Ho ho ho, me hearties!
Captain's Quest might be aimed at kids, but to be honest it's so lacking in content or interest that even undiscerning youngsters are likely to get bored pretty quickly here and are probably better off reading a book about pirates instead. The game is basically a junior version of the classic Pirates! from Sid Meier, and places players in the shoes of a pirate captain in the 1700s who's in command of a Spanish brig. You'll get to do most of the things you do in Sid Meier's game, like sword fighting, launching raids on other ships and so on, but the focus here is very much on the educational side of things. So, for example, you'll get to learn about reading maps and using a compass to navigate the seas, while discovering how the winds affect such things, as well as how to repair your ship and to trade successfully. There are over forty missions to complete, each of which incorporates various skills and you'll get to engage in both ship- and land-based battles, using cannons and your sword. Captain's Quest could have been a fun little edutainment game but it ultimately doesn't really succeed. It's certainly an admirable attempt, with some varied missions and interesting concepts to teach but it just isn't entertaining enough to really warrant much time with it. The visuals are decent enough, with plenty of charming detail to enjoy, while the missions are comprehensive and the lessons valuable. At the end of the day though, it's just a little too dry for a game about pirates and which could have been much more entertaining.
