Pirates Outlaws Review (littlebenproductions)
Let's be honest, most of you are here because you love Slay The Spire and you are looking for another game that can scratch that itch. WELL LOOK NO FURTHER. TL;DR... this game is AWESOME and it is well worth the money. If you want details, keep reading.
This game takes the STS formula and multiplies it by 10. Now, a lot of games claim to do that but they get so lost in their own mechanics it just feels like a different game. Which is fine. This game however is the exact STS formula but improved in every way. Because you are already familiar with STS, you will feel right at home diving into this game. I'm going to do a quick pros/cons, please be aware these are direct comparison to STS.
Pros --
1) Where STS gives you 4 unique characters, this game gives you 16 if I counted correctly. Yes, each with their own decks and dynamics, just like STS. So a LOT more character variation which adds tons of strategic options.
2) Characters also have different skins you can unlock, giving a light bit of customization to the experience.
3) Card affects are explained just like in STS. Just hover over the card, it tells you what the card does, and includes descriptions of any special modifiers or effects. In some other STS inspired games, the card UI is so terrible it takes away from the enjoyment. Not in this game. You won't get confused in the mechanics.
4) In STS you have a 3 tier ladder with unique bosses at the end. Same here. The difference with this game is, it has multiple worlds. Each with unique enemies and dynamics. And each world has multiple difficulty levels. So the gameplay is expanded greatly in this game. I am 40 hours in as of this writing and I have unlocked maybe 20% of what I can and haven't even played every world yet.
5) FREAKING PIRATES YO! YARRRRRRRR!!!!
Cons --
1) STS has better graphics. Hopefully there will be updates to this game to improve on that in the future. This game is really more about your strategy playing, which is excellent and super fun. But if you are expecting eye candy as far as battle animations, you will be disappointed. I understand with the vast array of characters, worlds, and enemies this game offers, that may have had to take a back seat in development. But it is worth mentioning, and improving on this would elevate this game to one of the best in the genre.
2) The main hud can be a little confusing going in. Fear not, this is a minor annoyance, and after playing for awhile you will get used to it and things will make more sense. But I feel like the hud design could use some minor improvements. Which if the devs read this, I would be happy to elaborate on.
All of that out of the way, I freaking LOVE this game. It's addicting, there is a ton to unlock and explore, and it is very very fun. Great job to the devs and I hope this game will do well enough for you that you can continue making great games, because gameplay wise this is one of the best in this genre I have encountered. In many ways, superior to STS, and deserves to be in the conversation when ANYBODY discusses these types of games. Thanks for reading gamers, cheers.