Sea of Thieves is a Microsoft exclusive title. Themed around the world of pirates, packed with nautical exploration, loot to collect, and enemies to battle. The developer Rare has dubbed it a “shared world adventure game” (or S.W.A.G) . This means that the game is intended to be enjoyed with others. Xbox One and Windows 10 PC players will be able to play Sea of Thieves together across platforms. Let’s take a look at what you can expect to find in this first person action adventure.

Customisable pirates

Players will be able to customise their avatar with gender, physique, appearance, and outfits when staring off. During gameplay,  pirates will be able to find and wear new outfits, new gear, or even replace their limbs with classic pirate prostheses.

Handcrafted world

Sea of Thieves’ ocean will be expansive and riddled with explorable islands. Sailing around the entire map could take between 6 and 8 hours, now that is a massive world to explore! The world is also entirely seamless, meaning you will see no loading screen  to transition between areas. Rare has also stated that the world will have various unique feeling regions like the classic Caribbean, lush wilderness with ancient civilisations, or ones that feel more barren. This will ensure you will never have a dull moment while sailing the world. The world will be populated by all manner of dangerous foes like skeletons and krakens that will stand between you and hidden riches.

Quests

Although the world will feature a rich  lore filled world to explore there will  not be an overarching story as you would find in single player games. Instead, it will be packed with smaller adventures that can be completed relatively quickly. This empowers players to craft and experience their own unique tale in the world of pirates. There will also be additional randomly generated quest to keep you entertained at all times.

Ships

Ships range in size from small one-person boats to massive galleons filled to the  brim with cannons.

Smaller ships can be sailed by a single player and will have the advantage of  speed and ease of maneuverability. They will lack the firepower of the larger ship and will have less space to store one’s valuable loot.

Large ships will require the teamwork of a group to sail successfully, with each crew member having to do various tasks in order to stay afloat. Rest assured this will not be too complex and pressured; the point is to have some fun sailing with friends, after all.

Ships, like avatars, can be customised with figureheads, sails, upgraded cannons etc. More advanced or special items will stand out visually, making it obvious with whom you can mess and when to tread lightly.

Treasure

Loot  makes the pirate world go round, and it will be front and centre in the world of Sea of Thieves. In the tradition of the classic pirate theme, players will find and use maps to discover buried booty. Players will have to compare the map to the navigational chart and the environment to figure out where to start digging. The treasure has to be hauled back to the ship and cashed in to collect rewards.

Player versus player

The biggest threat to pirates are other pirates. Outside of designated safe zones, players are free to attack and steal treasures from each other. Fights can happen up close and personal between players, or it can occur as a massive ship versus ship battle on the open ocean. This constant  threat further bolster the need for player to cooperate for their own survival.

Release date

Sea of Thieves is released on  20 March 2018 exclusively for PC and Xbox One. Be sure to check out our gaming section to get into the swashbuckling action on the high seas!