Pirate's Battle Review
iPad App
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Pirate's Battle Review

Our Review by Timothy Smith on March 30th, 2011
Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: ARRGH!
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Sail the high seas in this multiplayer pirate romp, but beware of rough waters, giant squids, and tide turning power-ups.

Developer: Seed Studio

Price: $2.99
Version: 1.0
App Reviewed on: iPad

Graphics / Sound Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
User Interface Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar
Gameplay Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Re-use / Replay Value Rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar

Overall Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar

Arrgh, Matey! Sorry, but I had to do it. Pirates are just plain awesome, and games featuring pirates are awesome by default. Seed Studio must know this because their games are about... you guessed it, pirates. I'm talking about the swashbuckling, hat wearing seafarers, of course; why would anyone want to play a game about illegal downloading? Pirate's Battle isn't a true to life pirate adventure, but more of a quick and dirty sailor's brawl. It features co-op, versus, and single player modes, and a plethora of battle maps and difficulty settings.

In Pirate's Battle you man one of 4 unique ships from a bird's eye view perspective. Each ship has its own set of stats that dictate how fast it is or how much damage it can do, and if you claim enough victories in battle the ships are upgraded. In addition to these permanent upgrades, there are several power-ups that wash out into the ocean to provide temporary perks. The game has clean graphics that boast vibrant colors, and some catchy tunes that might have you humming.

I found the single player to be a little tough, but it did give me an opportunity to try out the three different control methods available. It also preps you for the relentless onslaught of multiplayer fun (provided you have some friends or family to share with). After choosing your ship you are given the option to use a sliding lever, arrow buttons, or a classic ship wheel. I tried all three and I heavily prefer the sliding lever. Be warned though, controlling your vessel in Pirate's Battle is decidedly tricky no matter which method you choose. Your canons fire from the sides of your ship, and the turning radius on these ye old ships can be a doozy. Half the fun of the game is mastering your preferred ship's handling capabilities though. The single player starts out by putting you up against a few light weight ships, but it quickly ramps up with hazardous waters (whirlpools and coral reefs) and giant bosses (all hail the squid).

As with most games designed to take advantage of same system multiplayer, Pirate's Battle doesn't fail to deliver a fun social experience. The co-op game allows you to join forces with up to four ships and take out some of the more challenging bosses and levels, and the versus mode provides some really competitive scenarios. As I mentioned before the control methods and ship physics will definitely have you on the edge of your seat when you're trying to out maneuver your friends' ships. The power-ups provided a random chance aspect that changed the odds of each battle without being poorly balanced.

The game is a fairly fresh offering in the app store as I haven't played anything quite like it. Some might complain about its slower pace, but I can imagine real pirate warfare wasn't very peppy either. Overall, Seed Studio is off to a nice start with Pirate's Battle. I would love to see more playable ships and some extra game modes or minigames, but the package as a whole is still a great offering if you love playing same system multiplayer.

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iPad Screenshots

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Pirate's Battle screenshot 1 Pirate's Battle screenshot 2 Pirate's Battle screenshot 3 Pirate's Battle screenshot 4 Pirate's Battle screenshot 5
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