Sea Of Thieves

Friendly, fair and forward-thinking: Rare’s co-op adventure gives pirates a good name.

Hop aboard, chug some grog, adjust the sails and check the map: having blundered merrily through previous demos, we’ve grown quite accustomed to pirate life in Rare’s cooperative adventure. So have a quarter of a million alpha testers. Indeed, it is already something of a sensation several months ahead of its full release, thanks to its accessible, and frequently funny, swashbuckling action. Considered design makes teamwork a requirement in the face of mild peril, with camaraderie a pleasant side-effect. Perhaps it’s hard to go too wrong with a game that assembles a group of four firm friends on a quest to find some treasure. But this time, our demo presents a true test of Sea Of Thieves’ multiplayer chops: we’re playing with strangers – and strangers who speak a different language, at that.

We’re almost positive it’s not going to work. So much of the fun we’ve had previously has been reliant on team chemistry and familiarity. But we find ourselves quickly striking up a wordless conversation with our new crewmates. One person shows a particular map to the others, suggesting a trip to Snake Island. We, meanwhile, manage to call attention to the crucial map room below deck by hopping up and down and pumping away on our accordion so they can follow the music. It feels like just the right mix of useful tools and improvisational play. Rare has worked hard to achieve it, removing barriers that might discourage people from picking up a multiplayer game, even one with so alluring a fantasy as this.