Or maybe it is! Depends on your world view. In this case we’re talking about the peg-legged, parrot-shouldering, rum-quaffing sort and their place in the relatively short history of video games. Your first thought might be they don’t get much representation outside of adventure games (such as the Monkey Island series), but truth be told, they’ve featured in some recent blockbusters, including the miracle-tastic Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
The video above, narrated by XboxAhoy’s Stuart Brown provides a somewhat humorous retrospective on computer games containing pirate content, be it a character, gimmick or the title’s whole shtick. In fact, 48 games make the cut — obvious ones such as Sid Meier’s Pirates! (both of them), Age of Booty and the aforementioned Black Flag as well as lesser-known products like Jolly Rover from Australia’s own Brawsome.
Rather than take a rose-coloured perspective on the topic, Brown’s happy to mention the criticism certain games copped, Escape From Monkey Island for instance didn’t get it quite right with its “clunky” interface and controls.
So, if you’re feeling like a dose of “seven seas” education, this is as good a source as any!
A Brief History of Piracy [YouTube]
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