I've been playing the beta of Pirates of the Burning Sea for a few months and come to you now with some perceptions, praise, criticisms and concerns. Considering the game is releasing in a few weeks, many of you may be considering signing up for a new MMO experience.

Fair or not, every new MMO is going to be compared to World of Warcraft as its success creates a standard that all others will be measured against. In this regard, Pirates of the Burning Sea is going to have a very difficult time in a straight-up fight, though it should be understood that Pirates is making no attempt to be WoW. Pirates is a very different game with only superficial similarities and should appeal to a different segment of gamers.

What is It?

Pirates of the Burning Sea is a role-playing game, wherein you can select one nationality per server, whether it be French, English, Spanish or Pirate. Within each nation are several classes, including Naval Officer, Privateer, and Freetrader, each with their own style of play, whether you want to concentrate on combat or economy.

After a brief tutorial, you find yourself in charge of your very own ship and missions will begin accruing within your log as you navigate around your home city. Most missions find you taking to the waters for ship-to-ship combat while others find you adventuring on land. You'll gain experience points that allow you to spend skill points very much like WoW, allowing you to tailor-make a character in any way you desire.

Does it Work?

It's obvious that Pirates of the Burning Sea is not a big-budget title. Graphics are poor and not up to snuff. Character animations are weak, though the character designer is suitably robust, allowing for a wide-range of appearances. Terrain graphics are dated, as are the sea graphics. You can't help but feel that you're playing a game made in the late 90s. This wouldn't be so bad if it ran really fast, but Pirates is a bit of a resource hog, demanding more than it returns.