
“My back and forth was useless; the story advanced and concluded without me, despite me, and without showing me anything.”
“Dated graphics, swordplay takes forever, ships move slow, story not interesting, almost no voice acting...”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered improved over its predecessor, featuring a better engine and more historically accurate ships, but they still fall short of modern standards. While some players find the visuals acceptable, others describe them as dated and unappealing, suggesting that the game may benefit from a remake or modern enhancements. Overall, the graphics are seen as a secondary concern for those who prioritize gameplay and the pirate theme.
“It's a much expanded-on Pirates of the Caribbean game by Akella from 2003, featuring a better graphics engine, improved physics, more ships, a different (realistic) map, and more of everything else.”
“This is a very fun game, and I hope it gets a remake or another installment with modern quality of life and graphics.”
“Similar concept, only better graphics and historically accurate ships.”
“Dated graphics, swordplay takes forever, ships move slow, story not interesting, almost no voice acting...”
“Their older game (Pirates of the Caribbean) is far better in terms of gameplay, design, and graphics.”
“The graphics are acceptable, but some folks will certainly find it unappetizing.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its realism and engaging mechanics, despite some outdated visuals and occasional clunkiness. Longtime fans recommend it highly for those interested in naval supremacy games with role-playing elements, emphasizing that their limited recorded playtime does not reflect their extensive experience with the game.
“I used to have a disc of this game somewhere, and it was my favorite. I liked the realism it had for the time, and the mechanics of the game just awed me.”
“I can wholeheartedly recommend this game to anyone who wishes to play a naval supremacy game with RPG mechanics.”
“It might look old and at times play a little clunky, but gameplay-wise it's great.”
“Btw, never mind the 0.3 hours of gameplay I have on Steam; I have been playing this game since 2009.”
“Also, Steam records me having 36 minutes of gameplay.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game experiences frequent freezes and crashes, leading users to recommend using quicksave often. Despite these stability issues, many players find it enjoyable and consider it one of their favorite pirate games.
“Freezes too much.”
“Sometimes buggy, and crashes quite a lot, so use quicksave frequently.”
“Although buggy, it is a lot of fun.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive Caribbean setting, which captivates players and enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the depth and freedom within this environment, contributing to a sense of fun and engagement that keeps players enthralled.
“The atmosphere of the Caribbean era here is probably the main point of the game; it's so engrossing that I literally lost myself in it the first time I played.”
“As mentioned, great depth, tons of freedom, fun, and atmosphere ooze out of this one.”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the game's original soundtrack repetitive and suggest enhancing the experience by modifying files or using mods, with some opting to add their own music for a more personalized feel.
“The music in this game is incredibly repetitive, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
“I had to add my own songs to the game to escape the dull soundtrack.”
“The original soundtrack feels outdated and lacks variety, which detracts from the overall gameplay.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability due to its four distinct nations, each featuring unique questlines and territories that provide players with varied experiences on subsequent playthroughs.
“High replayability: Four nations with different questlines and territories offer unique experiences.”
“The game encourages multiple playthroughs with its diverse character choices and branching storylines.”
“Each playthrough feels fresh due to the random events and varying outcomes based on player decisions.”
