Captain Blood (PS5) Review: Pirate God of War

Originally a game in the Age of Pirates series, Captain Blood is an action game that was originally announced in 2003 and featured at E3 2004. Following a tumultuous development that saw the game restarted several times and then delayed indefinitely due to legal issues, it has now been miraculously rescued and released. While it’d be hyperbolic to say it was worth the 20-year wait, it’s certainly an intriguing release that is worth checking out.

It’s weird to have nostalgia for a game you’ve never played before, but I was instantly transported back to the late PlayStation 2 and early Xbox 360 era of gaming after booting up Captain Blood. It’s clear that the original God of War games were a major influence, as everything from execution kills and using the right stick to roll out of the way of attacks is similar. So is the bloody tone, as you kill in violent ways and can even murder any civilians you see just for kicks.

While the combat isn’t quite as great as God of War and its sequel, mainly due to how clunky it can be sometimes (foes can get you in a repeating combo if you’re unlucky), it is enjoyable. You’ve got grenades and a gun that you can upgrade in order to sway things into your favor, plus the ability to pick up various weapons from enemies, such as a cutlass or hatchet. There’s a good variety in the combat, which fleshes out over time as you use coins to buy more combos and finishing moves that give your character boosts.

What keeps Captain Blood satisfying is its relatively brief length (players are asked to beat the game in under 2.5 hours for a trophy) and how much it embraces the pirate theme. There’s a good amount of variety in the levels, as you will occasionally commandeer cannons and machine guns to take out enemy ships and other pirates. Throw in some fun island settings, and you have a game that knows what tone it is going for and is better off due to it having a clear vision.

Levels culminate in boss fight battles, which are quite fun and the only truly challenging moments. They also feel very of an era due to their reliance on quick-time events that will automatically fail you should you miss an important button press. Thankfully, the checkpoints are surprisingly modern, so you won’t have to replay the entire level again if you mess up.

So, is Captain Blood more than a novelty release? I’d say so. While it is certainly a throwback, the game’s visual style actually works in its favor as it is more interesting than if it were hyper-realistic. Plus, it’s a fun adventure that can be completed in a few sittings, which is also refreshing in the day and age of games taking weeks to finish. While not every aspect of gaming was better back when this game was originally supposed to be released, it’s certainly a fun time period to revisit.

Captain Blood (PS5) Review: Final Verdict

Captain Blood is such an interesting release, a true time capsule from a different era of gaming. From the static camera angles to the way it treats quick-time events, it is clear that the team was inspired by Resident Evil 4 and the PS2 God of War games during development. This simultaneously winds up being the game’s greatest selling point and its limiting factor. Beyond a novelty, it’s also just a fun swashbuckling time with plenty of action by taking full advantage of its pirate motif.

Disclosure: The publisher provided a PlayStation 5 copy for our Captain Blood (PS5) review. Reviewed on version 1.000.000.

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