Unique to this game is the P.I.R.A.T.E. system. Every letter represents an attribute that you will increase by successfully completing various challenges or just by being good at what you do. P stands for power. It will allow you to inflict more physical damage. It will also increase your weapons in size, volume, and strength. Allowing you to see and hear things more acutely, the I stands for insight. It will increase your accuracy with weapons in addition to your stealth skills.

The R stands for reaction, and affects the overall performance of your weapons. Authority takes care of the A. It assesses your character's rank and determines how many people that you can command. T is for Talent. This category is broad but extremely important. It affects your general ability to do everything. Talent will help increase your ability to level-up more quickly in a variety of disciplines including trade, weapons, navigation, and the acquisition of new skills. Finally, E is for endurance, and it will affect your personal heath as well as help protect your vested interests such as ships and inventory. E will increase your health points and make you less susceptible to attacks.

Age of Pirates 2 is a challenging game, and in many cases unfairly so. As your character levels-up, so do the enemies, but they seem to increase in skills and stats in leaps and bounds while your progress is minimal. The battles can be extremely tough, and I always seem to be on the defensive and never on the offensive. Regardless of which skills I had increased, I never felt in control during a battle. Winning was more a matter of pure chance than skill. Still, I was determined that there is a way to gain superiority in this game, though I've yet to find any evidence of this. It would be fun to be able to compete online with other similarly leveled players, just to see if I have these tactical skills under control. I think that the average player will find the battles in this game extremely frustrating. The only advice I can offer is to save, save, and save again - eventually something positive will happen.

Age of Pirates 2 is relatively easy to learn, as long as you can read the text. The interface is straightforward and there's nothing too complex in terms of rules or moves. I would have preferred a bit more mouse action as there is a lot of Enter key commands to be made. More voiceovers would have made this much more enjoyable, as would have better graphics. Age of Pirates 2 is only recommended for seasoned sea dogs. Landlubbers need not apply.

By Cole Smith
CCC Senior Writer