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== Gameplay ==
== Gameplay ==
''Pixel Piracy'' is an [[open world]] and [[side-scrolling]] [[action-adventure game]] that uses [[16-bit era|16-bit]]-styled sprites and [[2D computer graphics|2D graphics]].<ref name="pcg">{{cite magazine |last=Pearson |first=Craig |date=January 29, 2014 |title=The Early Access Report - Divinity: Original Sin, Pixel Piracy and Final Rush |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/the-early-access-report-divinity-original-sin-pixel-piracy-and-final-rush/ |access-date=August 13, 2024 |magazine=[[PC Gamer]]}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Hawken |first=Kieren |date=February 28, 2016 |title=Pixel Piracy Review |url=https://www.gamespew.com/2016/02/pixel-piracy-review/ |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[GameSpew]]}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Lawton |first=Josephine |date=February 25, 2016 |title=Pixel Piracy: Review |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328204612/http://www.purexbox.com/reviews/xbox-one/pixel_piracy |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Pure Xbox]]}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |title=Pixel Piracy |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/games/pixel-piracy |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]}}</ref> The game features both [[Single-player video game|single-player]] and [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] modes, and includes elements of [[Role-playing video game|role-playing]], especially [[roguelike]], [[platformer]], [[Simulation video game|simulation]], and [[Strategy video game|strategy]] genres.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{cite web |last=Craft |first=Scott |date=Aug 11, 2014 |title=Pixel Piracy Review: What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor? |url=https://www.player.one/pixel-piracy-review-what-shall-we-do-drunken-sailor-376736 |url-status= |archive-url=|archive-date= |access-date=August 13, 2024 |website=[[Player.One]]}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Pearson |first=Craig |date=December 3, 2013 |title=Pixel Piracy Devs Pirate Pixel Piracy |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/pixel-piracy-devs-pirate-pixel-piracy |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]}}</ref> The goal of the game is to defeat four notorious pirate captains, but the players are free to adventure in the game as they wish.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> The game features a [[Tutorial (video games)|tutorial]].<ref name=":1" />
''Pixel Piracy'' is an [[open world]] and [[side-scrolling]] [[action-adventure game]] that uses [[16-bit era|16-bit]]-styled sprites and [[2D computer graphics|2D graphics]].<ref name="pcg">{{cite magazine |last=Pearson |first=Craig |date=January 29, 2014 |title=The Early Access Report - Divinity: Original Sin, Pixel Piracy and Final Rush |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/the-early-access-report-divinity-original-sin-pixel-piracy-and-final-rush/ |access-date=August 13, 2024 |magazine=[[PC Gamer]]}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Hawken |first=Kieren |date=February 28, 2016 |title=Pixel Piracy Review |url=https://www.gamespew.com/2016/02/pixel-piracy-review/ |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[GameSpew]]}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Lawton |first=Josephine |date=February 25, 2016 |title=Pixel Piracy: Review |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328204612/http://www.purexbox.com/reviews/xbox-one/pixel_piracy |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Pure Xbox]]}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |title=Pixel Piracy |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/games/pixel-piracy |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]}}</ref> The game features only the [[Single-player video game|single-player]] mode, and includes elements of [[Role-playing video game|role-playing]], especially [[roguelike]], [[platformer]], [[Simulation video game|simulation]], and [[Strategy video game|strategy]] genres.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{cite web |last=Craft |first=Scott |date=Aug 11, 2014 |title=Pixel Piracy Review: What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor? |url=https://www.player.one/pixel-piracy-review-what-shall-we-do-drunken-sailor-376736 |url-status= |archive-url=|archive-date= |access-date=August 13, 2024 |website=[[Player.One]]}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Pearson |first=Craig |date=December 3, 2013 |title=Pixel Piracy Devs Pirate Pixel Piracy |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/pixel-piracy-devs-pirate-pixel-piracy |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]}}</ref> The goal of the game is to defeat four notorious pirate captains, but the players are free to adventure in the game as they wish.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> The game's goal can be completed in approximately 20 hours.<ref name=":18">{{Cite news |last=Varela |first=Ramón |date=February 18, 2016 |title=Análisis de Pixel Piracy (PS4, PC, Xbox One) |trans-title=Pixel Piracy Review (PS4, PC, Xbox One) |url=https://vandal.elespanol.com/analisis/ps4/pixel-piracy/35667#p-73 |access-date=August 15, 2024 |work=Vandal |language=es}}</ref> The game features a [[Tutorial (video games)|tutorial]] that teaches players with game's basic mechanics.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":18" />


After customizing the player and difficulty settings of the [[procedurally-generated]] world,<ref name=":14">{{Cite news |last=Čmelik |first=Jan |date=September 1, 2014 |title=Pixel Piracy |url=https://www.sk.rs/2014/09/siop12.html |access-date=August 15, 2024 |work=[[Svet kompjutera]] |language=sr}}</ref> the player takes control of a pirate captain who [[Spawning (video gaming)|spawns]] on an island, where players can build their own ship using a set of blocks and hire a crew with [[Coin|coins]] received on spawn.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":15">{{Cite news |last=Esteve |first=Jaume |date=June 7, 2014 |title=Pixel Piracy: Piratas, piratería y estética retro |trans-title=Pixel Piracy: Pirates, piracy, and retro aesthetics |url=https://es.ign.com/pc/70522/blog/pixel-piracy-piratas-pirateria-y-estetica-retro |access-date=August 15, 2024 |work=[[IGN]] |language=es}}</ref> The pirate captain is given almost complete control over the size of the ship and crew.<ref name=":3" /> The pirate captain could upgrade their ship with [[Cannon|cannons]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":13">{{Cite news |last=Mangot |first=Thomas |date=August 4, 2014 |title=Test: Pixel Piracy (PC) |url=https://www.gamekult.com/jeux/pixel-piracy-3050314865/test.html |access-date=August 14, 2024 |work=[[Gamekult]] |language=fr}}</ref> The captain can die by starvation, enemy pirates, or wild animals; the game also features [[permadeath]], meaning that the captain does not respawn upon their death.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":0" /> The game, however, has a [[save point]] feature, allowing the player to continue their progress instead of starting from the beginning.<ref name=":0" /> The game features a day-night cycle.<ref name=":11">{{Cite news |date=August 4, 2014 |title=Pixel Piracy: Primeras impresiones |trans-title=Pixel Piracy: First impressions |url=https://www.eurogamer.es/pixel-piracy |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Eurogamer]] |language=es}}</ref>
After customizing the player and difficulty settings of the [[procedurally-generated]] world,<ref name=":14">{{Cite news |last=Čmelik |first=Jan |date=September 1, 2014 |title=Pixel Piracy |url=https://www.sk.rs/2014/09/siop12.html |access-date=August 15, 2024 |work=[[Svet kompjutera]] |language=sr}}</ref> the player takes control of a pirate captain who [[Spawning (video gaming)|spawns]] on an island, where players can build their own ship using a set of blocks and hire a crew with [[Coin|coins]] received on spawn.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":15">{{Cite news |last=Esteve |first=Jaume |date=June 7, 2014 |title=Pixel Piracy: Piratas, piratería y estética retro |trans-title=Pixel Piracy: Pirates, piracy, and retro aesthetics |url=https://es.ign.com/pc/70522/blog/pixel-piracy-piratas-pirateria-y-estetica-retro |access-date=August 15, 2024 |work=[[IGN]] |language=es}}</ref> The pirate captain is given almost complete control over the size of the ship and crew.<ref name=":3" /> The pirate captain could upgrade their ship with [[Cannon|cannons]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":13">{{Cite news |last=Mangot |first=Thomas |date=August 4, 2014 |title=Test: Pixel Piracy (PC) |url=https://www.gamekult.com/jeux/pixel-piracy-3050314865/test.html |access-date=August 14, 2024 |work=[[Gamekult]] |language=fr}}</ref> The captain can die by starvation, enemy pirates, or wild animals; the game also features [[permadeath]], meaning that the captain does not respawn upon their death.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":0" /> The game, however, has a [[save point]] feature, allowing the player to continue their progress instead of starting from the beginning.<ref name=":0" /> The game features a day-night cycle.<ref name=":11">{{Cite news |date=August 4, 2014 |title=Pixel Piracy: Primeras impresiones |trans-title=Pixel Piracy: First impressions |url=https://www.eurogamer.es/pixel-piracy |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Eurogamer]] |language=es}}</ref>


While travelling, the player must control the crew's hunger and deal with equipment requirements.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> To embark, the player can select a destination on the world map.<ref name="pcg" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pearson |first=Craig |date=October 9, 2013 |title=Place Planks And Plunder: Pixel Piracy |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/place-planks-and-plunder-pixel-piracy |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]}}</ref> Locations range in population and danger.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":16">{{Cite news |last=Turrini |first=Roberto |date=February 26, 2016 |title=Pixel Piracy - Recensione |trans-title=Pixel Piracy - Review |url=https://www.thegamesmachine.it/pixel-piracy/recensione-pixel-piracy/ |access-date=August 15, 2024 |work=[[The Games Machine (Italy)|The Games Machine]] |language=it}}</ref> The computer controls the actual sailing, but the ship will stop for a battle if its route crosses an occupied map node.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":11" /> Ship battles are determined by acquired stats and by choices the player can make.<ref name="pcg" /> Winning battles grants the player points and equipment which they can use to upgrade the crew and their abilities.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":0" /> Additionally, the player can steal or destroy the ship once it defeats the enemies.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
While travelling, the player must control the crew's hunger and deal with equipment requirements.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> To embark, the player can select a destination on the world map.<ref name="pcg" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pearson |first=Craig |date=October 9, 2013 |title=Place Planks And Plunder: Pixel Piracy |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/place-planks-and-plunder-pixel-piracy |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]}}</ref> Locations range in population and danger.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":16">{{Cite news |last=Turrini |first=Roberto |date=February 26, 2016 |title=Pixel Piracy - Recensione |trans-title=Pixel Piracy - Review |url=https://www.thegamesmachine.it/pixel-piracy/recensione-pixel-piracy/ |access-date=August 15, 2024 |work=[[The Games Machine (Italy)|The Games Machine]] |language=it}}</ref> The computer controls the actual sailing, but the ship will stop for a battle if its route crosses an occupied map node.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":11" /> Ship battles are determined by acquired stats and by choices the player can make.<ref name="pcg" /> Winning battles grants the player points and equipment which they can use to upgrade the crew and their abilities.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":0" /> Additionally, the player can take over or destroy the ship once it defeats the enemies.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />


Upon reaching a destination, the inhabitants may be friendly or hostile toward the crew; the islands could also containt animals, traps, valuables, and taverns, which can be adopted as the crew's central station.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> The crew can also catch wild animals with cages that can then be adopted as part of the crew, but as a decoration.<ref name=":14" /> Another type of encounters include towns that contain a mix of four shops that are present in the game.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Lorenzino |first=Lucio |date=August 14, 2014 |title=Review: Pixel Piracy |url=http://enemyslime.com/2014/08/review-pixel-piracy/ |access-date=August 13, 2014 |work=Enemy Slime}}</ref> The game features "squirrel-ish" [[voice acting]] between the pirates and shop owners.<ref name=":3" />
Upon reaching a destination, the inhabitants may be friendly or hostile toward the crew; the islands could also containt animals, traps, valuables, and taverns, which can be adopted as the crew's central station.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> The crew can also catch wild animals with cages that can then be adopted as part of the crew, but as a decoration.<ref name=":14" /> Another type of encounters include towns that contain a mix of four shops that are present in the game.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Lorenzino |first=Lucio |date=August 14, 2014 |title=Review: Pixel Piracy |url=http://enemyslime.com/2014/08/review-pixel-piracy/ |access-date=August 13, 2014 |work=Enemy Slime}}</ref> The game features "squirrel-ish" [[voice acting]] between the pirates and shop owners.<ref name=":3" />
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Crew stats including health, morale, and supply level affect the success of pillaging at a destination.<ref name="pcg" /> Taverns include an infinite supply of food and beverages, such as [[ale]], allowing the crew to heal their wounds, and armed pirates, which can be acquired to expand the crew.<ref name=":3" /> Books that can be found or bought can be used by the pirate captain to teach the crew new abilities, such as swimming, cleaning, cooking, and fishing.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":13" /> Pirates can equip [[melee]] or [[Ranged weapon|ranged]] types of weapons, or use rocks as weapons.<ref name=":14" />
Crew stats including health, morale, and supply level affect the success of pillaging at a destination.<ref name="pcg" /> Taverns include an infinite supply of food and beverages, such as [[ale]], allowing the crew to heal their wounds, and armed pirates, which can be acquired to expand the crew.<ref name=":3" /> Books that can be found or bought can be used by the pirate captain to teach the crew new abilities, such as swimming, cleaning, cooking, and fishing.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":13" /> Pirates can equip [[melee]] or [[Ranged weapon|ranged]] types of weapons, or use rocks as weapons.<ref name=":14" />


Alongside the standard gameplay, ''Pixel Piracy'' previously offered an "arena mode" in which the pirate captain would defend an island that is being invaded by a wave of pirates who progressively increase in difficulty and speed.<ref name=":14" />
Over the time, the game received updates that introduced several difficulty modes.<ref name=":18" /> Alongside the standard gameplay, ''Pixel Piracy'' previously offered an "arena mode" in which the pirate captain would defend an island that is being invaded by a wave of pirates who progressively increase in difficulty and speed.<ref name=":14" />


== Development and release ==
== Development and release ==
''Pixel Piracy'' was developed by Vitali Kirpu and Alexander Poysky, collectively known as Quadro Delta, and published by [[Re-Logic]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":6">{{cite web |last=Priestman |first=Chris |date=May 15, 2015 |title=Why The Pixel Piracy Developer Apologized To Its Community, And How It Bounced Back |url=http://www.siliconera.com/why-the-pixel-piracy-developer-apologized-to-its-community-and-how-it-bounced-back/ |accessdate=February 25, 2016 |website=[[Siliconera]]}}</ref> Poysky said that he was inspired by Re-Logic and their 2011 indie [[Sandbox game|sandbox]] video game ''[[Terraria]]'' to become a video game developer.<ref name=":6" /> Re-Logic actively supported the development of ''Pixel Piracy'' and assisted in [[quality assurance]] and design.<ref name=":6" /> Initially, Kirpu worked solely on the game, though Mikko Arvala later joined as a maintenance developer.<ref name=":6" /> Poysky worked as a producer on the game, while ''Pixel Piracy'' also had its own testing team.<ref name=":6" />
''Pixel Piracy'' was developed by independent developers Vitali Kirpu and Alexander Poysky, collectively known as Quadro Delta, and published by [[Re-Logic]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":6">{{cite web |last=Priestman |first=Chris |date=May 15, 2015 |title=Why The Pixel Piracy Developer Apologized To Its Community, And How It Bounced Back |url=http://www.siliconera.com/why-the-pixel-piracy-developer-apologized-to-its-community-and-how-it-bounced-back/ |accessdate=February 25, 2016 |website=[[Siliconera]]}}</ref><ref name=":18" /> Poysky said that he was inspired by Re-Logic and their 2011 indie [[Sandbox game|sandbox]] video game ''[[Terraria]]'' to become a video game developer.<ref name=":6" /> Re-Logic actively supported the development of ''Pixel Piracy'' and assisted in [[quality assurance]] and design.<ref name=":6" /> Initially, Kirpu worked solely on the game, though Mikko Arvala later joined as a maintenance developer.<ref name=":6" /> Poysky worked as a producer on the game, while ''Pixel Piracy'' also had its own testing team.<ref name=":6" />


The development of the game began in mid 2013.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Poysky |first=Alexander |date=July 3, 2013 |title=What is Pixel Piracy Simulator? |url=https://www.indiedb.com/games/pixel-piracy/news/what-is-pixel-piracy-simulator |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Mod DB|Indie DB]]}}</ref> The [[alpha version]] of the game was released in November 2013, after which it successfully went through the [[Steam Greenlight]] system.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Gera |first=Emily |date=December 3, 2013 |title=Pixel Piracy studio gives gamers official blessing to pirate the game |url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/3/5169710/pixel-piracy-studio-gives-gamers-official-blessing-to-pirate-the-game |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref><ref name=":15" /> The game was launched in [[early access]] on [[Steam (service)|Steam]] in December 2013; its developers also published a free [[Bittorrent|torrent]] of the game "in an attempt to compromise with users who will pirate the game regardless".<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Quadro Delta |date=2013-12-12 |title=Thank you all for trying our Early Access release! |url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/264140/view/2908718631241595633 |access-date=2023-05-28 |website=[[Steam (service)|Steam]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Grisci |first=Bruno |date=December 3, 2013 |title=Yarr! Estúdio independente libera cópia pirata de seu jogo de piratas |trans-title=Yarr! Independent Studio Releases Pirated Copy of Its Pirate Game |url=https://www.gameblast.com.br/2013/12/yarr-estudio-independente-libera-copia.html |access-date=August 15, 2024 |work=[[GameBlast]] |language=pt}}</ref> Poysky said that the early access system on Steam allowed the team to grow in momentum and to fund the game.<ref name=":6" /> During its development, the game regularly received bug fixes and updates.<ref name=":5" /> On May 8, 2014, [[Crossover (fiction)|crossover]] content based on the game was added to the Re-Logic's ''Terraria''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spinks |first=Andrew |date=2016-06-02 |title=1.2.4 Changelog |url=http://www.terrariaonline.com/threads/1-2-4-changelog.143548/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602200029/http://www.terrariaonline.com/threads/1-2-4-changelog.143548/ |archive-date=June 2, 2016 |access-date=2023-05-28 |website=Terraria Forums}}</ref> ''Pixel Piracy'' remained in early access until it was fully released on Steam on July 31, 2014 for [[Microsoft Windows]], [[OS X]], and [[Linux]] platforms.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=Pixel Piracy |url=https://opencritic.com/game/2210/pixel-piracy |access-date=August 13, 2024 |website=[[OpenCritic]]}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite news |last=González |first=Emmanuel |date=September 13, 2014 |title=Pixel Piracy - Análisis |trans-title=Pixel Piracy - Review |url=https://es.ign.com/pixel-piracy/81129/review/pixel-piracy-analisis-pirata-para-pc |access-date=August 13, 2014 |work=[[IGN]] |language=es}}</ref> The game features a custom soundtrack composed by Kole Hiks, including [[sea shanties]] inspired by [[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag|''Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'']].<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite video game|title=Pixel Piracy|developer=Quadro Delta|publisher=[[Re-Logic]]|platform=PC|scene=Credits|date=July 31, 2014}}</ref> ''Pixel Piracy'' also features references to the [[Monkey Island|''Monkey Island'']] video game series and the [[Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|''Pirates of the Caribbean'']] film series.<ref name=":14" />
The development of the game began in mid 2013.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Poysky |first=Alexander |date=July 3, 2013 |title=What is Pixel Piracy Simulator? |url=https://www.indiedb.com/games/pixel-piracy/news/what-is-pixel-piracy-simulator |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Mod DB|Indie DB]]}}</ref> The [[alpha version]] of the game was released in November 2013, after which it successfully went through the [[Steam Greenlight]] system.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Gera |first=Emily |date=December 3, 2013 |title=Pixel Piracy studio gives gamers official blessing to pirate the game |url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/3/5169710/pixel-piracy-studio-gives-gamers-official-blessing-to-pirate-the-game |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref><ref name=":15" /> The game was launched in [[early access]] on [[Steam (service)|Steam]] in December 2013; its developers also published a free [[Bittorrent|torrent]] of the game "in an attempt to compromise with users who will pirate the game regardless".<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Quadro Delta |date=2013-12-12 |title=Thank you all for trying our Early Access release! |url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/264140/view/2908718631241595633 |access-date=2023-05-28 |website=[[Steam (service)|Steam]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Grisci |first=Bruno |date=December 3, 2013 |title=Yarr! Estúdio independente libera cópia pirata de seu jogo de piratas |trans-title=Yarr! Independent Studio Releases Pirated Copy of Its Pirate Game |url=https://www.gameblast.com.br/2013/12/yarr-estudio-independente-libera-copia.html |access-date=August 15, 2024 |work=[[GameBlast]] |language=pt}}</ref> Poysky said that the early access system on Steam allowed the team to grow in momentum and to fund the game.<ref name=":6" /> During its development, the game regularly received bug fixes and updates.<ref name=":5" /> On May 8, 2014, [[Crossover (fiction)|crossover]] content based on the game was added to the Re-Logic's ''Terraria''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spinks |first=Andrew |date=2016-06-02 |title=1.2.4 Changelog |url=http://www.terrariaonline.com/threads/1-2-4-changelog.143548/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602200029/http://www.terrariaonline.com/threads/1-2-4-changelog.143548/ |archive-date=June 2, 2016 |access-date=2023-05-28 |website=Terraria Forums}}</ref> ''Pixel Piracy'' remained in early access until it was fully released on Steam on July 31, 2014 for [[Microsoft Windows]], [[OS X]], and [[Linux]] platforms.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=Pixel Piracy |url=https://opencritic.com/game/2210/pixel-piracy |access-date=August 13, 2024 |website=[[OpenCritic]]}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite news |last=González |first=Emmanuel |date=September 13, 2014 |title=Pixel Piracy - Análisis |trans-title=Pixel Piracy - Review |url=https://es.ign.com/pixel-piracy/81129/review/pixel-piracy-analisis-pirata-para-pc |access-date=August 13, 2014 |work=[[IGN]] |language=es}}</ref> The game features a custom soundtrack composed by Kole Hiks, including [[sea shanties]] inspired by [[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag|''Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'']].<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite video game|title=Pixel Piracy|developer=Quadro Delta|publisher=[[Re-Logic]]|platform=PC|scene=Credits|date=July 31, 2014}}</ref> ''Pixel Piracy'' also features references to the [[Monkey Island|''Monkey Island'']] video game series and the [[Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|''Pirates of the Caribbean'']] film series.<ref name=":14" />


After its release, Quadro Delta released the "Enhanced Edition" on April 23, 2015, to all owners of ''Pixel Piracy'' for free.<ref name=":6" /> Poysky explained the reason behind releasing "Enhanced Edition", saying that the team "felt it wasn't up to snuff with our standards" when the game was initially launched.<ref name=":6" /> The Enhanced Edition added support for more languages and tweaked items, abilities, and [[artificial intelligence]] (AI).<ref name=":6" /> The game was later released for [[PlayStation 4]] and [[Xbox One]] in North America and [[PAL]] regions on February 16, 2016.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":8" /> Abstraction Games developed and [[505 Games]] published the games for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> The game continued to receive incremental updates until February 2016, when a 7-year hiatus began.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Quadro Delta |date=February 10, 2016 |title=1.1.25 & 1.1.26 Patchnotes |url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/264140/view/2908718631241582952?l=english |access-date=August 13, 2024 |website=[[Steam (service)|Steam]]}}</ref> Development continued with its next [[Patch (computing)|patch]] on January 30, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Quadro Delta |date=2023-01-30 |title=Pixel Piracy 2023 Update 1 |url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/264140/view/3668779622634275696 |access-date=2023-05-28 |website=[[Steam (service)|Steam]]}}</ref> Its first [[downloadable content]], ''Pixel Piracy - Shrimp Legacy'', was released a month later.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kirpu |first=Vitali |date=February 13, 2023 |title=Pixel Piracy - Shrimp Legacy |url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2314920/Pixel_Piracy__Shrimp_Legacy/ |access-date=August 15, 2024 |website=[[Steam (service)|Steam]]}}</ref>
After its release, Quadro Delta released the "Enhanced Edition" on April 23, 2015, to all owners of ''Pixel Piracy'' for free.<ref name=":6" /> Poysky explained the reason behind releasing "Enhanced Edition", saying that the team "felt it wasn't up to snuff with our standards" when the game was initially launched.<ref name=":6" /> The Enhanced Edition added support for more languages and tweaked items, abilities, and [[artificial intelligence]] (AI).<ref name=":6" /> The game was later released for [[PlayStation 4]] and [[Xbox One]] on February 16, 2016.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":18" /><ref name=":8" /> Abstraction Games developed and [[505 Games]] published the games for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":18" /> The game continued to receive incremental updates until February 2016, when a 7-year hiatus began.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Quadro Delta |date=February 10, 2016 |title=1.1.25 & 1.1.26 Patchnotes |url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/264140/view/2908718631241582952?l=english |access-date=August 13, 2024 |website=[[Steam (service)|Steam]]}}</ref> Development continued with its next [[Patch (computing)|patch]] on January 30, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Quadro Delta |date=2023-01-30 |title=Pixel Piracy 2023 Update 1 |url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/264140/view/3668779622634275696 |access-date=2023-05-28 |website=[[Steam (service)|Steam]]}}</ref> Its first [[downloadable content]], ''Pixel Piracy - Shrimp Legacy'', was released a month later.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kirpu |first=Vitali |date=February 13, 2023 |title=Pixel Piracy - Shrimp Legacy |url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2314920/Pixel_Piracy__Shrimp_Legacy/ |access-date=August 15, 2024 |website=[[Steam (service)|Steam]]}}</ref>


Quadro Delta later worked with Re-Logic on a tactical role-playing game named ''Pixel Privateers'', which was released in 2017.<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |last=Saed |first=Sherif |date=January 27, 2016 |title=Terraria devs announce Pixel Privateers |url=https://www.vg247.com/terraria-devs-announce-pixel-privateers |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[VG247]]}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite news |date=February 25, 2017 |title=Pixel Privateers Is Like Squad-Based Borderlands |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/02/pixel-privateers-is-like-squad-based-borderlands/ |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Kotaku]]}}</ref> The game adopted elements of ''Pixel Piracy'' and ''Terraria'', while also featuring an online [[cooperative mode]].<ref name=":9" /> It was compared to [[Borderlands (series)|''Borderlands'']] and [[Diablo (series)|''Diablo'']] games.<ref name=":10" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Meer |first=Alec |date=March 17, 2017 |title=Wot I Think: Pixel Privateers |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/pixel-privateers-review |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]}}</ref>
Quadro Delta later worked with Re-Logic on a tactical role-playing game named ''Pixel Privateers'', which was released in 2017.<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |last=Saed |first=Sherif |date=January 27, 2016 |title=Terraria devs announce Pixel Privateers |url=https://www.vg247.com/terraria-devs-announce-pixel-privateers |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[VG247]]}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite news |date=February 25, 2017 |title=Pixel Privateers Is Like Squad-Based Borderlands |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/02/pixel-privateers-is-like-squad-based-borderlands/ |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Kotaku]]}}</ref> The game adopted elements of ''Pixel Piracy'' and ''Terraria'', while also featuring an online [[cooperative mode]].<ref name=":9" /> It was compared to [[Borderlands (series)|''Borderlands'']] and [[Diablo (series)|''Diablo'']] games.<ref name=":10" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Meer |first=Alec |date=March 17, 2017 |title=Wot I Think: Pixel Privateers |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/pixel-privateers-review |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]}}</ref>
Line 56: Line 56:
| rev3Score = 70/100<ref name=":14" />
| rev3Score = 70/100<ref name=":14" />
}}
}}
''Pixel Piracy'' received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator [[Metacritic]] and "weak" ratings according to [[OpenCritic]].<ref name=":8" /><ref name="Metacritic">{{Cite web |title=Pixel Piracy |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/pixel-piracy/ |access-date=August 13, 2024 |website=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref> Initially, during its early access stage, reviewers praised the game for its potential.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":15" /> Craig Pearson of ''[[PC Gamer]]'' described it as a "fine example of a cute Early Access title".<ref name="pcg" /> Jose Rodríguez of ''[[IGN]]'' positively rated the game, describing it as "creative" and "fun".<ref name=":17">{{Cite news |last=Rodríguez |first=Jose A. |date=February 24, 2016 |title=Pixel Piracy - Análisis |trans-title=Pixel Piracy - Review |url=https://es.ign.com/pixel-piracy/100445/review/pixel-piracy-analisis-para-ps4-y-xbox-one |access-date=August 15, 2024 |work=[[IGN]] |language=es}}</ref>
''Pixel Piracy'' received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator [[Metacritic]] and "weak" ratings according to [[OpenCritic]].<ref name=":8" /><ref name="Metacritic">{{Cite web |title=Pixel Piracy |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/pixel-piracy/ |access-date=August 13, 2024 |website=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref> Initially, during its early access stage, reviewers praised the game for its potential.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":15" /> Craig Pearson of ''[[PC Gamer]]'' described it as a "fine example of a cute Early Access title".<ref name="pcg" /> Jose Rodríguez of ''[[IGN]]'' positively rated the game, describing it as "creative" and "fun".<ref name=":17">{{Cite news |last=Rodríguez |first=Jose A. |date=February 24, 2016 |title=Pixel Piracy - Análisis |trans-title=Pixel Piracy - Review |url=https://es.ign.com/pixel-piracy/100445/review/pixel-piracy-analisis-para-ps4-y-xbox-one |access-date=August 15, 2024 |work=[[IGN]] |language=es}}</ref> Kieren Hawken of ''GameSpew'', who reviewed the Xbox One version in 2016, rated the game 6 out of 10 stars, describing it as an "old fashioned real time strategy game".<ref name=":0" />


Lucio Lorenzino of ''Enemy Slime'', who rated the game 2 out of 5 stars, saw the game as being "shallow" and "unfinished", considering that it featured missing textures, incorrect pronouns for characters, and broken AI.<ref name=":5" /> He also said that "the game is not interested in explaining how anything works".<ref name=":5" /> Pearson described the map as being unclear and said that combat needed improvement.<ref name="pcg" /> Thomas Mangot of ''[[Gamekult]]'', who rated the game 5 out of 10 stars, noted that the game contained bugs upon release, and described the fighting system as "confusing" and the game's artificial intelligence as "chaotic".<ref name=":13" /> The controls of the game were seen by reviewers as complicated.<ref name=":16" /><ref name=":17" />
Lucio Lorenzino of ''Enemy Slime'', who rated the game 2 out of 5 stars, saw the game as being "shallow" and "unfinished" upon its release on PC, considering that it featured missing textures, incorrect pronouns for characters, and broken AI.<ref name=":5" /> He also said that "the game is not interested in explaining how anything works".<ref name=":5" /> Pearson described the map as being unclear and said that combat needed improvement.<ref name="pcg" /> Thomas Mangot of ''[[Gamekult]]'', who rated the game 5 out of 10 stars, noted that the game contained bugs upon release.<ref name=":13" /> The controls of the game were seen by reviewers as complicated,<ref name=":16" /><ref name=":17" /> while the fighting system was described as confusing.<ref name=":13" /><ref name=":19">{{Cite news |last=Spotti |first=Davide |date=February 26, 2016 |title=All'arrembaggio! |trans-title=To the boarding! |url=https://multiplayer.it/recensioni/164144-pixel-piracy-allarrembaggio.html |access-date=August 15, 2024 |work=Multiplayer.it |language=it}}</ref> Mangot said that the game's artificial intelligence is "chaotic".<ref name=":13" /> Hawken praised the ability to control both the pirate captain and the crew.<ref name=":0" /> Josephine Lawton of ''[[Pure Xbox]]'', who rated the game 5 out of 10 stars, said that "this often doesn't work as expected", explaining that the crew often refused to jump on the enemy ship or walk, and that once the enemy ship is defeated the crew would not move.<ref name=":1" />


Upon release, the game lacked tutorials that explained the game's functions.<ref name=":14" /><ref name=":15" /> Pearson was surprised with the 'Plunder' function, which destroys defeated enemy vessels, saying that it killed his captain and crew while they were aboard an enemy ship.<ref name="pcg" /> Lorenzino noted that sometimes the crew would refuse to leave enemy vessels and that the player could not use the interact option.<ref name=":5" /> The game was, however, praised for its sandbox elements.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":15" /><ref name=":13" /> Jan Čmelik of [[Svet kompjutera|''Svet kompjutera'']] compared the game's goal of defeating four pirate captains to the story of [[Sid Meier's Pirates!|''Sid Meier's Pirates!'']].<ref name=":14" />
Upon release, the game lacked tutorials that explained the game's functions.<ref name=":14" /><ref name=":15" /> Pearson was surprised with the 'Plunder' function, which destroys defeated enemy vessels, saying that it killed his captain and crew while they were aboard an enemy ship.<ref name="pcg" /> Lorenzino noted that sometimes the crew would refuse to leave enemy vessels and that the player could not use the interact option.<ref name=":5" /> The game was, however, praised for its sandbox elements.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":15" /><ref name=":13" /> Jan Čmelik of [[Svet kompjutera|''Svet kompjutera'']] compared the game's goal of defeating four pirate captains to the story of [[Sid Meier's Pirates!|''Sid Meier's Pirates!'']].<ref name=":14" />


The game received criticism due to repetitiveness in gameplay mechanics.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":16" /> Scott Craft of ''Player.One'' rated the game 2 out of 5 stars, saying that "the game fails to offer players any real incentive to keep playing after their first couple of sessions".<ref name=":3" /> He noted that his "first few hours" were entertaining, but that the game quickly "get[s] boring".<ref name=":3" />
The game received criticism due to repetitiveness in gameplay mechanics.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":18" /><ref name=":16" /><ref name=":19" /> Scott Craft of ''Player.One'' rated the game 2 out of 5 stars, saying that "the game fails to offer players any real incentive to keep playing after their first couple of sessions".<ref name=":3" /> He noted that his "first few hours" were entertaining, but that the game quickly "get[s] boring".<ref name=":3" />


The game was praised for its graphics and textures.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":14" /><ref name=":13" /><ref name=":12" /> Pearson said that its graphics and soundtrack contrasted with the difficulty of the gameplay, while Craft said that "''Pixel Piracy'''s rather vibrant aesthetic lends itself well to the subject".<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":3" /> Lawton, however, disliked that the sprites did not integrate with the backgrounds that she saw as "uninspiring", while Roberto Turrini of [[The Games Machine (Italy)|''The Games Machine'']] sometimes saw the pixel art as baffling.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":16" /> Emmanuel González of ''IGN'' described the design of islands as "repetitive" but "visually very pleasing".<ref name=":12" /> Rodríguez noted that the PC version contains more details than the Xbox One version.<ref name=":17" /> The looks of the user interface were criticized and seen as confusing.<ref name=":14" /><ref name=":13" /><ref name=":5" />
The game was praised for its graphics and textures.<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":14" /><ref name=":13" /><ref name=":12" /> Pearson said that its graphics and soundtrack contrasted with the difficulty of the gameplay, while Craft said that "''Pixel Piracy'''s rather vibrant aesthetic lends itself well to the subject".<ref name="pcg" /><ref name=":3" /> Lawton, however, disliked that the sprites did not integrate with the backgrounds that she saw as "uninspiring", while Roberto Turrini of [[The Games Machine (Italy)|''The Games Machine'']] sometimes saw the pixel art as baffling.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":16" /> Emmanuel González of ''IGN'' described the design of islands as "repetitive" but "visually very pleasing".<ref name=":12" /> Rodríguez noted that the PC version contains more details than the Xbox One version.<ref name=":17" /> The looks of the user interface were criticized and seen as confusing.<ref name=":14" /><ref name=":13" /><ref name=":5" /> Additionally, it was noted that the interface is unfriendly to the console versions of the game, due to its [[point-and-click]] nature.<ref name=":18" />


With the release of the Enhanced Edition in 2015, the developers issued a formal apology, acknowledging their failures and assuring players that much work had been and would continue to be done to meet all development promises and fix all the game's issues.<ref name=":6" /> Kieren Hawken of ''GameSpew'', who reviewed the Xbox One version in 2016, rated the game 6 out of 10 stars, describing it as an "old fashioned real time strategy game".<ref name=":0" />
With the release of the Enhanced Edition in 2015, the developers issued a formal apology, acknowledging their failures and assuring players that much work had been and would continue to be done to meet all development promises and fix all the game's issues.<ref name=":6" />

Hawken praised the ability to control both the pirate captain and the crew.<ref name=":0" /> Josephine Lawton of ''[[Pure Xbox]]'', who rated the game 5 out of 10 stars, said that "this often doesn't work as expected", explaining that the crew often refused to jump on the enemy ship or walk, and that once the enemy ship is defeated the crew would not move.<ref name=":1" />


Lawton noted that the tutorial does not introduce the player to most features of the game, while Hawken described the game as "difficult to get into" because of having to remember a lot of mechanisms of the game.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
Lawton noted that the tutorial does not introduce the player to most features of the game, while Hawken described the game as "difficult to get into" because of having to remember a lot of mechanisms of the game.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />


The sountrack was commended by reviewers, especially the addition of sea shanties in the game's soundtrack.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":17" /> Lawton, however, said that the overall soundtrack is repetitive and annoying, while Lorenzino, on the other hand, said that the music is "very fitting".<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":5" /> González said that the game's "sound effects are simple but effective".<ref name=":12" />
The sountrack was commended by reviewers, especially the addition of sea shanties in the game's soundtrack.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":18" /><ref name=":17" /> Lawton, however, said that the overall soundtrack is repetitive and annoying, while Lorenzino, on the other hand, said that the music is "very fitting".<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":5" /> González said that the game's "sound effects are simple but effective".<ref name=":12" /> Ramón Varela of ''Vandal'' compared the game's voice acting to the [[Worms (series)|''Worms'']] video game series.<ref name=":18" />


=== Accolades ===
=== Accolades ===

Revision as of 17:54, 15 August 2024

Pixel Piracy
Logo of Pixel Piracy, showcasing a pirate ship in the background
Developer(s)Quadro Delta[a]
Publisher(s)Re-Logic[b]
Producer(s)Alexander Poysky
Composer(s)Kole Hiks
EngineUnity
Platform(s)
ReleaseWindows, OS X, Linux
  • WW: July 31, 2014
PlayStation 4, Xbox One
  • NA: February 16, 2016
  • PAL: February 17, 2016
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Pixel Piracy is a side-scrolling real-time strategy and indie game with roguelike elements, developed by Quadro Delta. In the game, players construct a pirate ship, hire and train a crew, and guide their crew toward notoriety as renowned pirates.

Gameplay

Pixel Piracy is an open world and side-scrolling action-adventure game that uses 16-bit-styled sprites and 2D graphics.[1][2][3][4] The game features only the single-player mode, and includes elements of role-playing, especially roguelike, platformer, simulation, and strategy genres.[4][5][6] The goal of the game is to defeat four notorious pirate captains, but the players are free to adventure in the game as they wish.[3][5] The game's goal can be completed in approximately 20 hours.[7] The game features a tutorial that teaches players with game's basic mechanics.[3][7]

After customizing the player and difficulty settings of the procedurally-generated world,[8] the player takes control of a pirate captain who spawns on an island, where players can build their own ship using a set of blocks and hire a crew with coins received on spawn.[1][2][5][9] The pirate captain is given almost complete control over the size of the ship and crew.[5] The pirate captain could upgrade their ship with cannons.[5][10] The captain can die by starvation, enemy pirates, or wild animals; the game also features permadeath, meaning that the captain does not respawn upon their death.[1][2] The game, however, has a save point feature, allowing the player to continue their progress instead of starting from the beginning.[2] The game features a day-night cycle.[11]

While travelling, the player must control the crew's hunger and deal with equipment requirements.[1][3][5] To embark, the player can select a destination on the world map.[1][12] Locations range in population and danger.[1][13] The computer controls the actual sailing, but the ship will stop for a battle if its route crosses an occupied map node.[1][11] Ship battles are determined by acquired stats and by choices the player can make.[1] Winning battles grants the player points and equipment which they can use to upgrade the crew and their abilities.[1][2] Additionally, the player can take over or destroy the ship once it defeats the enemies.[2][3]

Upon reaching a destination, the inhabitants may be friendly or hostile toward the crew; the islands could also containt animals, traps, valuables, and taverns, which can be adopted as the crew's central station.[1][2][5] The crew can also catch wild animals with cages that can then be adopted as part of the crew, but as a decoration.[8] Another type of encounters include towns that contain a mix of four shops that are present in the game.[5][14] The game features "squirrel-ish" voice acting between the pirates and shop owners.[5]

Crew stats including health, morale, and supply level affect the success of pillaging at a destination.[1] Taverns include an infinite supply of food and beverages, such as ale, allowing the crew to heal their wounds, and armed pirates, which can be acquired to expand the crew.[5] Books that can be found or bought can be used by the pirate captain to teach the crew new abilities, such as swimming, cleaning, cooking, and fishing.[3][5][10] Pirates can equip melee or ranged types of weapons, or use rocks as weapons.[8]

Over the time, the game received updates that introduced several difficulty modes.[7] Alongside the standard gameplay, Pixel Piracy previously offered an "arena mode" in which the pirate captain would defend an island that is being invaded by a wave of pirates who progressively increase in difficulty and speed.[8]

Development and release

Pixel Piracy was developed by independent developers Vitali Kirpu and Alexander Poysky, collectively known as Quadro Delta, and published by Re-Logic.[5][15][7] Poysky said that he was inspired by Re-Logic and their 2011 indie sandbox video game Terraria to become a video game developer.[15] Re-Logic actively supported the development of Pixel Piracy and assisted in quality assurance and design.[15] Initially, Kirpu worked solely on the game, though Mikko Arvala later joined as a maintenance developer.[15] Poysky worked as a producer on the game, while Pixel Piracy also had its own testing team.[15]

The development of the game began in mid 2013.[16] The alpha version of the game was released in November 2013, after which it successfully went through the Steam Greenlight system.[6][17][9] The game was launched in early access on Steam in December 2013; its developers also published a free torrent of the game "in an attempt to compromise with users who will pirate the game regardless".[17][18][19] Poysky said that the early access system on Steam allowed the team to grow in momentum and to fund the game.[15] During its development, the game regularly received bug fixes and updates.[14] On May 8, 2014, crossover content based on the game was added to the Re-Logic's Terraria.[20] Pixel Piracy remained in early access until it was fully released on Steam on July 31, 2014 for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux platforms.[21][22] The game features a custom soundtrack composed by Kole Hiks, including sea shanties inspired by Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.[5][23] Pixel Piracy also features references to the Monkey Island video game series and the Pirates of the Caribbean film series.[8]

After its release, Quadro Delta released the "Enhanced Edition" on April 23, 2015, to all owners of Pixel Piracy for free.[15] Poysky explained the reason behind releasing "Enhanced Edition", saying that the team "felt it wasn't up to snuff with our standards" when the game was initially launched.[15] The Enhanced Edition added support for more languages and tweaked items, abilities, and artificial intelligence (AI).[15] The game was later released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on February 16, 2016.[3][7][21] Abstraction Games developed and 505 Games published the games for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.[2][4][7] The game continued to receive incremental updates until February 2016, when a 7-year hiatus began.[24] Development continued with its next patch on January 30, 2023.[25] Its first downloadable content, Pixel Piracy - Shrimp Legacy, was released a month later.[26]

Quadro Delta later worked with Re-Logic on a tactical role-playing game named Pixel Privateers, which was released in 2017.[27][28] The game adopted elements of Pixel Piracy and Terraria, while also featuring an online cooperative mode.[27] It was compared to Borderlands and Diablo games.[28][29]

Reception

Pixel Piracy received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic and "weak" ratings according to OpenCritic.[21][30] Initially, during its early access stage, reviewers praised the game for its potential.[1][9] Craig Pearson of PC Gamer described it as a "fine example of a cute Early Access title".[1] Jose Rodríguez of IGN positively rated the game, describing it as "creative" and "fun".[31] Kieren Hawken of GameSpew, who reviewed the Xbox One version in 2016, rated the game 6 out of 10 stars, describing it as an "old fashioned real time strategy game".[2]

Lucio Lorenzino of Enemy Slime, who rated the game 2 out of 5 stars, saw the game as being "shallow" and "unfinished" upon its release on PC, considering that it featured missing textures, incorrect pronouns for characters, and broken AI.[14] He also said that "the game is not interested in explaining how anything works".[14] Pearson described the map as being unclear and said that combat needed improvement.[1] Thomas Mangot of Gamekult, who rated the game 5 out of 10 stars, noted that the game contained bugs upon release.[10] The controls of the game were seen by reviewers as complicated,[13][31] while the fighting system was described as confusing.[10][33] Mangot said that the game's artificial intelligence is "chaotic".[10] Hawken praised the ability to control both the pirate captain and the crew.[2] Josephine Lawton of Pure Xbox, who rated the game 5 out of 10 stars, said that "this often doesn't work as expected", explaining that the crew often refused to jump on the enemy ship or walk, and that once the enemy ship is defeated the crew would not move.[3]

Upon release, the game lacked tutorials that explained the game's functions.[8][9] Pearson was surprised with the 'Plunder' function, which destroys defeated enemy vessels, saying that it killed his captain and crew while they were aboard an enemy ship.[1] Lorenzino noted that sometimes the crew would refuse to leave enemy vessels and that the player could not use the interact option.[14] The game was, however, praised for its sandbox elements.[2][9][10] Jan Čmelik of Svet kompjutera compared the game's goal of defeating four pirate captains to the story of Sid Meier's Pirates!.[8]

The game received criticism due to repetitiveness in gameplay mechanics.[5][7][13][33] Scott Craft of Player.One rated the game 2 out of 5 stars, saying that "the game fails to offer players any real incentive to keep playing after their first couple of sessions".[5] He noted that his "first few hours" were entertaining, but that the game quickly "get[s] boring".[5]

The game was praised for its graphics and textures.[1][2][5][8][10][22] Pearson said that its graphics and soundtrack contrasted with the difficulty of the gameplay, while Craft said that "Pixel Piracy's rather vibrant aesthetic lends itself well to the subject".[1][5] Lawton, however, disliked that the sprites did not integrate with the backgrounds that she saw as "uninspiring", while Roberto Turrini of The Games Machine sometimes saw the pixel art as baffling.[3][13] Emmanuel González of IGN described the design of islands as "repetitive" but "visually very pleasing".[22] Rodríguez noted that the PC version contains more details than the Xbox One version.[31] The looks of the user interface were criticized and seen as confusing.[8][10][14] Additionally, it was noted that the interface is unfriendly to the console versions of the game, due to its point-and-click nature.[7]

With the release of the Enhanced Edition in 2015, the developers issued a formal apology, acknowledging their failures and assuring players that much work had been and would continue to be done to meet all development promises and fix all the game's issues.[15]

Lawton noted that the tutorial does not introduce the player to most features of the game, while Hawken described the game as "difficult to get into" because of having to remember a lot of mechanisms of the game.[2][3]

The sountrack was commended by reviewers, especially the addition of sea shanties in the game's soundtrack.[3][5][7][31] Lawton, however, said that the overall soundtrack is repetitive and annoying, while Lorenzino, on the other hand, said that the music is "very fitting".[3][14] González said that the game's "sound effects are simple but effective".[22] Ramón Varela of Vandal compared the game's voice acting to the Worms video game series.[7]

Accolades

Award Date Category Ref.
Indie DB Indie of the Year December 24, 2013 Editors Choice [34]

Notes

  1. ^ Ported to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One by Abstraction Games.
  2. ^ Published to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One by 505 Games

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Pearson, Craig (January 29, 2014). "The Early Access Report - Divinity: Original Sin, Pixel Piracy and Final Rush". PC Gamer. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Hawken, Kieren (February 28, 2016). "Pixel Piracy Review". GameSpew. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Lawton, Josephine (February 25, 2016). "Pixel Piracy: Review". Pure Xbox. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Pixel Piracy". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Craft, Scott (August 11, 2014). "Pixel Piracy Review: What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor?". Player.One. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Pearson, Craig (December 3, 2013). "Pixel Piracy Devs Pirate Pixel Piracy". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Varela, Ramón (February 18, 2016). "Análisis de Pixel Piracy (PS4, PC, Xbox One)" [Pixel Piracy Review (PS4, PC, Xbox One)]. Vandal (in Spanish). Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Čmelik, Jan (September 1, 2014). "Pixel Piracy". Svet kompjutera (in Serbian). Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e Esteve, Jaume (June 7, 2014). "Pixel Piracy: Piratas, piratería y estética retro" [Pixel Piracy: Pirates, piracy, and retro aesthetics]. IGN (in Spanish). Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i Mangot, Thomas (August 4, 2014). "Test: Pixel Piracy (PC)". Gamekult (in French). Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Pixel Piracy: Primeras impresiones" [Pixel Piracy: First impressions]. Eurogamer (in Spanish). August 4, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  12. ^ Pearson, Craig (October 9, 2013). "Place Planks And Plunder: Pixel Piracy". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d e Turrini, Roberto (February 26, 2016). "Pixel Piracy - Recensione" [Pixel Piracy - Review]. The Games Machine (in Italian). Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g Lorenzino, Lucio (August 14, 2014). "Review: Pixel Piracy". Enemy Slime. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Priestman, Chris (May 15, 2015). "Why The Pixel Piracy Developer Apologized To Its Community, And How It Bounced Back". Siliconera. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  16. ^ Poysky, Alexander (July 3, 2013). "What is Pixel Piracy Simulator?". Indie DB. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  17. ^ a b Gera, Emily (December 3, 2013). "Pixel Piracy studio gives gamers official blessing to pirate the game". Polygon. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  18. ^ Quadro Delta (December 12, 2013). "Thank you all for trying our Early Access release!". Steam. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  19. ^ Grisci, Bruno (December 3, 2013). "Yarr! Estúdio independente libera cópia pirata de seu jogo de piratas" [Yarr! Independent Studio Releases Pirated Copy of Its Pirate Game]. GameBlast (in Portuguese). Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  20. ^ Spinks, Andrew (June 2, 2016). "1.2.4 Changelog". Terraria Forums. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  21. ^ a b c "Pixel Piracy". OpenCritic. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  22. ^ a b c d González, Emmanuel (September 13, 2014). "Pixel Piracy - Análisis" [Pixel Piracy - Review]. IGN (in Spanish). Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  23. ^ Quadro Delta (July 31, 2014). Pixel Piracy (PC). Re-Logic. Scene: Credits.
  24. ^ Quadro Delta (February 10, 2016). "1.1.25 & 1.1.26 Patchnotes". Steam. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  25. ^ Quadro Delta (January 30, 2023). "Pixel Piracy 2023 Update 1". Steam. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  26. ^ Kirpu, Vitali (February 13, 2023). "Pixel Piracy - Shrimp Legacy". Steam. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  27. ^ a b Saed, Sherif (January 27, 2016). "Terraria devs announce Pixel Privateers". VG247. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  28. ^ a b "Pixel Privateers Is Like Squad-Based Borderlands". Kotaku. February 25, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  29. ^ Meer, Alec (March 17, 2017). "Wot I Think: Pixel Privateers". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  30. ^ a b c d e "Pixel Piracy". Metacritic. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  31. ^ a b c d e Rodríguez, Jose A. (February 24, 2016). "Pixel Piracy - Análisis" [Pixel Piracy - Review]. IGN (in Spanish). Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  32. ^ Lusth, Kahn (September 1, 2014). "Test: Pixel Piracy". Canard PC (in French). p. 70.
  33. ^ a b Spotti, Davide (February 26, 2016). "All'arrembaggio!" [To the boarding!]. Multiplayer.it (in Italian). Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  34. ^ "Indie Of The Year 2013 Editor Choice". Indie DB. December 24, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
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