It’s probably, probably too soon to elevate Seven Seas: Adventures by labeling it a “spiritual successor” to Sid Meier’s Pirates!, often hailed as the most enjoyable pirate game ever created, but I must say, I experimented with its recent Steam Next Fest demo and it truly does fulfill a specific craving.
Sid Meier’s Pirates is clearly a “huge influence” for the developer Theory Games, and although I cherish Sid Meier’s Pirates!, I approached the Seven Seas demo with some hesitation. I’ve always considered the 2004 Pirates remake inviolable and nearly as entertaining as one could ever get, so the notion of a follow-up didn’t resonate strongly with me. That said, Seven Seas is not actually a sequel, remake, or remaster, nor is it closely related to Sid Meier’s Pirates; it undoubtedly adheres to a similar formula, yet it unfolds in its own distinct world and narrates a different, albeit similarly open-ended, story.
To be fair, I believe Seven Seas’ art style is what persuaded me to give it a try. Unlike Sid Meier’s vibrant cartoonish color scheme, Seven Seas features a much more subdued and refined look, showcasing a painterly aesthetic with rich, vivid colors, detailed textures, and stunning clouds. I mean, just take a look at this:
Nevertheless, games like this, of which there are not many, aren’t solely centered around the narrative or visuals, they focus on player freedom, agency, and the consequences that come with that. You have an open-world sandbox you navigate to travel between ports, and at these ports, there are numerous establishments driving a robust and fluctuating in-game economy. In Sid Meier’s Pirates!, you can maintain your nobility by choosing to amass wealth solely through legitimate trade, or alternatively, you can fully embrace a life of piracy by plundering the seas, attacking ships, and seizing cities. You can also combine both playstyles, with the world reacting to your decisions accordingly.
This approach is very much retained in Seven Seas, providing you with various options when encountering different vessels at sea and when docking at ports. Its character creator allows you to select a Culture to identify with, though the demo restricts you to Britain, and asks you to choose a Family and Profession from a list that includes Governor, Navigator, Merchant, Surgeon, Farmer, Carpenter, Master Gunner, Captain, Musician, and Cook. These do not constrain your gameplay choices, but they do determine your primary questline and provide some valuable perks, so you’ll want to shape your character to align with your preferred playstyle.
With only a limited time within the demo, I aimed to get my money’s worth, so I haphazardly crafted my character, rushed through the initial few quests, played some blackjack at the tavern, attempted and failed to sink a ship, tried and managed to sink another ship, and then endeavored far too soon to take over a city. It didn’t go well.
Seven Seas is still in Alpha, and I’ve only experienced the demo, which means this review is by no means exhaustive. However, what I experienced felt like a Sid Meier’s Pirates-like experience and a potentially significant one. Naval battles