Sid Meier's Pirates! 2004

Is it still worth playing?

Firaxis' 2004 remake of Sid Meier's Pirates! of 1987, an action and strategy game for Windows about a life at sea in the Caribbean. An evil Spanish nobleman enslaves your family over a debt, and you choose a nation to sail under, with promotions and romance coming from tasks for one of the four. At sea, battles are about maneuvering for position with the wind. Duels are fought with a rapier, cutlass or longsword, using a low slash, a high chop and a middle thrust. A governor's daughter is courted at a ball by following her hand signals as you dance, and assaults on defended cities are turn based battles on a grid. Between jobs, pieces of treasure maps are sold in taverns. As your pirate ages his swordplay slows, nudging him toward retirement. Duels, sea battles, dances and treasure hunts add up to a career you shape yourself, which still makes it easy to pick up for an evening.