Sir Moorhouse, his ship and crew are
three months past due. Last reported in search of a mysterious archipelago
in the North Sea, nothing has been heard or reported of him. Someone has
to either find him or find out what happened to him.
Guess who?
Privateer’s Bounty: Age of Sail II is an
engaging naval strategic combat game that is big on challenges. Global
Star Software and Akella have joined forces to bring a PC game that looks
good and has a terrific options package loaded with campaigns (the original
Age of Sail II campaigns plus 20 new single player missions, as well as
three open-ended campaigns).
The Sky Glider, all 44 guns primed and
ready, encounters three ships off the coast of Sweden. They are not friendly
and almost immediately open fire. A course is set, straight between two
of them. As they enter the firing range, cannons on both the port and starboard
sides open fire, breaching hulls and shredding sails. The wind favors you
and the Sky Glider dances away before the wounded vessels and turn and
return fire.
This is a game that is easy to jump into
and play. It is a matter of simply entering one of the three modes of game
styles single player, multiplayer or campaign. The game does come
with a campaign editor so you can create your own scenarios.
If you decide to pursue the single player
scenarios, you will be treated to some of the historical naval battles
of the late 18th/early 19th centuries. Each mission comes with an objective,
whether it is full-fledged destruction of the enemy or just getting the
opposing forces to surrender. You can grapple a ship, if necessary, to
board it for a more personal attack. While engaged in cannon battle, you
can instruct your crew to tend to tangled rigging or damaged sails. Without
sails you are a sitting duck.
And don’t expect the same slow-witted AI
featured in past titles of the series. The artificial intelligence of this
product is vastly improved.
Of course, after each combat, you are rewarded
and given the opportunity to repair the ships of your fleet, or to buy
new ships.
The plot thickens. A wealthy naval captain
has begun his own privateering career, but has engaged some of the top
naval vessels off the coast of Sweden to help him. His eventual goal is
to overthrow the Swedish government and return the country to a naval power.
He is ruthless and his fleet of ships, patrolling coastal waters are aggressive.
The English flag is all the warrant they need to attack. Your small fleet
has two choices, run or fight.
Northern Star is one of three open-ended
campaigns featured in this title. The evolving storyline allows players
to experience the full measure of this game. Just about every conceivable
obstacle is thrown at you, and you have the opportunity to explore the
lands and waterways of the game’s mapboards fully.
Graphically this game is well done. The
coasts are wonderful to look at, and the ship dynamics are solid.
The player interface is very user friendly.
Almost every function of this game is a click away. However, that can be
a double-edged sword. If the auto-fire is enabled, you are likely to shoot
at anything that comes within range of your cannons and that includes
friendly ships.
Should players feel bogged down in the
real-time character of the game, you can speed it up so that those laborious
turns happen in seconds however, what is the fun of that. The joy
of this game lies in the real-time frame. If you keep it at the normal
pace, you have the opportunity to see what the enemy is doing, and adjust
accordingly just like it must have really been. This is not just
a naval combat game, this is a high-seas chess match with deadly consequences.
Privateer’s Bounty: Age of Sail II is a
time-consuming strategy game is a pleasure to play. It is challenging,
and features the elements of any good war-gaming experience.
It is rated for Everyone.
Gameplay: 8
The game does take time to play, simply
because ships don’t turn on a dime, and you have to configure turns with
gun range. Once in a scenario, the action moves well and you can
speed up the game so that a fight that could take hours only takes minutes.
The game does have a few minor problems, but nothing that should daunt
fans of this genre. However, you can, inadvertently, move out of a mission
by hitting the wrong keys, and it is impossible to return.
Graphics: 8.5
The ocean does seem overly flat during
even some tumultuous weather conditions, but overall this game looks very
good. Smoke from the cannons, and ocean spray of cannon balls missing targets
are all well rendered. The moveable camera allows players to get right
on top of the action.
Sound: 7.8
The musical score and effects such
as weather, cannon fire and ship damage are well done. However, the
voice echoing orders is bland at best. Also, at times between battles,
some echoing problems were experienced in the overall sound.
Difficulty: Medium
The player interface is well designed,
and provides ease of access for the game. The game sports three difficulty
levels and even newcomers to the genre and series while given some
latitude will find this a challenge. You won’t sail through every
naval battle unscathed. This game requires thought and planning, most often
on the spur of the moment. That the game seems to have linear qualities
makes replaying a scenario easier because you have an idea of what you
face and where they are coming from.
Concept: 8
This game is well designed, with a solid
AI, and a great options package. The multi-faceted campaign scenarios are
an excellent adjunct to this release.
Multiplayer: 7.5
This game supports LAN or Internet play
over the GameSpy network. Up to 16 players can compete in fleet-versus-fleet
action. You can also go one-on-one, if that is more to your liking.
Overall: 8
Privateer’s Bounty: Age of Sail II is
a solid game that sports all the elements of an enjoyable gaming experience.
It looks good, plays well and is challenging. The game does have a few
minor problems, but should appeal to anyone who enjoys naval strategic
combat.
