Crimson: Steam Pirates

Graphics and Sound – 5/5
Strategy – 3/5
Fun – 4/5
Re-playability – 5/5
Overall – 5/5

Get ready to become the scourge of the high seas! Crimson: Steam Pirates combines the world of steampunk with the swashbuckling adventures of a band of Caribbean pirates, all wrapped up neatly in a tactical naval strategy game.

The game follows the story of Thomas Blood and his saga aboard his numerous steam-powered pirate ships. The gameplay mechanics itself are a bit interesting. Like a war theatre, you plan your moves ahead, whether to steer your ship, go full steam ahead or board an enemy vessel. Firing at enemies occur automatically, which makes your pirate life a bit easier. Once you hit play, all the vessels act out all their moves, including those of your enemies, at the same time. Think of it as a combination of real time and turn based strategy.

The graphics are top-notch, with details of individual ships, islands and forts very meticulously crafted. If you want to go deeper into the mythos of the game, the menu lets you read on that as well. The music will also put you in an adventuring mood. What more would you expect from the same guys who gave us Halo, right?

The gaming mechanics are quite easy to learn and the tutorial will teach you everything you need to know. The story also has a great way of unfolding, with popups showing conversations during battle, as well as prologues and epilogues. To top it off, there is a multiplayer mode included, where you can compete via hotseat with a friend. It would have been nice to compete with others online though.

Another thing that I’d like to see improved upon is the AI. Granted that what I played against was a storyline, it would have been nice to get a bigger challenge as the game moves along. In any case, I’m sure that the developer will offer better and more worthwhile scenarios in the for-purchase chapters.

Crimson: Steam Pirates is one of the best free games for the iPad. Get this game while it’s still free!

Pros