Developer: Fabled Games
Publishers: Fabled Games, BlueStacks
Platform: PC, iOS, Android
Tested on: PC
Pirates Outlaws – Review
Arr matey! Strategically sail through the open seas by building an impressive deck and become a reputed pirate in the easy-to-play roguelike card game, Pirates Outlaws. This game is massively inspired by Slay the Spire but instead of spires, you will be encountering scurvy pirates.
Pirates Outlaws does not rely on a big story but instead, the game heavily plays into the pirates’ theme by integrating recognizable elements of the theme such as sailing through the open seas visiting mysterious islands or shifty taverns and fighting with old-fashioned weapons such as cannons and swords.
While a backstory is not that necessary in a deck-building game, Pirates Outlaws does feel like it’s missing something. Who are those “heroes” we can choose from to play as our main character? What’s our purpose sailing around the open seas? And why is everyone out to get us??
Pirates Outlaws does pleasantly surprise you with little choose-your-own-path stories (events) that you can encounter at mysterious islands. This gives the player a nice change and a little extra gameplay between the battles and shops.
Graphics
There is something about the simplicity of the visual graphics that makes the game very charming. The game is mostly made out of a 2-dimensional art style, solely existing out of colors that complement each other, also creating shadows and depth. Accompanied by a fun pirates-esque font, the visuals are pleasant to look at, making the game much more enjoyable to play.
Unfortunately, Pirates Outlaws does lack animation which makes the game feel fairly static. There are subtle animations present in the game but it does not necessarily add value to the user experience. It’s not always clear what is interactable on the screen, such as buttons and the cards. Simple animations to the cursor or objects when hovering over it would make a huge difference in gameplay.
Sound
No pirate-themed game can go without the epic tunes of lutes, flutes, and drums. And that’s what the developers of Pirates Outlaws also thought because the game definitely does not fall short in its sound department. While you are sailing the seas and battling pirate scum, the player is accompanied by a powerful, pirate-y soundtrack. It’s a delightful sound that brings the ambiance of the theme to the next level.
Gameplay
Pirates Outlaws is fairly simple and easy to play. The game is a basic roguelike, turn-based, deck-building card game. You have to choose your cards strategically to fight against your enemies to get to the top.
The game is made out of two game modes: manage your expedition and navigate through the open seas to discover and battle pirate outlaws that stand on your path or fight in the arena if you feel like a champion in need of a challenge.
The navigation mode consists of many chapters – with different difficulties – that are to be unlocked by earning coins that you earn after defeating enemies in combat. The player starts off with a pre-made deck, some action points, and full health. To proceed and complete the stage/map you will need to follow the path and sail from island to island which will cost you action points. These Action Points (AP) can be replenished in the taverns/markets you find along the way. The taverns/markets can also be used to buy more cards or even upgrade your current deck. The stage ends when you are defeated or come out of it victorious. The player will then be rewarded with various items, coins, and reputation. Get enough reputation and the player can unlock more content.
Battling enemies is simple. The battles are turn-based and on every turn, the player gets five cards that can be used to attack, boost your offense and defense, or replenish ammo. After that, the remaining card goes to the discard pile and you will get new cards from your deck on the next turn. When the draw pile is empty, the discard pile gets shuffled and added to you draw pile so you will never be without cards. The only thing that players need to do is strategically choose what cards are the best to use on each turn. But don’t get too cocky, it seems easy at first but if you do not upgrade the right cards or buy more powerful cards soon, you will be The Kraken’s dinner in no time.
Conclusion
Pirates Outlaws is an enjoyable and entertaining deck-building card game that is easy to play for anyone. The game is recommendable to players who want to get into turn-based card games but don’t know where to start. The gameplay is not complicated and there’s sufficient guidance to help you through the game. If you like a pirate-y ambiance, Pirates Outlaws has a great theme and soundtrack that gives the player a very pleasant game experience. Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate outlaws’ life for me!
Pirates Outlaws – Review,
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[…] reviewed Fabled Games’ roguelike deckbuilder Pirates Outlaws. You can read said review here, to see we gave it a pretty good score! Today we’re happy to announce console players can […]
[…] though. Pirates Outlaws released back in 2019 and we already had a little peek at the game right here. Since then, many patches and updates have been released that added new content to the game. And […]