Sea of Thieves -I had this Dream once-

[Chili Dawg]

If I can get over it not being Banjo-Threeie, so can you!

 

So for the past year, Rare and associates have been making these cryptic statements, that all seemed to imply one thing: Rare was getting out of their now established role as MS's Kinect monkeys.

 

The world was getting excited for a glorious return to Rareware...

 

Then we saw this during the MS presser.

 

 

You know, at first I was a bit disappointed... This didn't quite look like the sort of Rareware game I'd been expecting. Where were the googly eyes? Where was the woodland critter? Where were the million collectibles?

 

But you know what?

 

I watched it some more. And you know what? It looks pretty good.

 

This looks like a beautifully crafted, phenomenally immersive pirate adventure. It's a sweeping multiplayer adventure, and you know, while that doesn't quite sound like my thing, I'm willing to give it a shot. 

 

http://www.seaofthieves.com/

 

The site's here, and you can get a bit more of a feel for the world of the game. It looks like a hell of a romp! I can easily see this world having the atmosphere and mystique one could expect from Rare. In many ways, it looks like a modern successor to Project dream, the Pirate game for the SNES that eventually became Banjo-Kazooie. So aye say sign me up, me hearties, avast fer pirate booty, unless ye be a salty sea dog.

 

And after all, who does pirates better than Rare?

 

 

 

 

And how can I not trust Rare with their sexy new logo, eh?

 

Looks good, don't it?

[Balding Spider]

People were still holding out hope for Banjo 3?

 

As for the trailer itself, it looks promising. Here's hoping it's great.

[Marcello]

Not interested in this. Really disappointed that Rare's return to non-Kinect games is an MMO.

[Nepenthe]

I wasn't expecting Banjo-Threeie.

I was expecting something that actually looked like a Rare game in general.

Viva Pinata isn't a platformer but a gardening and animal husbandry sim, but it's a Rare game through and through with all of the colorful decadence, interesting off-kilter character designs, and big eyes that they're generally known for when you see a cheery game come out of their studio. I accept it as part of the "canon", so to speak.

This looks like a cartoony AC4 MMO with the Kinect Sports avatars running around. The darkness and grit and exaggeration on that K. Rool render is nowhere to be found here. Nothing about the look of it- with the exception of the Spinal-looking skeletons- hearkens back to Rare's design language. If a logo wasn't attached, I would never assume this was a Rare game.

Will it be good? Perhaps; they seem to have gotten a longer leash and will probably not fuck up their one chance to prove themselves. But the fact that I'm more interested in the Rare collection they had the sheer balls to set up this game's reveal with speaks volumes. This isn't the Rare I want.

[Krockhead]

I'm a lazy fucker, so I'll just directly quote what I said on another site.

 

I don't understand the negativity. My only beef is that I personally won't enjoy playing it much, as MMOs have never been my cup of tea. But it's a fucking gorgeous game with a seemingly nice Beanland score to accompany it. Not to mention, it's an entire game of pirates by Rare. A RARE PIRATES GAME. That's fucking awesome. Even if I won't enjoy the gameplay much, this is nothing but good news, and I'll gladly enjoy the game's periphery aspects.

Then again, it's a Rare game under the Microsoft banner. Of course it'll attract negativity. We'll never be free.

 

Also, why's everyone making the Assassin's Creed comparision? That game didn't invent pirates, y'know. Besides, pirates are Rare's thing! It's about time they bit the bullet and made an entire game of pirates.

[Nepenthe]

This is not the result of anti-Microsoft attitudes or even a blind desire for a Banjo retread. Viva Pinata and Kameo are two original, non-platforming Rare IPs made under the supervision of Microsoft that didn't attract nearly the amount of ire this game has upon their respective reveals. And that's because they looked like Rare games.

This doesn't look like a Rare game. It has a cheerful aesthetic while having the gall not to understand that "cheery" simply isn't what makes Rare "Rare." There is barely an exaggeration, any kookiness, any big eyes, any visual puns, any of that quirky British attitude. The game looks wholly generic. Not even the humans exhibit any of the charm of the first captain in the OP, and he was scrapped! Seriously the juxtaposition between the media they showed for the Rare Collection and this game is blatant.

[Marcello]

Then again, it's a Rare game under the Microsoft banner. Of course it'll attract negativity. We'll never be free.

[Gabz Girl]

I think it looks decent. *shrug* Sure it may not look like a trademark Rare game, but at least they're working on a new IP that's NOT Kinect Sports related. It looks nice and I'm curious to know how it really plays like.