iPirate for iPhone is Swashbuckling Fun

iPirate iPhone Game

iPirate [rating: 5/5]

It is the great joy of discovery when an app exceeds your expectations. There are a lot of mediocre iPhone games out there and I thought I had run squarely into one with iPirate. To my joy and surprise though, I found iPirate to be a fun and engaging game that’s hard to put down.

iPirate from Go Games is a simulation and resource management game. In it, you play a pirate learning the ropes from Black Beard the pirate. iPirate divides the action between battle and resource management and distribution. During the battle portion of the game, you must attack enemy ships with your cannons. Cannons are loaded by dragging a round from the available ammunition stocks on to the cannon you want to fire. When you’re ready to fire press and hold the cannon, letting go when you’re ready to fire. Holding the cannon for longer increases the distance of the shot; quickly tap for close ships and press and hold for those further away. You can impart a curve in other direction to your shot by tilting your iPhone one way or the other.

Some ships may take multiple shots to sink while others will crumble under the first shot. Sinking a ship will add its gold to your treasury. Unfortunately, ships will defend themselves with cannon fire but this can be blocked by tapping the cannonball in air before it reaches your ship. If your ship is hit you can repair it with points purchased with the gold you win in each battle.

iPirate iPhone Game_2

The resource management aspect of the game kicks in after each battle. At Lisa’s shop you can purchase items to further your career as a pirate. In the ammunition shop you can buy and sell various types of ammunition. Improved ammunition costs more but has advanced capabilities. It’s a good idea to keep a good mixture of ammo to accommodate various situations. In the cannon shop you can upgrade the cannons on your ship for increased effectiveness and attack. In the ship shop you can repair and upgrade your ship and buy repair points used during the battle portion of the game.

Play is campaign based as you battle your way through increasingly difficult levels on a map. I found the game play to be varied and increasingly difficult enough to keep me engaged and interested. I would have liked a free play option but that doesn’t really detract from the overall quality of the game. As I admitted at the beginning of this review, I didn’t really know what to expect from this game but what I got was an interesting turn on the simulation genre in a fun package. iPirate also implements the OpenFeint social gaming system with a unique set of achievements and global high score system.

iPirate is a fun and engaging game that you might overlook in the App Store. Don’t. Pick up this game for an exciting adventure full of swashbuckling fun!

The Good:

  • Interesting turn on the simulation genre
  • Engaging gameplay
  • OpenFeint enabled

The Not So Good:

  • No free play option

Reviewed By: Erin Peterson

iPirate Gameplay

Price: $1.99 (iTunes Store)
Reviewed Version 1.0.1
Size: 31.9 MB
Seller: DMYTRO LUKASH

Advertisement

Leave a Reply