Open Wordly is a series that explores open world video games and what makes each of them unique and special.
Sea of Thieves is special kind of open-world role-playing game. This isn’t role-playing in the “I’m going to level up, upgrade my armor, and choose my skills” sense, but more in a “I’m going to actually pretend to be a pirate” sense. It also comes with all the baggage associated with being a pirate. Most days are spent drinking grog and gazing longingly at the horizon as the orange sun dips below the ocean’s surface. However, the warm glow of that horizon can quickly melt away at the sight of foreign sails silhouetted against the setting sun. Much like a boat bobbing between ocean waves, Sea of Thieves is constantly shifting you between quiet comfort and anxious chaos. And this is something that can only be accomplished by adding real human players into a massive, open-world sandbox.
Betrayal On The High Seas
The ocean is a big and dangerous place, especially when you’re alone. As such, civilization can be as alluring and treacherous as a Siren’s song. One moment you could be dancing and drinking with a fellow buccaneer, the next he could be stabbing you in the back as you bend down to dig up a treasure chest. Even still, sometimes you let your guard down.
Such was the case when I pulled into Golden Shores Outpost only to see another set of sails docked on the other side. It was just a single mast, so worst case scenario it would be a two on one scuffle. I grabbed my treasure and b-lined it for the Gold Hoarder’s tent, there I saw the other pirate standing waiting to attack. Quickly, I ran up and sold my chest, but instead of a gunshot I heard music.
I turned to see, let’s call him MacGyver, cranking the handle on his hurdy-gurdy and bobbing back and forth to the tune. Warily, I took out my concertina and transformed his solo into a serenade. There we played and danced on the beach until the sun went down, not a word between us. We both had business elsewhere, however, so we parted ways shortly thereafter.
I was on the hunt for another treasure at the Lagoon of Whispers, but first I just HAD to check out a half-sunk ship. Good thing because I found a crate of rare silks. At the time all I saw in it was a few coins, but little did I know how truly valuable this crate would become. After that small detour I pressed forward to my main objective, at this point the sun was rising on a beautiful cloudless day.
Getting the treasure was simple, but the journey back is always the tricky part. As I lugged my very pretty, very valuable Captain’s chest to my boat I was flabbergasted to see a set of sails barreling toward me. Without hesitation I dropped my chest behind a rock and ran for my boat, if I was going down it wouldn’t be without a fight. Manning my cannon, I fired first and hit, but my aggressor got a few good shots in before I could inflict more damage. It was then I decided to abandon ship and bring the fight to his deck. I snuck onboard and before I drove my blade into his back I read his name… MacGyver.
I felt so betrayed and used. I had shared a grog with this man, only to have him turn-face and follow me in hopes of stealing my treasure. Such is the pirate life, I guess, and his deceit would also be his downfall. I sent MacGyver to Davey Jone’s Locker, a small but satisfying victory. I then drove his boat ashore, also satisfying.
Sadly, my beloved boat hadn’t fared to well and all that remained was my crate of rare silks, bobbing in the water. Here I was stranded on this island with a box of silk, a chest of gold, and no boat… All the while knowing MacGyver would be back from the dead in no time. I made the only decision I could: I left the chest behind the rock, left the silk in the water, and use my merman to warp to a new boat. I figured maybe if I moved fast enough I could intercept him on his way to deliver his ill-gotten goods to an outpost.
Full sails, I steamed forward and arrived at an empty Lagoon of Whispers. No MacGyver, no crate of silks, and no sign of sails on the horizon. My heart sank because despite my best actions he still made off with my loot. Maybe out of curiosity or sorrow, I decided to disembark and explore the scene of the crime. Then and there I spotted it, my Captain’s chest still sitting in the shallows behind a rock. My split second decision to leave my booty behind paid off and MacGyver was none the wiser.
There he was, proud of his soggy, brine-soaked silks while I was sitting pretty with my Captain’s chest, and a smile on my face.
Jolly Cooperation
A pirate is only as good as his crew, such is the case in Sea of Thieves. Cooperation, staying cool under pressure, and making quick decisions are key to getting paid for your hard work. When Red Beard, Revolver, Ghost, and I teamed up we had one goal: to get that booty. We set off to a small, unassuming island to grab our first treasure, clear skies and clear horizons.
As we approached our second destination, a larger more complex island, we saw some sails on the horizon, just a sloop. Still, keeping a wary eye we approached the island. Much to our chagrin, the single-sailed vessel decided to engage us first. A four-man galleon against a tiny sloop? “Bring it on!”, we said. After circling each other a few times we both ran ashore. Our crew was green, so not everyone fully understood their roles. Ghost and I grabbed the chest from our sinking ship while Red Beard and Revolver followed it to it’s watery grave. Our only hope was to hold out long enough for the others to respawn and grab a new boat to pick us up.
As previously mentioned, this island was large and featured a complex system of caves… and the sun was setting. After wandering around looking for Ghost in almost pitch blackness, I finally found him hiding amongst some glowing mushrooms. So there we sat waiting, all the while knowing there was at least two other pirates out there looking for us.
Finally, Red Beard and Revolver barreled down on the island, ready to save the day just as the sun began to rise. We loaded the loot and made our way for the nearest outpost, but the journey was far from over.
The weather turned cloudy and rainy as we approached Plunder Outpost, and that’s where things got heated. We knew there were at least three other boats in the general area, and eventually everyone needs to go an outpost to trade in their loot. And here we all were, two galleons and two sloops looking to paid. The fight started quickly as everyone had an itchy trigger finger. At moments like this you can only hope that your crew is smarter and quicker than your adversary’s.
One of the key things to remember about Sea of Thieves is that your boat, by and large, is disposable, but the treasure on board is not. After assessing the situation we decided that the best option was to sail circles around the island, distracting the other crews, as Red and Ghost grabbed the booty and swam ashore. If all went well they would be able to sell the treasure, collect the money, and be back on the boat before anyone was the wiser.
Man I love it when a plan comes together! Revolver and I stayed on board to act as the ruse, snaking between sloops and galleons, getting shots off when we could. We knew it was a suicide mission, but it was our role to play. While Red Beard and Ghost snuck around the back of the island, we dodged cannon balls and bailed the lower decks. At the end of the day our boat may have been resting on the sea floor, but we were all high and dry, with a smile on our faces and a purse pull of coin.
Charting A New Course
Me and my first mate were looking for white-feathered chickens on some random island in Sea of Thieves when a small glint caught my eye. “What’s that?” I said as my friend seemed to walk by it without care, he was looking for chickens after all, and chickens don’t glimmer in the mid-day sun. It was a bottle that had washed shore, in it a map. It was a map of a massive island with five, yes FIVE, exes marking buried treasure. Suddenly the chickens were foul and we set our sails for a new destination: The good life.
The treasure hunt proved to be more perilous than we had anticipated. We were fired upon by a skeleton as we approached the beach, but only took minor damage. We dug up the first treasure, just a lowly Seafarer’s Chest, but still worth some coin non-the-less. It was then we decided to hide the chests in some bushes near the beach instead of on our boat. We knew this would be a long quest and the sea was full of opportunistic scallywags just looking for a chance to pillage an unattended sloop. We chose a spot so well concealed that even we lost track of it a few times. The other three chests were a cinch to find, but then there was that last one.
While searching, a storm bared down on the island. Sheets of rain pelted us and thunder crashed. I had to balance searching for the treasure with bailing out our boat that was filling with rain water, and of course watching for ships on the horizon. After searching high and low, we finally found the elusive chest and were ready to ferry our booty back to an outpost.
The plunder? Two Seafarer’s Chests, a Maurader’s Chest, and two Captain’s Chests, a small fortune for some scrappy sea dogs. We decided to risk it all and loaded everything on the ship to make it in one trip, risky, but potentially worth it. Keeping an anxious eye on the horizon, we raced toward the nearest settlement. As we approached, we saw a boat already docked at the outpost. On any other day we may have engaged this vessel, but our cargo was too precious. Making a quick turn, we raced off towards another outpost. It was much further away, but again, precious cargo. Luckily this one was vacant, we delivered our chests without harassment.
There’s no doubt we lucked out, or maybe we’re just becoming better pirates. After counting our coins we made our way to a pier and watched the sun as it sunk below the horizon. A sigh of relief after a long a day. Between hoisting sails, digging for treasure, killing skeletons, and nervously looking over our shoulders, it’s easy to forget how calmingly beautiful Sea of Thieves can be.
New Horizons
At the end of the day losing those chests wouldn’t have been the end of the world. There are always more maps, more chests, and more chickens. No matter the outcome, the experience would still be there. Not experience as in “I did a thing in the game, and my character leveled up”, but rather I just had an exciting adventure with a friend, and that can’t be stolen or lost.
The goals were are so simple in all of these scenarios: Sail here, grab this, bring it here, but once you’re on the open seas the world is your oyster. Maybe you complete the quest without any interruptions, or maybe you wind up in a heated battle with three other ships. Each crew fighting relentlessly to protect the treasures they have safely stowed below. Or maybe you find yourself lost in a storm with no direction home. It’s this randomness that makes Sea of Thieves so special, peaks of high anxiety grounded by troughs of tranquility.
There’s a certain type of danger that comes with inserting other players into an open world. The comfort of predictability is removed and you always carry with you a small sense of dread. And while this could result in a miserable experience if that dread was omnipresent, Sea of Thieves manages to perfectly balance dread with relief. Even if you forget about the danger for even a few minutes the impact of it’s resurgence is powerful. That’s how Sea of Thieves manages to be something wholly unique in an ocean full of multiplayer experiences.
