Let's not sugar-coat it: Microsoft has a problem with its Xbox One console, and it stems from its current roster of exclusive games... or lack thereof. Now, the tried and true first-party blockbusters have already appeared on the Xbox One – with Halo , Gears of War , and Forza all making their presence felt on the system – while new properties like Sea of Thieves and Sunset Overdrive have helped provide a unique reason for console gamers to invest in the hardware outside of its expected lin

It isn't just process of elimination, though. The other two trading companies and their quests aren't bad, sure, with decent first-person combat, exploration and general gameplay mechanics, but it's the treasure hunts where Sea of Thieves gets to show off the parts where the most work was put into it. You have to analyze the maps given to you, track down the location on the map, set a course there, arrive preferably without any damage to your ship. Then depending on your map, you either decipher a series of riddles and find landmarks on each island or analyze the geography of the land in order to find the spot marked by a red X, per tradition, then finally dig it up and battle the cursed skeleton horde that appears.

This update and how transparent and honest it is great. It's the right step, and an important one we hope Rare does very frequently. Being open and addressing feedback and constructive criticisms is one of the important keys to success for online games with passionate communities - and those devs who don't communicate or offer game updates quickly are the ones that turn advocates of the game into haters. We see it all the time among some of the other popular games online - especially the ones that streamers are actively play

As you begin your journey to become a pirate legend, you'll first have to select a pirate to represent you throughout your swashbuckling antics. Eight different variations of the avatar will appear on-screen that you can choose from. If you're not quite sure if you want to commit to one of the pirates, you can mark them as a favorite so they do not disappear when you decide to refresh the gr

It's a good thing that journeying as a group is rewarding, though, because the actual rewards are lacking. You can bring back various loot to the trading companies to earn gold and gold can be used to purchase various items and clothing. But Rare's decision to make all of the items purely cosmetic is a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, it means that you won't ever run into any ships with pirates whose levels are in high double digits that blow you out of the water, ensuring that everyone remains on equal footing. But without any items that enhance the experience behind minor appearances, there's not a whole lot to shoot for here. This also means that one easily gets the feeling that you can receive the whole experience within the first few hours, as little evolves (combat pretty much involving only two or three weapons). Needless to say, if Sea of Thieves is ever going to thrive, it's going to need to step up its game when it comes to new additions and content in the future.

Since its reveal at E3 2015, Sea of Thieves promised players an open and dynamic world to live out pirate fantasies of treasure hunting, drinking, and ship battling. The recent closed beta test gave fans a small taste of what to expect, though many were looking for more things to do in the world outside of sailing and finding treasure. While the full game promises to have more content, one aspect that Rare has been particularly tight-lipped about is the massive, ship destroying creature known as the Kra

Upon realizing how everything works, you'll begin to notice just how gorgeous Sea of Thieves is. It is one of the most beautiful games I have ever seen. The best word to describe the first sunset and strategyreviewer.Com sunrise I saw is breathtaking. The way the sun reflects off the incredibly animated ocean is a technical feat. It is the best looking water I have seen in a video game. This, in conjunction with its cartoon-style player models and environments, makes the tedium of the quests somewhat beara

Over on the 81st page of an original Sea of Thieves Closed Beta forum thread, the user known as Pelochoman managed to track down images of the terrifyingly elusive beast. The screenshots do a good job of showing just how big the creature is as the tentacles are fairly visible in the distance as well as quite large when the ship is close enough to be attacked. Another screenshot shows the ship being squeezed by the creature, while another tentacle shoots up through the water with what appears to be a spiked mouth of some sort. What isn't detailed in these images, however, is just how massive the entire creature is as only the arms and tentacles can be seen, not the actual body of the be

Still, Microsoft's Xbox team appears to know where its brand is currently lacking, and they're beginning to get back on the right track, if recent promises are anything to go on. According to recent rumors and reports, Microsoft-owned properties like Fable and Perfect Dark are set to be resurrected in the near future - the former by Forza Horizon series developer Playground Games and the latter with help from Gears of War 4 studio The Coalition. Plus, there are also rumors that Forza Horizon 4 will also debut this year. Provided all this information is true, these games are a good start for Xbox as it begins taking advantage of the I.P. currently at its disposal, but it'll take more than a few games down the r