Disney certainly knows how to milk a concept and Pirates Online is addictive procrasticandy. The game is free to download but in order to progress in quests and buy the best swag for your customizable pirate avatar you have to become a member and pay a low monthly fee.
The game functions and appearance is a blatant World of Warcraft rip-off, but I like WoW and I like pirates so I like this game. Disney Online games are great at putting games within games; Pirates features piratey Texas Hold ‘Em, piratey Black Jack, as well as a few fast-clicking mini-games used to repair ships that have been damaged by battle.
The water wars in Pirates Online make it more than just another WoW-based quest-fest. Free users as well as paid members can buy sloops and galleons to take out in to the open ocean for fun and profit. Although free users cannot purchase the fanciest ships, they can still enjoy the fruits of expensive battle by joining the crews of other members. Together you can board, battle, and plunder your way to booty and victory.
The frame rate is slow but can be improved by switching to a less populated server. Disney keeps players coming back through changing and updating shops and quests and adding fun online events. Recently players have been invited to battle the invading forces of Jolly Roger at certain times of day. This Disney Online game is racier and darker than any of their other titles but it is still appropriate and engaging for most age groups.
It’s free to check out and definitely worth enjoying for at least an afternoon. Prepare yourself for long, boring loading screens that try to hard to be clever, but remember that patience is a virtue and is often rewarded. Come for the bounty of the high seas, stay for the fantastic hats. It’s a pirate’s life for me!
