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Pixel Piracy

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Pixel Piracy
Logo of Pixel Piracy, showcasing a pirate ship in the background
Developer(s)Quadro Delta[a]
Publisher(s)Re-Logic[b]
Producer(s)Alexander Poysky
Composer(s)Kole Hiks
EngineUnity
Platform(s)
Release
  • Windows,OS X,Linux
  • July 31, 2014
  • PlayStation 4,Xbox One
  • February 16, 2016
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Pixel Piracyis a 2014side-scrollingaction-adventure gamewithroguelikeelements, developed by Quadro Delta and published byRe-Logic.In theindie game,players construct a pirate ship, hire and train a crew, and guide their crew toward notoriety by defeating the four pirate captains in aprocedurally-generatedworld full of islands. The game features several difficulty modes.

The developers began working on the game in 2013. It went through several development stages, including being released inearly access.The game was fully released onSteamon July 31, 2014, for PC and on February 16, 2016, forPlayStation 4andXbox Oneplatforms.Pixel Piracyreceived a major update in 2015; the game's development stopped in 2016 but resumed in 2023. Since then, onedownloadable contentwas published and anonline versionof the game was announced for 2025. The game received mixed reviews, with the praise going to itssandboxelements, graphics, and soundtrack, specially due to the addition ofsea shantiesin the game. Its repetitive gameplay, mechanics, primarily the controls and combat system, anduser interfacewere, however, criticised.

Gameplay

[edit]
Five pirates and a pet chicken on the edge of a foresty island
Pixel Piracytakes place on procedurally-generated islands

Pixel Piracyis anopen worldandside-scrollingaction-adventure gamethat uses16-bit-styled sprites and2D graphics.[1][2][3][4]Thesingle-playergame combines elements ofrole-playing,particularly theroguelikesubgenre,platformer,simulation,andstrategygenres.[3][4][5]The goal of the game is to beat four notorious pirate captains, but players are allowed to explore the game as they wish.[2][4]The game's goal can be completed in approximately 20 hours.[6]The game includes atutorialthat teaches players the game's core mechanics.[2][6]

After customizing the player and difficulty settings of theprocedurally-generatedworld,[7]the player takes control of a pirate captain whospawnson an island, where players can build their own ship using a set of blocks and hire a crew withcoinsobtained at spawn.[1][4][8]The pirate captain has nearly complete control over the size of the ship and crew and can upgrade their ship withcannons.[4][9]The captain can also die by starvation, enemy pirates, or wild animals; the game also haspermadeath,which means that the captain does not respawn after death.[1]The game has a day-night cycle.[10]

While traveling, the player must manage the crew's hunger and deal with equipment requirements.[1][2][4]To embark, the player can select a destination on the world map.[1][11]Locations range in population and danger.[1][12]The computer controls the actual sailing, but the ship will stop for a battle if its route crosses an occupied map node.[1][10]Ship battles are determined by acquired stats and by choices the player can make. Winning battles earns the player points and equipment, which they can use to improve the crew's size and abilities.[1]In addition, once the foes are defeated, the player can take over their ship or destroy it.[2]Upon reaching a destination, the inhabitants may be friendly or hostile toward the crew; the islands could also contain animals, valuables, and taverns that can be adopted as the crew's headquarters.[1][4]The crew can also catch wild animals in cages and domesticate them as part of the crew.[7]Other types of encounters include towns with a mix of the game's four stores.[4][13]The game features "squirrel-ish"voice actingbetween the pirates and shop owners.[4]

Crew stats, including health, morale, and supply level, affect the success of pillaging at a destination.[1]Taverns provide an infinite supply of food and beverages, likeale,to aid the crew in healing their wounds, as well as armed pirates for crew expansion.[4]The captain can use books, either found or purchased, to teach the crew new abilities, such as swimming, cleaning, cooking, and fishing.[2][4][9][14]Additionally, crew members may defecate aboard the ship.[15][16]Pirates can equipmelee,ranged,or rock weaponry.[7]

The game was updated over time, introducing a variety of difficulty modes.[6]In addition to the standard gameplay,Pixel Piracypreviously offered an "arena mode" in which the pirate captain would defend an island that was being invaded by a wave of pirates who progressively increased in difficulty and speed.[7]

Development and release

[edit]

Pixel Piracywas developed by Finnish and Spanishindependent developersVitali Kirpu and Alexander Poysky, collectively known as Quadro Delta, and published byRe-Logic.[4][6][17][18]The game was developed using theUnitygame engine.[19]Poysky said that Re-Logic and their 2011 indiesandboxvideo gameTerrariainspired him to pursue a career in video game development. Re-Logic actively contributed to the development ofPixel Piracy,assisting withquality assuranceand design. Kirpu initially worked entirely alone on the game, but Mikko Arvala later joined as a maintenance developer. Poysky worked as a producer on the game;Pixel Piracyalso had its own testing team.[17]

The development of the game began in mid 2013.[20]TheAlpha versionof the game was released in November 2013, and it was accepted through theSteam Greenlightsystem.[5][8][21]The game was launched inearly accessonSteamin December 2013, and its developers also released a freepirated torrentof the game "in an attempt to compromise with users who will pirate the game regardless".[21][22][23]Poysky said that the early access system on Steam allowed the team to grow in momentum and fund the game.[17]During its development, the game regularly received bug fixes and updates.[13]Pixel Piracyremained in early access until it was fully released on Steam on July 31, 2014, forMicrosoft Windows,OS X,andLinuxplatforms.[24][25]The game features a custom soundtrack composed by Kole Hiks, includingsea shantiesinspired byAssassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.[4][26]Pixel Piracyhas references to theMonkey Islandvideo game series and thePirates of the Caribbeanfilm series.[7]

Following its full release, Quadro Delta released the "Enhanced Edition" for free to allPixel Piracyowners on April 23, 2015. The developers issued a formal apology, acknowledging their failures and assuring players that much work had been and would continue to be done to meet all development promises and fix all the game's issues. Poysky said that the team "felt it wasn't up to snuff with our standards" when the game was first launched. The Enhanced Edition supported more languages and improved items, abilities, andartificial intelligence(AI).[17]The game was later released forPlayStation 4andXbox Oneon February 16, 2016.[2][6][27]Abstraction Games developed and505 Gamespublished the games for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.[3][6]On the release date of console editions,Pixel Piracyreceived crossover content fromTerraria.[28]The game remained available onPlayStation Plusuntil May 2023.[29]

Pixel Piracycontinued to receive incremental updates until February 2016, when a 7-year hiatus began.[30]Quadro Delta went bankrupt in late 2017, after which the duo split up; Kirpu remained the sole developer of the game.[31]Development continued with its nextpatchin January 2023. Since then, the game has received regular updates.[32]Its firstdownloadable content,Pixel Piracy – Shrimp Legacy,was released a month later.[33]In September 2023, Kirpu announced that anonline versionof the game,Pixel Piracy Online,was in development.[34]The game is set to release in 2025.[35]

Quadro Delta also worked with Re-Logic on a tactical role-playing game namedPixel Privateers,which was released in 2017.[36][37]The game adopted elements ofPixel PiracyandTerrariawhile also featuring an onlinecooperative mode.[36]It was compared to theBorderlandsandDiablogames.[37][38]

Reception

[edit]

Pixel Piracyreceived "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregatorMetacritic.[39]Initially, during its early access phase, reviewers complimented the game for its potential.[1][8]Craig Pearson ofPC Gamerdescribed it as a "fine example of a cute Early Access title".[1]After its console release, Francesco Serino ofEveryeye.it [it]wrote, "the final result is so modest and unconvincing that it leaves one speechlees".[14]Jose Rodríguez ofIGNpraised the overall game for its innovative and enjoyable elements.[40]The game received theIndie DBIndie of the Year award in the Editors Choice category.[42]

Reviewers criticised the gameplay and its mechanics, describing the controls as complicated,[12][40]and the combat system as perple xing.[9][16][43]Lucio Lorenzino ofEnemy Slimedescribed the game as uncomplete upon its PC debut, citing missing textures, incorrect character pronouns, and broken AI. He also said that "the game is not interested in explaining how anything works".[13]Writing forGamekult,Thomas Mangot mentioned that it had bugs upon full release and that the game's artificial intelligence was "chaotic".[9]Pearson characterized the map as vague and said that combat could have been improved.[1]Josephine Lawton ofPure Xboxstated that the ability to control both the pirate captain and the crew "often doesn't work as expected", explaining that the crew often refused to jump on the enemy ship or walk, and that even after the enemy ship was defeated, the crew would not move.[2]Upon its full release in 2014, the game lacked tutorials that explained the game's mechanisms.[7][8]Lawton observed that upon their addition, the tutorial does not introduce the player to the majority of the game's elements.[2]Lorenzino said that the crew would sometimes refuse to leave enemy vessels, and the player could not use the interact option.[13]The game was nonetheless lauded for its sandbox elements.[8][9][44]The game's concepts of building were compared toSid Meier's Pirates!.[7][14]The game also garnered criticism for its repetitive gameplay mechanisms.[c]Scott Craft ofPlayer.Onesaid that "the game fails to offer players any real incentive to keep playing after their first couple of sessions". He noted that the gameplay was initially entertaining but that the game quickly becomes dull.[4]

The game was praised for its graphics and textures.[d]Pearson observed that its graphics and soundtrack contrasted with the difficulty of the gameplay, whilst Craft said that "Pixel Piracy's rather vibrant aesthetic lends itself well to the subject ".[1][4]Lawton, on the other hand, disliked that the sprites did not integrate with the backgrounds that she saw as dry, while Roberto Turrini ofThe Games Machinefound the pixel graphics confusing at times.[2][12]Emmanuel González ofIGNdescribed the design of the islands as "repetitive" but graphically pleasant.[25]According to Rodríguez, the PC version is more detailed than the Xbox One version.[40]Theuser interfacewas criticized as confusing.[7][9][13]Furthermore, the interface'spoint-and-clicknature makes it unfriendly for console versions of the game.[6]

Reviewers praised the game's soundtrack, especially the use of sea shanties.[e]Lawton, however, claimed that the overall soundtrack is repetitious and annoying; Lorenzino conversely said that the music suits the game well.[2][13]González said that the game's "sound effects are simple but effective".[25]The voice acting also gained acclaim byPlayer.One.[45]Ramón Varela ofVandallikened the game's voice acting to theWormsvideo game series.[6]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^Ported toPlayStation 4andXbox Oneby Abstraction Games.
  2. ^Published to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One by505 Games.
  3. ^Attributed to following reviews:[4][6][12][16][43]
  4. ^Attributed to following reviews:[1][4][7][9][25]
  5. ^Attributed to following reviews:[2][4][6][40]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcdefghijklmnoPearson, Craig (January 29, 2014)."The Early Access Report – Divinity: Original Sin, Pixel Piracy and Final Rush".PC Gamer.Archivedfrom the original on September 30, 2023.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  2. ^abcdefghijklmLawton, Josephine (February 25, 2016)."Pixel Piracy: Review".Pure Xbox.Archived from the original on March 28, 2016.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^abc"Pixel Piracy".Rock Paper Shotgun.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  4. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrCraft, Scott (August 11, 2014)."Pixel Piracy Review: What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor?".Player.One.Archivedfrom the original on August 15, 2024.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  5. ^abPearson, Craig (December 3, 2013)."Pixel Piracy Devs Pirate Pixel Piracy".Rock Paper Shotgun.Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2024.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  6. ^abcdefghijVarela, Ramón (February 18, 2016)."Análisis de Pixel Piracy (PS4, PC, Xbox One)"[Pixel Piracy Review (PS4, PC, Xbox One)].Vandal(in Spanish).Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2024.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  7. ^abcdefghijČmelik, Jan (September 1, 2014)."Pixel Piracy".Svet kompjutera(in Serbian).Archivedfrom the original on May 15, 2017.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  8. ^abcdeEsteve, Jaume (June 7, 2014)."Pixel Piracy: Piratas, piratería y estética retro"[Pixel Piracy: Pirates, piracy, and retro aesthetics].IGN(in Spanish).Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2024.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  9. ^abcdefghMangot, Thomas (August 4, 2014)."Test: Pixel Piracy (PC)".Gamekult(in French).Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2024.RetrievedAugust 14,2024.
  10. ^ab"Pixel Piracy: Primeras impresiones"[Pixel Piracy: First impressions].Eurogamer(in Spanish). August 4, 2014.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  11. ^Pearson, Craig (October 9, 2013)."Place Planks And Plunder: Pixel Piracy".Rock Paper Shotgun.Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2024.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  12. ^abcdeTurrini, Roberto (February 26, 2016)."Pixel Piracy – Recensione"[Pixel Piracy – Review].The Games Machine(in Italian).Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2024.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  13. ^abcdefLorenzino, Lucio (August 14, 2014)."Review: Pixel Piracy".Enemy Slime.Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2024.RetrievedAugust 13,2014.
  14. ^abcSerino, Francesco (February 20, 2016)."Recensione Pixel Piracy"[Pixel Piracy Review].Everyeye.it[it](in Italian).RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  15. ^Robinson, Martin (June 23, 2014)."Video: Pixel Piracy live stream".Eurogamer.Archivedfrom the original on May 21, 2024.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  16. ^abcOstrowski, Andrzej (February 24, 2016)."Recenzja: Pixel Piracy (PS4)"[Review: Pixel Piracy (PS4)].PPE(in Polish).Archivedfrom the original on August 15, 2024.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  17. ^abcdPriestman, Chris (May 15, 2015)."Why The Pixel Piracy Developer Apologized To Its Community, And How It Bounced Back".Siliconera.Archivedfrom the original on July 10, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 25,2016.
  18. ^"Piętnaście pikseli na" umrzyka skrzyni "!" [Fifteen pixels for a "dead box"!].Gamer.mag(in Polish). Vol. 10, no. 31. November 28, 2014.
  19. ^Kirpu, Vitali [@PixelPiracyGame] (September 15, 2023)."Pixel Piracy still runs on Unity4, Do you want a runtime fee for a game that was made in 2013? 🤣 @unity"(Tweet).RetrievedAugust 15,2024– viaTwitter.
  20. ^Poysky, Alexander (July 3, 2013)."What is Pixel Piracy Simulator?".Indie DB.Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2024.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  21. ^abGera, Emily (December 3, 2013)."Pixel Piracy studio gives gamers official blessing to pirate the game".Polygon.Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2024.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  22. ^Quadro Delta (December 12, 2013)."Thank you all for trying our Early Access release!".Steam.Archivedfrom the original on May 28, 2023.RetrievedMay 28,2023.
  23. ^Grisci, Bruno (December 3, 2013)."Yarr! Estúdio independente libera cópia pirata de seu jogo de piratas"[Yarr! Independent Studio Releases Pirated Copy of Its Pirate Game].GameBlast(in Portuguese).Archivedfrom the original on March 25, 2024.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  24. ^"Pixel Piracy".OpenCritic.Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2024.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  25. ^abcdGonzález, Emmanuel (September 13, 2014)."Pixel Piracy – Análisis"[Pixel Piracy – Review].IGN(in Spanish).Archivedfrom the original on August 15, 2024.RetrievedAugust 13,2014.
  26. ^Quadro Delta (July 31, 2014).Pixel Piracy(PC).Re-Logic.Scene: Credits.
  27. ^Thomas, Lucas M. (February 16, 2016) [February 15, 2016]."Out This Week: Street Fighter V, Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright and Conquest".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on November 10, 2023.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  28. ^"Pixel Piracy Official Terraria Items Trailer".IGN.February 16, 2016.Archivedfrom the original on August 15, 2024.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  29. ^Anderton, Joe (April 15, 2023)."PlayStation Plus losing 50 games in May — including Spider-Man".Digital Spy.Archivedfrom the original on May 24, 2023.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  30. ^Quadro Delta (February 10, 2016)."1.1.25 & 1.1.26 Patchnotes".Steam.Archivedfrom the original on August 15, 2024.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  31. ^Kirpu, Vitali (February 6, 2018)."You deserve to know the truth about Quadro Delta and Alexander Poysky".Steam.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  32. ^"Nhật Bản ngữ にも phiên 訳 khả năng に! ユーザー の ái がインディーゲーム tác giả の tình nhiệt tô らせる― “Thiếu niên ジャンプ の ような tuần san đổi mới を mục chỉ したい” tinh lực に đổi mới 続く sống lại の 2D hải tặc シム『Pixel Piracy』 "[Now available in Japanese! The love of users revives the passion of indie game creators – "We want to aim for weekly updates like Shonen Jump" Revived 2D pirate sim "Pixel Piracy" continues to be updated energetically].GameSpark(in Japanese). May 29, 2023.Archivedfrom the original on September 23, 2023.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  33. ^Kirpu, Vitali (February 13, 2023)."Pixel Piracy – Shrimp Legacy".Steam.Archivedfrom the original on January 3, 2024.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  34. ^Kirpu, Vitali [@PixelPiracyGame] (September 30, 2023)."Pixel Piracy Online Steam Page is now Up. Please RT & Wishlist, Jolly Roger thanks! 🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️ #gamedev #indiedev #mmo #games #madewithunity"(Tweet).RetrievedAugust 15,2024– viaTwitter.
  35. ^"Pixel Piracy Online".Kotaku.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  36. ^abSaed, Sherif (January 27, 2016)."Terraria devs announce Pixel Privateers".VG247.Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2024.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  37. ^ab"Pixel Privateers Is Like Squad-Based Borderlands".Kotaku.February 25, 2017.Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2024.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  38. ^Meer, Alec (March 17, 2017)."Wot I Think: Pixel Privateers".Rock Paper Shotgun.Archivedfrom the original on August 3, 2024.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  39. ^abc"Pixel Piracy".Metacritic.Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2024.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  40. ^abcdeRodríguez, Jose A. (February 24, 2016)."Pixel Piracy – Análisis"[Pixel Piracy – Review].IGN(in Spanish).Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2024.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  41. ^Fazio, Lorenzo (April 1, 2016)."Pixel Piracy – recensione"[Pixel Piracy – review].Eurogamer(in Italian).RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  42. ^"Indie Of The Year 2013 Editor Choice".Indie DB.December 24, 2013.Archivedfrom the original on August 15, 2024.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  43. ^abSpotti, Davide (February 26, 2016)."All'arrembaggio!"[To the boarding!].Multiplayer.it[it](in Italian).Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2024.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  44. ^Baki, Győző (March 1, 2016)."Recensione – Pixel Piracy"[Review – Pixel Piracy].Mondo Xbox(in Italian).RetrievedAugust 15,2024.
  45. ^Mozuch, Mo (March 21, 2014)."Pixel Piracy Review: Low-Res Adventure On The High Seas Is A Barrel O' Fun [VIDEO]".Player.One.Archivedfrom the original on July 25, 2021.RetrievedAugust 15,2024.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Converse, Cris (March 10, 2016).Pixel Piracy Game Guide.BooksMango.ISBN9781633237155.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pixel_Piracy&oldid=1250295793"