TOP 5 Best Pirate Games for 2022

by Mike Alexander / Top Lists, Articles / 29 Apr 2022

Adventure on the high seas, hunting for buried treasure, and evading the law are some of the things pirates are known for. Everybody has wanted to participate in these swashbuckling activities at some point in their life, and pirate video games have always been there to let us live out our seven seas fantasies.

I remember playing through all of the Pirates of the Caribbean games when those were new, but it’s been a long time since I had a taste of the pirate’s life. If you’re in a similar boat and are itching to get back to the adventure and intrigue of pirating, You can find some of the very best pirate-themed games currently available on this list of the Top 5 Best Pirate Games for 2022.

If you’re ready, grab your compass and parrot companion, and let’s set out for adventure!

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

To this day, one of the very best ways to experience a pirate’s life is by loading up Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. This game has it all, from sailing and island exploring, to whaling and deep-sea excavation, it’s all here and presented in a way that is both fun and challenging. You can spend hours exploring the world of Black Flag, visiting points of interest, and collecting treasure without ever touching the main campaign missions.

The game manages to do all of this while still looking and playing fantastic, even considering its original release back in 2013. If you manage to see and do everything in Black Flag, there is an expansion DLC that adds even more pirate goodness called Freedom Cry. Both Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag and Freedom Cry are available on PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, Wii U and Nintendo Switch, PC, and Google Stadia, so there’s no shortage of ways to play it either.

ATLAS

The creators of ARK are working on another project while they continue to add content and features to the blockbuster survival game. Their new game is called ATLAS, and it puts you in the shoes of a pirate adventurer in a world ripe with plunder. This game aims to be ARK but with pirates in an equally massive world where you’ll need to manage your survival and resources while you build your ship, assemble your crew, and experience an awesome pirate adventure.

The level of customization on display in ATLAS is every bit as impressive as ARK. You’ll build your ship plank by plank, customize the sails, and even decide where your turrets are placed. That last point will be critical for battles on the open seas. ATLAS is currently available in Steam Early Access, with a full release not currently scheduled, but on the way.

Buccaneers!

Buccaneers! by Skyward Digital and Valkyrie Initiative is a pirate-themed RPG that uses an interesting art style to paint the life of a pirate on your computer screen. This game is also unique in that it allows you to play however you like. If you want to play as a traditional pirate, looking for treasure and splitting it up among your crew, that’s completely viable. But, if you’re looking to stand up against the pirate menace and stomp out piracy once and for all, you can also do that, and Buccaneers! treats both paths equally.

Even better, Buccaneers! Is completely playable in VR, immersing you in the action and adventure of a pirate or pirate hunter. Command your ship, lead your crew, and blaze a path to glory however you like. Buccaneers! is currently available on Steam.

Furious Seas

Future Immersive’s pirate game Furious Seas is another awesome VR adventure. However, unlike the previous title, Furious Seas focuses on ship-to-ship combat and realistic graphics rather than a full pirate simulation. That doesn’t mean Furious Seas is any less intriguing though, as it provides some of the best pirate combat you can currently get in any VR game.

The single-player campaign will take you on a wild adventure full of interesting characters. After you wrap up that story, there are also challenge modes and online multiplayer to see who the best pirate captain is. If you’re in the market for a pirate game, and you have VR hardware available to you, you can’t do much better than Furious Seas, which is available on Steam.

Sea of Thieves

Finally, the quintessential pirate experience currently available in Rare’s Sea of Thieves. This online co-op-focused game will have you falling in with a crew (or creating your own), and set sail with the aid of treasure maps to complete objectives and find treasures in a massive open world full of mysteries and adventure. Content is always being added to the game, and you are never railroaded into following any one course of action.

If you currently have Xbox Game Pass, you can enjoy Sea of Thieves as part of that subscription! It is also available for purchase on Xbox and PC.

Mike Alexander

Mike has been playing video games since he was able to hold a controller, having been fascinated by Sonic 2 on his mom’s Sega Genesis. That fascination and passion for the art form has grown exponentially nearly 30 years later, and he doesn’t see that fading away anytime soon.
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