The Guild 2: Pirates of the European Seas

Review from Anna - Thursday, 09 August 2007 @ 1:33am

Ahoy there, me hearties! Pirates be abound in this ‘ere piece of gamin’ silver.

Arrr, I be a pirate queen with a hankering fer the high seas. This not be what I was lookin’ fer exactly. And to be exact, piratin’ be only of a professionalism on the real seas, the Caribbean seas! The open seas! By the gods, even the Mediterranean! This be European seas. Pah! I be a real pirate with some serious piratin’ to be doin’. None of this European seas business, ye scurvy bilge-drinkin' tar-merchant. Last I checked, the European seas were not part o’ the Seven Seas package. Arrr, even wikipedia does not have an article fer these European Seas, therefore, it doesn’t exist. Seas that don’t exist don’t be seas fer piratin’, savvy? But me gripes of geography be misplaced. This be a game of a piractical nature and of a piratical nature it be needin’ a review.

Avast!

As expansions be goin’, this be a fine example of how t’ do it. Yer take yer initial game first, then look at it, turn it around a few times to be sure it be gold, and add yer extras. Extras be those ye don’t really be needin’ but could be a pretty penny more or interestin’ fer those who have yer game already. It be a sure way of milkin’ that gold from ye happy consumer.


But ye probably all know that already, ye messdeck lawyer.

This one be a high quality example of this and I be as mad as a salted herring if it isn’t so. The thing about expansions to yer game is that ye need yer first game to have something that needs expandin’. Expandin’ be the business and The Guild 2 don’t be a game that really needs any expandin’. If ye were to ask an old saltdog like me, and so ye are!

Thar be little to add in this game. Most o’ it is quite the same and any changes be small and hardly noticeable in gameplay. Thar be a bit of seabattle and seatrade to be had. Ye also have a few more options to make yer fortune with – namely with taverns and piratin’ (o’ course). Yarr, thar do be wenches aboot. Playin’ as one can help yer take control o’ the minds of men and help ye get yer way… not that this ‘ere pirate be exploitin’ the extra.

Ye also can begin to protect yer own instead of havin’ to hire those landlubbers to keep safe yer booty. Little things like that are nice little surprises as ye sail through yer game but again, these extras are only t’ be sneezed at. There’s nothin’ to reinvent but the chances to yell “Ye had better get topside afore I keel haul you and grow barnacles on ye starboard knacker!” at the screen is always a bit o’ fun in any ole game.


Most o’ these extras have come from suggestions originatin’ from the community – some suggestions dating back t’ fans o’ the original Guild game. Some, like the inclusion of class hierarchy an’ yer social standing havin’ an affect on yer application fer an office of governmen’ can be a wee bit more challengin’ than the ole way of achievin’ yer goals with the cold clink of a leather bag passin’ from good gentlemen to another. Perhaps this is why we be havin’ an expansion – respect fer yer crew is highly admirable in any captain and as captain that listens to his crew be a wise captain, not o’ the scum ridden weevil shagged variety thar be sailin’ on with nought a compass. Many members of his crew be pleased fer this expansion and that be reason enough fer me as to why this expandin’ were done.

As fer the fixin’ they be doin’ in the production rigs, thar be a fair bit o’ the ole “slap o’ tar and it’ll hold”. A few bugs be cornered and aft told to walk the plank but thar still be a few t’ be wary of. Thar also be the annoyin’ habit o’ the game to be movin’ (rather it be floatin’) yer characters and NPCs to the side of the screen to get a better shot fer yer conversation windows be distractin’ and unnecessary. This practice be one o’ the ole secrets in many an FPS or RPG where they don’ need any floatin’ to be had if they not be quite right.

If I be talkin’ more about this game, I’d be repeatin’ myself from my previous review o’ the original game. If ye liked the original game, this might be a worthy investment of yer copper pieces, especially if ye have the knack fer it that I were lackin’.

Now be off wit’ ye afore I skuttle ye an' string yer bones from the crow's nest, ye son of a biscuit eater three sheets t’ the wind!

Summary

Arr, thar be many aspects o’ the game to wary of, oft similar to the pitfalls of the original but with a wee improvement (namely of a piratical nature). If ye enjoyed the first, thar be no reason why ye wouldn’t like the piratical addition. It be an expansion – nothing more.

Pros

Arrr, ye scurvy curs! Wenches! Plunder! The extra bits!

Cons

Still a wee bit complicated, suffers the same (if not more) limitations as the first.