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Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves' excellent gameplay loop and compelling world make up for some minor issues. Rare still has work to do here, but this is a great start.
Sea of Thieves Game Cover

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Sea of Thieves Game Cover

About

Sea of Thieves is a single player and multiplayer open world simulation game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Rare and was released on March 20, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from critics.

Discover Sea of Thieves on the official PlayStation website. Begin your pirate adventure with game information, solo and multiplayer modes, screenshots, trailers and more.

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gameplay5 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions

  • Incredible visuals and water simulation create a stunning and immersive experience.
  • Fun multiplayer gameplay encourages teamwork and interaction with other players.
  • The game has a unique charm and potential for emergent storytelling in a pirate-themed world.
  • Lacks meaningful content and variety, often relying on repetitive fetch quests.
  • Progression feels shallow and unsatisfying, with limited rewards beyond cosmetics.
  • Combat systems are poorly designed, leading to frustration in both PvE and PvP encounters.
  • gameplay
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Sea of Thieves has evolved significantly, offering a mix of engaging sailing mechanics, cooperative play, and a variety of activities that enhance the overall experience. While some players find the core gameplay loop repetitive and lacking depth, the introduction of new systems and features has added layers of strategy and excitement, particularly in player-versus-player interactions and exploration. Overall, the game successfully captures the pirate fantasy, providing a visually stunning world that is best enjoyed with friends.

    • “Rare has spent two years building on the game's strong foundation with features, tools, and systems that improve the core gameplay. The newly added emissary system is a brilliant solution that incentivizes various play styles in smart ways. Ships of every size feel great to control, whether you're coordinating a galleon with three friends or soloing a sloop. Unlike at launch, there are now countless things to do, whether you want to fight other players, engage with 'tall tale' story missions, hunt skeleton fleets, or have any number of other adventures. The tension created by the possibility of being attacked at any moment has been enhanced by various new systems.”
    • “Sea of Thieves' excellent gameplay loop and compelling world make up for some minor issues.”
    • “It's a delight to steadily come to grips with the mechanics of the game too, whether that be how to outmaneuver enemy ships or sell your loot with quickened efficiency.”
    • “There just isn't enough content or depth here; its core gameplay is grinding repetitive fetch quests and not a whole lot else. The progression here just isn't fulfilling, and the fun factor depends on who you're playing with.”
    • “Desolate open-world; a lot more shallow than it appears. Where are all the sea monsters?! Achingly repetitive gameplay loop.”
    • “The gameplay loop quickly becomes monotonous, lacking variety and depth, making it hard to stay engaged for long periods.”
  • story
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story aspect of "Sea of Thieves" showcases a vibrant world with potential for emergent storytelling, yet many players feel it lacks depth and variety, leading to repetitive gameplay centered around fetch quests. While recent updates have introduced new features and missions, the overall narrative experience remains limited, leaving some players unfulfilled and questioning the game's long-term engagement.

    • “The most beautiful video game sea you’ll ever see, emergent storytelling at its greatest.”
    • “Rare has spent two years building on the game's strong foundation with features, tools, and systems that improve the core gameplay. The newly added emissary system is a brilliant solution that incentivizes various play styles in smart ways. Ships of every size feel great to control, whether you're coordinating a galleon with three friends or soloing a sloop. Unlike at launch, there are now countless things to do, whether you want to fight other players, engage with 'tall tale' story missions, hunt skeleton fleets, or have any number of other adventures. The tension created by the possibility of being attacked at any moment has been enhanced by various new systems.”
    • “Sea of Thieves is bursting with potential for storytelling in a watery paradise, but doesn’t have enough to keep players coming back.”
    • “There just isn't enough content or depth here; its core gameplay is grinding repetitive fetch quests and not a whole lot else. The progression here just isn't fulfilling, and the fun factor depends on who you're playing with.”
    • “There is no quest variety, not much to see or do, and no reason to keep playing.”
  • graphics
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their fantastic visuals, superb animation, and unique charm, creating an amazing playground for players. However, some users feel that the world lacks content and features, leading to a sense of emptiness despite the beautiful aesthetics.

    • “Amazing playground, superb visuals and animation.”
    • “Beautiful visuals, great teamwork.”
    • “While the graphics are fantastic and the game has a unique charm, ultimately the world feels empty, devoid of content and features.”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in "Sea of Thieves" continues to shine, providing players with hilariously fun high-seas adventures that are best enjoyed with friends. The recent PlayStation 5 port has expanded the player base, enhancing the comedic experience for even more participants.

    • “Even after six years, Sea of Thieves remains a great time with friends, and now, with the PlayStation 5 port, even more friends can join in the hilariously fun high-seas adventures.”
    • “The humor in this game is top-notch, with witty dialogue and hilarious situations that keep you laughing throughout your journey.”
    • “Every encounter in the game is filled with unexpected comedic moments that make even the most intense battles feel light-hearted and fun.”
  • stability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has been criticized due to a buggy launch and inadequate social controls, leading to a less than polished experience for players.

    • “The game launched with half-baked social controls and numerous bugs.”
    • “Stability issues plagued the experience from the very beginning.”
    • “Frequent crashes and glitches made it nearly unplayable at times.”
  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be repetitive and unfulfilling, primarily revolving around monotonous fetch quests with limited content and depth. The enjoyment of the grinding experience seems to heavily rely on the social aspect of playing with others.

    • “There just isn't enough content or depth here; its core gameplay is grinding repetitive fetch quests and not a whole lot else. The progression here just isn't fulfilling, and the fun factor depends on who you're playing with.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
    • “I found myself doing the same tasks over and over again, which made the experience feel more like a chore than a game.”
  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is characterized as enjoyable, particularly when played with friends, and is enhanced by impressive water effects that contribute to a fun and engaging mood.

    • “Fitfully enjoyable with three friends.”
    • “Best-of-class water effects.”
    • “Fun atmosphere and mood.”
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Frequently Asked Questions

Sea of Thieves is a open world simulation game with fantasy theme.

Sea of Thieves is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

Sea of Thieves was released on March 20, 2018.

Sea of Thieves was developed by Rare.

Sea of Thieves has received mostly positive reviews from critics.

Sea of Thieves is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Sailwind, Sea of Thieves, Revenge of Black Bone, Terror of the Seven Seas, Forgotten Seas and others.