Review – Pirates Outlaws

If someone reading this thinks, “Wasn’t this game released two years ago?” You would be right. But, Fabled Games now has taken their pillaging and plundering to the realm of home gaming! Pirates Outlaws is now released and we will review said console version.

Content Guide

Alcohol/Drug Substance

All references of ale and drinks are cards that add the effect of drunk to your character, which only decreases your attack stat.

Violence

Nothing is shown, but cards involving weapons and artillery are present. Every character and enemy is paper-like in appearance, and merely disappears when defeated.

Review

Before anything else is said, if you know what Slay the Spire is, then you’ll know everything you need to play Pirate’s Outlaws. I did not know, but every comment about PO usually ends with, “it’s Slay the Spire, but with pirate’s”. If you don’t know, read on.

A pirate game with neat art is what appealed to me when I saw Pirates Outlaws, but what kept me was the surprisingly pleasant gameplay loop. This game came around at the right time too. I was needing a game that I could pick up quickly, play a bit for distraction, and move on. It doesn’t have a story, but that’s okay; sometimes you just need a game to be a game.

Pirates Outlaws is about traversing various maps each with three chapters of different locales, challenging enemy pirates, random events, and a boss at the end. Players have a ship with 100 points to it, these points dictate how many actions can be taken. Normally one island or event ranges from 2-7 points, with the boss being 10 points or higher. Islands represent fights, and once chosen, players take part in a turn-by-turn battle of one to three enemies. 

There are multiple pirates for players to pick from, but not at the beginning. Repute is earned through playthroughs, and with enough, pirates become available. They all have different health, ability, and deck stats. For instance, the Gunner deals with many ranged attacks, and few melee. He is also equipped with shields which provide extra temporary hitpoints. 

There are side quests to indulge in; they do not stray from the regular gameplay but their rewards provide more than the usual bounty. Examples include extra cards, higher hitpoints, or magic items to prolong your current run. There is a game mode known as Arena, which consists of only fighting without choosing between fights or events, and items and relics are given from all seven chapters of the game. And if you need more, the Tavern Brawl mode has pre-made decks and items for the challenges. There are sixteen heroes to unlock, 700 cards to find and 200 relics to collect.

There’s so much to keep doing and earning, that Pirates Outlaws is a game that can be played off and on for a long time. It’s a solid game to add to any collection.

A review copy of this game was generously provided.