Port Royale 2
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| Port Royale 2

Taking the reigns of a tall ship and trading your way to fortune by buying, selling and stealing everything from gold to ale, sailing from port to port to build a trading empire worthy of Blackbeard himself, isn’t a career path that’s as popular as it used to be. You certainly can’t picture Donald Trump captaining a pirate ship, although there’s no doubt it would make episodes of The Apprentice more exciting. It would also make for a fun fortnight on work experience, too. So it’s a shame that the closest we’re likely to come these days is to play Port Royale 2.

The premise is really simple: make as much money as you can and build up trading routes throughout the Caribbean and the New World. If you’re clever with your hard earned stolen goods, you can earn profits on all the commodities whilst building friendships with governors and murderous thugs. Along the way you’ll encounter pirates and all manner of suspicious characters in pubs offering you goods in exchange for small “transactions” which involve robbing ships and looting ports. It all comes together in an enjoyable package that’s big enough in scale to keep you going for days on end, and it may give you a smile on your face too.

This is achieved largely by a system of menus and option screens, most of which are self-explanatory, letting you concentrate on the job in hand, whilst the missions that you’re assigned are good fun. Being piratical in nature does mean you’ll get caught in the occasional ship-to-ship action and this is where things can fall apart; if you don’t get the hand of the bewildering controls when you’re caught in a crossfire with another ship, you’ll appreciate the fact that you can earn your bones through trade and exploration alone. Other than that single problem, the action in the game flows well, requiring you use your brain on many occasions to plan the best routes and the best places to sell your wares.

It’s all quite atmospheric, too. Port Royale 2 does well in creating a good setting for the game. The obvious pirate jingle blasts out on the title screen, and while this is really the only sound you’ll hear, it’s the graphics that make the best impression. The handling of the large world map is really good, making it easy to navigate your way from A to B and when you reach a port you’re presented with colourful menu screens and a clear selection of what’s open to you. Whether it’s meeting the local officials or buying a new boat, you can do anything you want providing it’s immoral and will make you even more money.

It’s evident from the moment you cast off that Port Royale 2 was never designed as an immediate game, and you’ll need to put in some time and effort before you’re going to get anywhere, but it return many fun-filled hours of engrossing gameplay. Thankfully it has a save option, enabling you to come back and continue your adventures on the seven seas with your current ship and shipmates. It really is a well thought out game, but you’ll need a few spare days on your hands rather than just minutes.

Port Royale 2

A different take on the role-playing theme, it's Seven Seas Tycoon with some good old fashioned fun thrown in
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