Setting sail on a virtual sea

September 20, 2007 2:42 PM

Looking for quality video games with nautical or sea-faring themes.

I'm mostly through playing The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and have loved playing it. I'm looking for more adventure games with similar themes. Basically any game that combines elements of boat travel, island hopping, navigation/exploration, treasure hunting, naval battles, pirates, etc. Games for Nintendo or PlayStation consoles or for PCs would be best really. Any suggestions?

posted by SBMike to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (15 answers total)

Puzzle Pirates.
posted by ND¢ at 2:45 PM on September 20, 2007

Newer version of Sid Meier's "Pirates" is awesome. The "Monkey Island" series also has lots of Island hoppiing, boating, and nautical shenanigans.
posted by cosmicbandito at 2:51 PM on September 20, 2007

The Monkey Island games, and "Pirates!" spring to mind.
posted by blenderfish at 2:51 PM on September 20, 2007

Hidden Exploration Titanic is fun
posted by fish tick at 2:55 PM on September 20, 2007

"Pirates" is really fun for a while. Then it gets really repetitive. It's absolutely worth the 18 bucks that Amazon wants for it, but don't pay much more than that.
posted by Mayor Curley at 3:03 PM on September 20, 2007

If you're not completely set on water and you don't loathe RPGs, then you want the GameCube version of Skies of Arcadia. Originally for the Dreamcast, it's one of the best, piratiest, sky-faringest RPGs out there.
posted by darksasami at 5:05 PM on September 20, 2007

Taipan!

There are also about a dozen or so video games based on the One Piece manga, but I've never played any of 'em.
posted by box at 5:29 PM on September 20, 2007

Everblue and Everblue 2 are both sea-diving games, and revolve solely around sea diving, finding treasure, photographing sealife, etc. Relatively mellow games. Both for PS2
posted by Durhey at 6:22 PM on September 20, 2007

Seconding Skies of Arcadia. I'd also suggest Suikoden IV for a strictly nautical theme, though it's widely considered the weakest of the Suikoden games.
posted by billybunny at 6:30 PM on September 20, 2007

I came in to recommend Sid Meier's Pirates!, but I definitely also think very highly of the Monkey Island series.
posted by onalark at 7:00 PM on September 20, 2007

My roommate suggests "Crimson Skies" for PC--it's aeronautical, but includes a lot of that exploration feel, plus it has pirates and airships. Sorry it has no boat travel, but he insisted I suggest it.

I loved the "Monkey Island" games. Must replay those.

"Final Fantasy IV" had some of those elements. Lots of ways to travel, including a hovercraft and a sea-going ship. They're remaking it for DS, if you're allergic to old-school graphics.
posted by wintersweet at 7:00 PM on September 20, 2007

Pirates of the Burning Sea is a pirate/nautical MMORPG, currently in beta.
posted by zanni at 8:03 PM on September 20, 2007

Ehh...Far Cry has a lot of island-hopping and beachfront fighting, but it isn't really water-themed. However, it is incredibly fun to play and the actual water in the game looks specatuclar on decent hardware.
posted by lohmannn at 7:05 AM on September 21, 2007

An older (1997) game called Sub Culture is a trading/exploration type game set in a puddle, with you (the protagonist) a tiny humanoid who pilots a submarine. I had a lot of fun with that one.
posted by mbatch at 10:31 AM on September 21, 2007

Oh, and I really loved Sea Rogue.
posted by onalark at 3:05 PM on September 21, 2007