Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves has managed to successfully steer a course through turbulent waters during its first two years. Its once somewhat sterile and empty world is now full to bursting point with activities and distractions and it's got a sense of direction and purpose which mean players don't need to work nearly as hard to find ways in which to indulge their inner Black Beard. Tall Tales provide a properly meaty, narrative-driven campaign that works equally as well for solo players as it does for eager crews of four and that once empty horizon is now full of things to see and do as you make your way ...

Sea of Thieves has finally dropped its anchor in PS5 waters, bringing with it years of content updates, quality of life improvements, and some of the best-looking water in a video game. But is this now former Xbox exclusive still worth playing six years after its initial launch? And how friendly is it to newcomers like us? After taking to the high seas with a rag-tag crew on PS5, Sea of Thieves proves itself to be one of the most approachable live service games on the market, and one we can’t wait to see grow on PlayStation.

Sea of Thieves is a pirate fantasy sandbox with an enormous amount of things to do, made unpredictable and exciting by the addition of other players. Coordinating together across the deck of a massive pirate ship is pure chaos at times, but it’s also endlessly entertaining. The cosmetic-only progression system doesn’t give you as much incentive to keep playing as I’d have liked and its free-form nature left me feeling lost at sea at times – but if you’ve got a good group of two or three friends to play with, it’s hard to find a game as entertaining to jump aboard.

More than two years after its launch, Sea of Thieves has improved in countless ways.

Sea of Thieves is a great game that offers a lot. Between the PvE elements, PvP chaos, story missions, added content, and the upcoming Season 12, there’s a ton to engage with. Playing solo may be a mixed experience, but when it clicked, there was so much to enjoy with your time on the sea. Hitting the high seas with a crew is a genuine blast, leading to absolute chaos in no time flat.

Jack of many trades, master of none.  Sea of Thieves has a beautiful, wide ocean to explore.  It's too bad that it feels about as deep as a puddle.

A great, even exceptional, game if you want a quick pirate fix, but there's not much to do after the first couple of hours

Sea of Thieves is a mixed bag of emotions for me. It's a great social experience to play with a group of friends and sail on the prettiest water you will ever see in a video game. It's also bogged down by tedious and repetitive voyages that reward you with meager pay. When you can eventually purchase an item, it will only affect how you look. If that is the case, it seems puzzling that I can't create a character I want to flaunt to any passerby. There is enjoyment to be found in Sea of Thieves, but not enough to keep you interested in the long term.

Rare unquestionably need to apply new meat to these beautiful bones. I've enjoyed the ambience of Sea of Thieves so much that I want it to be something that stays in my life for a long time to come, but, in its current state, I know that is impossible. There is a platform for wonderful things here, but if Rare don't build new things atop it PDQ, it will soon crumble forever.

Playing Sea of Thieves feels a bit like working in a theater before the set has been completely built. There’s plenty of space to goof around and a few swords in the wings to have mock fights with, but none of its quite ready for show time. A lack of features and polish has frustrated some players, but those willing to meet the game halfway will discover a game that’s exciting and pensive in equal measure. Sea of Thieves is as fickle and changeable as the sea itself.

Writing this review leaves me conflicted. On one hand, Rare’s latest open world exploration pirate sim is probably right up there as one of the most immersive games I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. And on the other hand, the game simply suffers from way too many drawbacks that make it difficult to give this a wholehearted recommendation.

Rare's piratical playground looks lovely, but you have to make a bit too much of your own fun. The sound and the fury of the waves is lovely, but for Sea of Thieves to be properly good it needs to give the players more to work with.