Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat

"High seas adventure with Lara...er...Kat...."

If there was ever a game that I picked up and couldn’t put down, it had to be this one. Pirates isn’t the most exceptionally well done game, nor is it the deepest style of game play that I’ve ever played before, but it does have an exploration factor and an addiction that you just can’t put away. Hours upon hours of game play as well as finding different secrets, fighting on both land and in the sea have brought this game to the forefront as being one of the more involving Play Station 2 games that I’ve played!

The story line that you find here is something out of an old pirate movie. You have buried treasure and a woman who is seeking the answers to her mother’s disappearance and vengeance for her father’s murder. As much as the intrigue and adventure goes out here, there are plenty of references that you’ll find to a good pirate tale and even some semblance to Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. The story blends together for a good tale of high seas adventure and action through several different quests and missions that require you to explore a huge world, much like Tomb Raider!

The Game Play –

What you’ll find here is something that is almost akin to Tomb Raider in the way that it is presented and the way that you have to go about doing things. With several instances of exploration and digging up buried treasure, you’ll have to guide Kat through different locations that will test both your patience and your skills as an adventurer! You have at your disposal a sword and a pretty interesting jumping ability that will take you far into the game with sword battles and otherwise. Through your exploration, you’ll find different locations and even puzzles to block your way, sometimes in a frustrating way.

The battling really isn’t all that difficult, with a couple of simple button presses that will allow you to hack your way through anything that stands before you. As you progress through the game, you’ll be able to charge up a meter that will allow you to throw out a special attack even though it can be considered useless. In your exploration, you can pick up different items that will help you in your quest for answers and revenge through the form of explosives and even different weapons. However, you have to watch yourself on the sea and learn how to battle, because you will come into contact with some nefarious pirates in other ships!

The Control –

There really isn’t much here that you have to learn other than how to jump with Kat. Most of the movements that you undertake are done with the analog stick, and although that may seem like a daunting task, you’ll have plenty of movement through the different locations as you travel. Some of the more impressive actions that you’ll have to undertake have to do with the ships, but again, as long as you have a good understanding of the control setup that the PS2 controller has to offer, then there is nothing that you can’t accomplish. Consider the learning curve here to be moderate, with some of the puzzles requiring you to have a good understanding of timing and otherwise.

The Visuals –

Although the cut-scenes that you find throughout the game are well done and have that high-seas adventure theme to them, you’ll still find that the game lacks a certain clean quality that you might expect from a PS2 game. With the different locations all giving you some pretty interesting scenarios to look at, they are all done in a simple fashion and even include some unfortunate image break-down when the battles get a little too intense! However, if you can look past this, the areas that you come across are expansive and there are plenty of creatures in the background to accent the game itself.

The Audio –

As before, the audio here sets the mood for the way that the game is played, but it seems much like Tomb Raider in some respects. You’ll notice that there are plenty of voice overs to listen to, but in some cases, there are no remnants of music that you can find throughout the game. The events that you come across is what really triggers the music and although it does highlight different scenes, there is too little here that you’ll really remember after the game is over. The sound effects also fall along the wayside, with most of the voices coming through in the cut-scenes and even that seems like it’s forced!

The Verdict –

You’ll find that there is plenty of exploring to be found throughout Pirates. However, the story line and the way that the game is to be played far outweighs the different aspects of the game especially in the audio and visual department. Taking several different pages from Tomb Raider, you’ll find that the game is more about exploration and adventure than it is anything else. With a control setting that is geared for intermediate players, beginners will find it a little hard to work with while some advanced may find that there isn’t enough. All in all, you have a game that ranks just above average simply on the fact that once you pick it up, you can’t put it down!

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/24/02, Updated 04/24/02