May 3rd 2024.
The highly anticipated game, Sea of Thieves, has finally arrived on PlayStation 5. This popular Xbox exclusive has been around for two generations and has now made its way onto the latest PlayStation console. But with six years since its initial release, the big question is, how much has changed? Microsoft's stance on multi-platform games has always been a bit unclear, and this applies to both their internal studios and those from Bethesda. While their original plan was to keep all Bethesda games as Xbox exclusives, along with major franchises like Halo and Forza, it seems likely that they will change their mind in the near future.
At the moment, all we know for sure is that four games - Pentiment, Grounded, Hi-Fi Rush, and Sea of Thieves - are now available on PlayStation 5. Of the four, Sea of Thieves is the most well-known and was even the most pre-ordered game on PlayStation 5 at one point. Currently, it is the 33rd most played game on the PlayStation Network. However, the real milestone for Microsoft's cross-platform plans will be when they have more games in the top 20 of the PlayStation Store than Sony. This could very well happen, thanks to the fact that all Activision Blizzard games will remain multi-platform. It is still unclear how this will affect Microsoft's plans for Bethesda and their beloved franchises, but for now, let's take a closer look at the four games that have created all this buzz.
Although these games may not have the same level of popularity as some of Xbox's other exclusives, they are among the best first-party games of the modern era. Pentiment offers an excellent narrative role-playing experience, Hi-Fi Rush is a fun rhythm action game, and Grounded is an imaginative live service title. While we haven't played Grounded since its early access release in 2020, we have been playing Sea of Thieves on and off since its launch in 2018. We mainly play it for a short time, but it's a great game for socializing with friends, and we were especially excited to try out the recent Monkey Island content. And now, we can do all that and more on the PlayStation 5.
The premise of Sea of Thieves is simple, and that's one of its main appeals. You get to create your own customizable pirate and set sail on an adventure. That was the basic structure when the game originally launched, and while it has improved over time, the focus is still on exploration and adventure rather than a complex end goal. Controlling a ship is a satisfyingly tactile experience, and it varies depending on whether you're playing alone, with one other person, or as a team of four. You have to trim sails, raise anchors, turn wheels, man lookout posts and cannons, and coordinate with your crew to avoid any mishaps. But let's be real, the most enjoyable sessions are the ones where everyone blames each other for not doing their part, which just adds to the fun. Plus, there's always the option to get yourself drunk with a pitcher of grog and start puking on everyone.
However, when the game first launched, it faced two major issues - a lack of content and direction, and terrible melee combat. The first problem has been resolved over the years, and this PlayStation 5 release benefits from six years' worth of additional content that not only adds more activities but also makes the game more engaging and interesting. The story campaigns for Pirates of the Caribbean and Monkey Island are the highlights, but there are also other exciting additions, such as supernatural enemies and hidden treasures. However, the game still lacks proper guidance on where to go and what to do outside of the initial tutorial. Even the hub island can be a bit challenging to navigate.
The game still encourages players to explore and create their own entertainment, but for newcomers, it can be overwhelming. This is partly due to the numerous logins and account registrations required to even start the game. While linking your Microsoft account to your PlayStation Network account is a significant milestone for the gaming industry, it's also a huge pain in the neck. Putting that aside, the biggest issue for us is the combat, which is intentionally lackluster. Firing cannons from a ship is okay, but it lacks feedback, making it challenging to aim and determine if you've hit your target. On land, melee combat is just not enjoyable at all. It's been like this since the beginning, and the developer, Rare, has made it clear that it's intentional. However, it does level the playing field for everyone, and with no leveling up system, new guns and ship items are purely cosmetic. But considering how much time is spent on melee combat, it's a shame that it's not more exciting.
In conclusion, Sea of Thieves on PlayStation 5 is a game that has come a long way since its original release. It offers a unique and enjoyable experience, especially when played with friends. The addition of new content has made it a much more engaging game, but the combat is still a letdown. However, for fans of the game and new players looking for a fun and social experience, Sea of Thieves on PlayStation 5 is definitely worth checking out.
Sea of Thieves has finally arrived on PlayStation 5, marking the first time this popular Xbox exclusive has made its way to a different console. It's been six years since the game first launched and fans are eager to see just how much has changed in that time.
But despite all the talk surrounding Microsoft's policy towards multi-platform games, it's still unclear what their stance really is. This applies not only to their own internal studios but also to those from Bethesda. While the initial plan was to keep all Bethesda games as Xbox exclusives, along with key franchises such as Halo and Forza, it's highly likely that Microsoft will change their mind in the near future.
At the moment, all we know for sure is that Pentiment, Grounded, Hi-Fi Rush, and Sea of Thieves are now available on PlayStation 5. Sea of Thieves, in particular, has garnered a lot of attention and was even the most pre-ordered game on PlayStation 5 at one point. As of now, it's the 33rd most played game on the PlayStation Network. But the real milestone for Microsoft's cross-platform plans will be when they have more games in the PlayStation Store top 20 than Sony. This could be thanks to the fact that all Activision Blizzard games will remain multi-platform. It's still unclear how this will influence Microsoft's decision with Bethesda and their legacy franchises, so for now, all we can do is take a closer look at these four games and see if they live up to the hype.
While these may not be the most high-profile titles, the Multiformat Four are some of the best first-party Xbox games of the modern era. Pentiment is an excellent narrative role-playing game, Hi-Fi Rush is a fun rhythm action game, and Grounded is an imaginative live service title. We haven't played Grounded since it first launched in early access in 2020, but we have been playing Sea of Thieves on and off since its release in 2018.
We may only play it briefly from time to time, but it's a great game for socializing with friends. Plus, we were eager to try out the recent Monkey Island content, and now we can do so on PlayStation 5 as well.
The premise of Sea of Thieves is simple yet appealing – you play as a customizable pirate and your goal is to explore the open seas, look for treasure, and interact with other players. The game used to lack direction and content at launch, but that has since been resolved with six years worth of additional content. This PlayStation 5 release benefits from all that, offering more to do and more interesting gameplay.
The story campaigns for Pirates of the Caribbean and Monkey Island are the highlights, but there are also plenty of other exciting elements, such as supernatural enemies and hidden treasures. However, the game still wants you to explore and create your own entertainment, which can be overwhelming for new players. Even the hub island can be challenging to navigate.
The biggest issue for us, though, is the combat. While controlling the ship is a fun and tactile experience, melee combat is purposefully underwhelming and gun combat lacks feedback. Ship combat is still enjoyable thanks to the teamwork required, but fighting on foot is a different story. Developer Rare has acknowledged this and claims it's intentional, but it's a shame that there's no way to make it more exciting. This becomes more apparent when you realize that there's no leveling up in the game, and any new weapons or ship items are purely for cosmetic purposes.
Despite these flaws, Sea of Thieves remains a unique and enjoyable game, especially when played with friends. And now, with its arrival on PlayStation 5, even more players can experience the joy of sailing the open seas as a pirate.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
