Simple and deep gameplay that sucks away hours of your life. [March 2005, p.74]

An evocative gem of a game, one all Long John Silver or Johnny Depp wannabes should thoroughly enjoy.

We can't recall another PC game that challenged us to furious one-on-one sword fights and strategic warfare with cannons blazing -- interspersed with a test of ballroom dancing skills in which each click of our keyboard's keys translated into a deft move on the dance floor.

It is wonderful in all aspects. I loved it.

This is a fantastic update to a truly classic game. It’s just plain great on every level. If you don’t like Pirates! you must be allergic to fun.

A completely engrossing ride on the Spanish Main. All that’s missing is the smell of rum and powder.

An exciting gaming experience, its versatility makes it accessible to a variety of gamers, and it possesses dynamic game play that eliminates the monotony plaguing so many single-player games.

It’s truly one of the most addictive games we’ve played this year, and teaches the mildly boring Port Royale 2 a thing or two about how such sims should be done.

Sid Meier's Pirates! is as magically playable as its forefather was in the ancient times. [Jan. 05]

One of those rare games that can engage you for hours each day while never getting old.

Voices have been done in grumbling Sim’s style that really adds to the charm of the game.

Pirates! is unlike any other game in the current PC catalog. Unless you hate fun, you'll love it.

An amazing, wonderfully lighthearted game that boasts an intoxicating blend of strategy and action, and as such it's a dire threat to your professional and personal productivity...Quite simply one of the most enjoyable games to come out in years.

While you do many of the same things over and over again, Firaxis has made it fun. Really fun. "Just a few minutes more"-until-three-in-the-morning fun.

The game truly stays faithful to the original Pirates! except with extended difficulty settings, added gameplay depth and fancy graphics.

Combat is extremely fun and very easy to control - you can play the entire game using just your keyboard's Numpad. [Feb 2005, p.46]

"Port Royale" was the closest that anyone has come to the original Pirates, until now. All hail Sid Meier, the master of the computer game.

It's got a simplicity and elegance that you just don't see in PC games anymore: It's pure gameplay, fun from the opening credits onward. As a player you'll be constantly engaged.

Sid Meier and his crew have managed to update one of the major classics of gaming so that it is now a worthy example of the fact that good gameplay never goes out of fashion.

The simplicity of the gameplay and charm of the presentation are happy reminders of a more innocent age when games were just fun for kids rather than targets of congressional hearings. [Feb 2005, p.86]

It's funny, there really isn't anything absolutely revolutionary or remarkable about the game, but you'll find yourself playing it for hours on end.

An absolutely fabulous game that is nothing but fun from start to finish. And as an extra bonus it is family friendly. No blood, not wound and no death.

Each gameplay aspect has its own place, joyously gelling together to create a diverse but pleasant experience.

There are some drawbacks to portions of the sound and the swordplay segments can be a little redundant, but this game does have diversity and entertaining elements that draw one past the minor stumbles.

A blend of the very best that simulation games have to offer, with all of the raucous entertainment of a good pirate film.

With so much to do and the ability to do it at your own pace, Pirates! is the rare game that can entertain almost everyone.

Like its predecessor, Sid Meier's game effortlessly takes the best of every style of gaming and mixes it into a consistent and enduringly charming whole. Certainly there are games with more strategy, and others with more action, but few, if any, can claim to be as breathlessly easy to enjoy. [PC Zone]

This game gets high marks for the attention to detail in each scene, and the authentic feel of doing battle with other ships at sea.

Its huge open-endedness does an excellent job of establishing the proper atmosphere while the balance of combat and economy produces a quality strategy title. It does, however, have its problems. Open-ended gameplay can lead to a lack of focus, and this game is very light on tutorial, how-to material which creates a somewhat larger than average learning curve; preventing me from recommending Pirate's to all gamers as a whole.

The trading, the pirating, the sailing, the dancing, the political ramifications of targeting one nation's gubernatorial and military traffic to the advantage of another... it all swims in the shallows. But as shallows go they're as clear and blue as babies' eyes. [PC Gamer UK]

The only thing stopping Pirates! from becoming one of 2005's best is the lack of variation in the gameplay - it is an immensely enjoyable game at first not to mention very unique, and there are plenty of mini games included, but soon enough repetition sets in with these mini games and it sets in rather hard.

It's that kind of freedom and pressure-free atmosphere that makes Pirates! as good as it is. Now, if only it would be so nice as to make dancing less important in courtship - or at least less difficult - we'd have a completely enjoyable game.

It's varied, addictive, and replayable, with a big difference between the experiences available at lower and higher levels of difficulty.

It's the way everything fits together that's so much fun... The simple nature of this game masks a surprisingly deep and engaging experience. [Jan 2005, p.136]

The remake of the original 'Pirates!' certainly captures the free-flowing feel and the addictive nature of the original game. Man, hours do go by quickly when you're playing this one. In many ways, this IS the original game.

What we are left with is a remake of one of the greatest games of all time, which in and of itself is an accomplishment worthy of praise. It's just as addictive as ever.

It's also bountifully endowed with that certain something that Meir sprinkles into his games that makes them so hard to stop playing.

A little like a tavern wench you met in Trinidad - certainly pretty, very broad, but ultimately a tiny bit shallow. [Jan 2005, p.88]

A game where analytically I keep thinking I shouldn’t like it all that much, but then I play it and get absorbed, and I look up and see it’s 4am already. So Pirates! is a fun game to play, but it’s a little bit shallow and repetitive.

There's really only one word to describe Sid Meier's Pirates! and that's 'charming'. The excellent presentation, clever gameplay design and exquisite pacing mark it out as a unique and well thought out game. It's full of confidence and style, eager to impress and even if it won't keep you playing for months on end, is bound to provide an enjoyable experience while it lasts.

Bursting at the seams with variety.

The controls are so easy to grasp that you'll rarely find any need to look in the manual for anything other than general hints; this is a game you can really jump into and get on with right away, with none of the hassle of dull stat screens with useless information bothering you.

A remake of a much-loved 1987 relic, Pirates is incredibly charming. Its simplicity belies the game's surprising depth and addictiveness.

Pirates! Is a challenging and rewarding open-ended adventure... what better than a game that let’s you write your own pirate-filled legacy. [Jan 2005, p.118]

Won't appeal to everyone, but if you're nostalgic for the original or like unstructured and open-ended games, this booty is well worth seeking. Yarrr!

These bugs, alongside the simplistic taverns, swordfights, trading arrangements, one-screen locations and Benny Hill-style beach skirmishes, make Pirates! feel like Treasure Island in a Pirates of the Caribbean world.

As a confectionery item, Sid Meiers Pirates lasts about as long as a packet of Cadbury buttons or an Easter egg in the hands of a 10 year old. Like too much chocolate, you might get sick of it after a while, but you’ll come back to it sooner or later.

While the repetitive nature of the sub-games is what really keeps this away from true greatness, what leads to an increasing sense of the game being a chore is something as simple and ethereal as a wind.

A very simple game, but it is also very entertaining. It is easy to whittle away hours chasing galleons, seeking buried treasure or raiding ports. Meier seems to have a way with making games that are hard to stop playing.

Elements such as marching onto an island, or talking to a governor, seem flat and underdeveloped. Islands are sparse and awkward experiences, while their governors are often illogical and nonsensical in their responses. [Jan 2005, p.88]