It’s been a while! I was a very early doors player of Sea of Thieves. With my Xbox One primed for that download, I jumped in and had a good time. I’ve dropped off and dipped in many times since release.
Big updates, new Tall Tales, PvP arenas (RIP Sea Dog Arena) and everything in between.
But I always found Sea of Thieves to not be forgiving enough to those of us who don’t have a lot of time for a long play session. Sure, there’s progress and it’s not impossible, but if you have 30 mins to try and dive in, you’re not going to achieve a lot.
So, as friends were putting hours in at a time and seeing great rewards for their efforts, I couldn’t find the time as often to reap the benefits.
The question for me always remains – What can I get out of a short play session?
I think we’re at a good point now. Sea of Thieves has grown and evolved in significant ways since day one.
More to do
I think the key to all of this is that there’s just so much more variety, more options available to you the minute you load in. Sea of Thieves is almost overwhelming at this stage but in a good way.
Quests galore! Fishing, Tall Tales, exploration. It’s all here.
Where Sea of Thieves is very deliberate in how you achieve objectives. Setting sail can be so time-consuming and purposeful. It’s where you lose your time, but it’s also the best part of the game. So perfectly honed.
What’s changed is what you can now along the way, sunken ships, sea posts, fishing. You’re no longer surviving a Megalodon or Kraken repeatedly. You’re able to drop everything and get some loot pretty swiftly!
Progress
With the seasonal model applied and commendations all over the shop. Sea of Thieves is tracking, logging and rewarding everything that you do.
Caught a fish? Logged.
Sailed a nautical mile in your ship? Logged.
It’s all there for the taking. You’re being rewarded all of the time for just doing what you’re doing. I’ve been working on my Hunters Call reputation, sailing to go fishing. Well, catching the fish, sailing to your destination, cooking the fish. You name it, it’s all logged.
Have you been minding your own business and then in classic Sea of Thieves style, you’re part of a naval skirmish with some other players? Well, get some cannonball hits and you’re working the reputation of your ship! Perhaps you’ve been killing skeletons? Log those kills baby!
Sea of Thieves is not only respecting your time in how much you can get done in shorter play times, but now it’s rewarding you as you go, helping you feel like you’re working towards something at all times.
Onwards to the Sea of Thieves!
Sea of Thieves seems to have hit its stride now. And whilst the real money cost of cosmetics is crazy (hey, they have to make a living with a live service game on Game Pass, to be fair), the value for your time is significant.
Sailing is as fun and rewarding as it has always been, but now everything else around it feels like a more fun, satisfying experience, too.
I’ve sunk about 12 hours in over the past week just to get a feel for it again and well, that’s more than I’ve played in the last couple of years. Sea of Thieves is in the best place it’s ever been, and if you’ve been wondering if it’s time to get stuck in, I think now is finally the time to give it a go.
It’s out on PS5, now, too so the player base has grown (or the potential victims of your piracy!).
Time to set sail, and enjoy. Even if it’s ten minutes fishing or getting to an island nearby for a quick jaunt. Sea of Thieves helps you feel like your time is valued and everything you do is worth the effort.
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