I
t’s not just that the
Anniversary Update
for Rare’s pirate game
Sea of Thieves is big.
And it really is: there’s
a new PvP mode, hours of new
story and puzzle-driven quests,
and a new activity, fishing. But it’s
not the amount of the new stuff
that makes this update so exciting,
it’s that there’s something for
everyone from casual players to
hardcore pirates, from solo sailers
to full four-player crews. And all
of it is really good.
Rare’s multiplayer pirate game
launched in 2018, and while it
presented a mesmerisingly beautiful
world it was also, largely, an empty
and structureless one. Over the
months it’s gotten some additions like
the Kraken, the megalodon, new
missions types and new volcanic
islands to visit, but those felt like
patching holes on a sail – they were
welcome changes, but nothing that
really altered the general experience.
The Anniversary Update is different.
Not only is there more to do, there’s
more ways to do it, and Sea of Thieves
now feels more like a complete game
instead of an amusing sandbox full of
beautiful seawater.
SCURVY DOGS
Arena mode is perfect for players
who want some ship-to-ship combat
with other players but don’t
necessarily have the time to search
for it in the open seas of the main
game, which can sometimes take
hours. There’s no need to go hunting
for players now, Arena mode plops
five crews in galleons onto a small
circle of map in close proximity with
each other, where they can battle on
the sea and dig up treasure on a
handful of islands. Matches last 25
minutes, and it’s not battle royale –
which feels downright refreshing in
2019 – so even when killed or sunk
players will respawn. It’s high-
pitched, near-constant battle without
much of a time investment, a perfect
contrasttotheoftenuneventfulpace
of the original Sea of Thieves.
Then there’s Tall Tales, the
ocean-combing new campaign
quests, which can be attempted solo
or with friends and completed in a
more leisurely series of sessions.
Players find journals and ship logs
that send them across the world
trying to unravel vague clues, acquire
mysterious items, and solve puzzles
at sea and on a number of different
islands. It has a Goonies-esque feel –
in one quest there’s a secret chamber
beneath an island that seals playersinside and fills with water as they
rotate rune-carved pillars to unlock
the door before they drown.
Tall Tales is a great addition for
new players looking to discover the
world, and for someone like me,
who’s crisscrossed the map dozens of
times, it reintroduces a bit of
excitement upon finding the correct
island alluded to in a journal. I’ve
landed on Liar’s Backbone or The
Crooked Masts plenty of times before
to dig up treasure, but now there’s
something fresh and unexpected
waiting there.NEEDS SOME LEMONS
Fishing, something loads of players
have wanted since Sea of Thieves first
launched last year, has arrived as
well. While the actual act of fishing is
a pretty simple affair, the fish
themselves are wonderful and varied.
There are ten different species, each
withfivevariations(plusa larger‘trophy’versionofeach).One
variation out of each five is extremely
rare and can take hours of casting to
catch, giving completionists
something to grind for.
Some fish only appear in certain
parts of the world, or in certain
circumstances such as during storms
or at randomly spawning shipwrecks
or in the dead of night.
Plus, fish can be cooked and used
as a healing item, or sold to the new
Hunter’s Call faction at tiny seaports
scattered around the map in
exchange for commendations and
new titles. (I am now ‘Hunter of
Pondies’, having pulled five different
fish out of a tiny freshwater pond. It
took hours. It was worth it.)
Players, depending on their style,
can treat fishing like a quest, an
obsession, or as a casual activity on
long voyages or during their crew’s
downtime. Just like the Anniversary
Update itself, when it comes to
fishing there’s a little something for
everyone, no matter how they play.
And this, alongside Tall Tales and
Arena, makes it the perfect occasion
to return to Sea of Thieves, or to try it
for the first time.NEEDTOKNOW
RELEASE
March 20, 2018
PUBLISHER
Microsoft StudiosDEVELOPER
Rare
LINK
http://www.seaoftheives.comSEA OF THIEVES
The Anniversary Update adds something for everyone. By Chris Livingston
THOU SHALT HAVE A FISHY
Top tips on how to cook your catchNOT ONLY IS
THERE MORE TO
DO, THERE’S MORE
WAYS TO DO ITThere’s a frying pan on
eachship.
You can also use island
campfires.
Don’t wander off! Cook fish
toolongandthey’llburn.
When they’re ready, the fish
will lose colour and turn white.You can also cook shark
meat,pork,chicken,andsnake!
Krakenmeat,too.
Serve in your hand, goes
wellwithgrog.
Youcan’tcookfruit.
I mean you can, but it’ll
be ruined.WHAT’SNEWINTHE BIGGEST GAMES
UPDATE