This game isn't perfect, but even after all of these years, it delivers a fun, challenging experience. The graphics are clearly dated, but the heavily stylized look actually serves it well, I think; it's not going to age nearly as poorly as something that makes more of an attempt at being "realistic-looking". The setting is beautifully realized and the sheer variety of things to do could easily overwhelm a new player, but the Apprentice mode that the game starts you in by default does a really good job of introducing the various mechanics of the game in an easily-digested way. The gameplay itself is fun and goes at a decent clip, though there IS a bit of a problem... the trade winds blow all year round, it seems, so trying to backtrack to the east once you've sailed west is invariably slow. Still, there are things that you can do to speed it up, and there's sure to be lots of adventures to have and plunder to take along the way. Overall, this is a very solid game, and probably the best single-player pirate-themed game that I have played to date. Especially considering how inexpensive it usually is, don't hesitate to grab it; it won't disappoint.
This game doesn't break any new ground; it's mechanically and thematically in line with many other city builders. On the other hand, it works the basic formula of the genre very well for the most part, and it's worth picking up on sale for a bit of traditional fun.
