Re: Pirates XBOX
From the IGN review
Kinda a long read but it goes over the differences and the taken out/added content.
Originally posted by caseyd
Thanks for the info Vinny. What was cut? I think I heard something about the sailing not taking as long, but that was about it.
Kinda a long read but it goes over the differences and the taken out/added content.
Originally posted by IGN
Xbox-ified
Re-forming the PC version into a console game, Firaxis has deleted some things and added some to make the Xbox version right for the console. The content of Pirates is almost entirely the same as the PC, and most changes, ranging from visual improvements, streamlining alterations, and mini-game balancing, make the game faster, a touch easier in parts, but mostly, they result in an equal, balanced and smartly targeted Xbox version.
Some changes are just plain smart, making better sense for the Xbox and its controller. 1) Basic ship battles use an arched red arrow that points to an enemy vessel to attack.2) Xbox users won't notice this, but the game map was snipped nearly in half. This simply means you'll get from point A to point B much faster than before. 3) The ability to wander around on land has been deleted. Thus, searching for treasure results in either two menu screens -- you found it! Or, you didn't. The reward for finding treasure is still just as fun and fulfilling, and I don't miss the wandering all that much, but finding treasure is now more trial and error, Fancy that, treasure hunting being trial and error.
The most significant changes from the PC version occur in 5) attacking ships with large inequities of pirates, and 6) maneuvering through towns. When attacking an enemy ship with a much larger crew a new mini-game has been added to balance out the numbers. The Simon-Says mini-game accompanies interactive cutscenes and brings the crew numbers more or less in line with one another. The morale of your crew is determined by your success or failure in Pirates, and the digits above your sword icon drop if you perform poorly or stay stable if you do well.
<!--start image table -->Sneaking into town is shown from a close, rather crude third-person perspective, which is better than the PC version, yet isn't without its weaknesses. You can hide behind hay stacks, struggle with guards, or stealth attack them. It's all very basic, leaving you wishing for a slightly more flexible camera and even a real fighting system, but each of the many sections of the game leave you with the same feeling. They work well enough, and they provide enough gaming stuff to get the job done. In Pirates, it's not the depth of the mini-games that's so fun; it's the breadth of games and the intricate balance of their sum total that puts you under its spell.
Reconfigured for console gamers is the Montalban Quest. While Pirates remains open-ended, players who like a more direct approach can always head to the Mysterious Stranger (found in the taverns) to get a new quest leading to Montalban. He's the guy who kidnapped your family and ruined your life by the way, so you'll really want to capture him. The Mysterious Stranger's regular appearance, and the addition of a map as a visual aid, help focus gamers on a relatively linear set of goals amidst the very non-linear play.
The addition of unlockable bonus content is a big plus. Players can perform a range of feats, such as finding all four lost cities to sinking 100 enemy ships, resulting in earning bonus credits. These credits can then be used to unlock concept drawings, sketches, paintings, renders, and behind-the-scenes videos of the team and the making of the game.
Lastly, Firaxis added a one- to four-player, offline ship-battle game. You can play against computer AI or humans; sadly, only a few ship types are available, while fighting techniques such as ramming, the use of power-ups (attack, defense, and speed), in addition to a slew of maps, create a very fun multiplayer scenario. You can compare victories with a complete statistics page, while on Xbox Live, you can compare your final, retired achievements with anyone else. 2K Games says downloadable content is on the way, but we'll have to wait and see what it is.
Re-forming the PC version into a console game, Firaxis has deleted some things and added some to make the Xbox version right for the console. The content of Pirates is almost entirely the same as the PC, and most changes, ranging from visual improvements, streamlining alterations, and mini-game balancing, make the game faster, a touch easier in parts, but mostly, they result in an equal, balanced and smartly targeted Xbox version.
Some changes are just plain smart, making better sense for the Xbox and its controller. 1) Basic ship battles use an arched red arrow that points to an enemy vessel to attack.2) Xbox users won't notice this, but the game map was snipped nearly in half. This simply means you'll get from point A to point B much faster than before. 3) The ability to wander around on land has been deleted. Thus, searching for treasure results in either two menu screens -- you found it! Or, you didn't. The reward for finding treasure is still just as fun and fulfilling, and I don't miss the wandering all that much, but finding treasure is now more trial and error, Fancy that, treasure hunting being trial and error.
The most significant changes from the PC version occur in 5) attacking ships with large inequities of pirates, and 6) maneuvering through towns. When attacking an enemy ship with a much larger crew a new mini-game has been added to balance out the numbers. The Simon-Says mini-game accompanies interactive cutscenes and brings the crew numbers more or less in line with one another. The morale of your crew is determined by your success or failure in Pirates, and the digits above your sword icon drop if you perform poorly or stay stable if you do well.
<!--start image table -->Sneaking into town is shown from a close, rather crude third-person perspective, which is better than the PC version, yet isn't without its weaknesses. You can hide behind hay stacks, struggle with guards, or stealth attack them. It's all very basic, leaving you wishing for a slightly more flexible camera and even a real fighting system, but each of the many sections of the game leave you with the same feeling. They work well enough, and they provide enough gaming stuff to get the job done. In Pirates, it's not the depth of the mini-games that's so fun; it's the breadth of games and the intricate balance of their sum total that puts you under its spell.
Reconfigured for console gamers is the Montalban Quest. While Pirates remains open-ended, players who like a more direct approach can always head to the Mysterious Stranger (found in the taverns) to get a new quest leading to Montalban. He's the guy who kidnapped your family and ruined your life by the way, so you'll really want to capture him. The Mysterious Stranger's regular appearance, and the addition of a map as a visual aid, help focus gamers on a relatively linear set of goals amidst the very non-linear play.
The addition of unlockable bonus content is a big plus. Players can perform a range of feats, such as finding all four lost cities to sinking 100 enemy ships, resulting in earning bonus credits. These credits can then be used to unlock concept drawings, sketches, paintings, renders, and behind-the-scenes videos of the team and the making of the game.
Lastly, Firaxis added a one- to four-player, offline ship-battle game. You can play against computer AI or humans; sadly, only a few ship types are available, while fighting techniques such as ramming, the use of power-ups (attack, defense, and speed), in addition to a slew of maps, create a very fun multiplayer scenario. You can compare victories with a complete statistics page, while on Xbox Live, you can compare your final, retired achievements with anyone else. 2K Games says downloadable content is on the way, but we'll have to wait and see what it is.
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