Swashbucklers: Blue vs. Grey
Swashbucklers: Blue VS. Grey doesn't know what it wants to be. The protagonist is a pirate who dresses and acts like a cowboy but he runs the seas with the backdrop of the Civil War going on in the background. Admittedly this could have been cool if handled correctly. I had hopes that it would have been like Wild Wild West or something. As it stands the developers truly had no idea where they were going with the story and it feels like they pulled concepts out of a hat. To make matters worse you play a schizophrenic Captain named Gray whose mental illness comes into play as a way to guide you through the game (see tutorial).
Gameplay
After I finished scratching my head trying to figure out what was going on I picked up the controller to play. Now, for all intents and purposes Swashbucklers isn't a terrible game. Sure it's highly unimaginative in its execution because it borrows (steals) heavily from Sid Meier's Pirates but this is a bargain bin beauty; what more would you expect? Innovation? Well, there is a guy with a robotic arm and you're playing as a crazy cowboy pirate, what more innovation could you possibly want?
In many ways Swashbucklers if a non-linear experience with a few different styles of gameplay fused into one. Like many seemingly open-ended games you roam around looking for jobs to do and then you set out into the world to see them done. Ok, for the most part you're a glorified delivery boy but there are a few missions now and then that break the mold. Unfortunately those mold breakers just don't happen with enough frequency and before long you'll become bored of playing Mr. UPS. There are other ways to make money rather than taking on missions but buying and selling goods, auctioning ships, and boxing only take the experience so far.
Now, like Pirates! this game allows for fighting in three different forms. Admittedly each of these components is actually fairly enjoyable even if they are light in execution. The first style of gameplay comes from a hack and slash system that allows you to cut your way through hordes of enemy forces. The combat is simplistic yet enjoyable enough to play for these particular segments. I did find the fighting was a tad too easy but I suppose that's to be expected.
Another style of gameplay that you'll find here takes place on the water with ship to ship battles. In the tradition of Pirates you take your boat and crew to the high seas and do your damnedest to blow the other ship out of the sea with your cannons and guns. Eventually you'll find yourself in close proximity of the vessel enough to board it and when you do that's when Gray will duel with the captain. These duels are another thing that is borrowed from Pirates though I suppose at this point it's to be expected.
Truth be told the gameplay here isn't necessarily flawed; it's just not a lot of fun. Lacking the pizzazz that Pirates brought to the table, Swashbucklers seems content to simply drop you into situations and let you fight your way out. It's all functional but simplistic and boring when you get right down to it. What's worse is chop-inducing load screens mar the fluidity of the experience and you can expect to see a whole lot of loading.
All told Swashbucklers: Blue VS Grey isn't necessarily a bad game for a budget title. The out there concept is kind of appealing in a strange way, the gameplay elements are uninspired but functional, and there's plenty to do even though it gets boring after a while. If the developers took the time to come up with ideas of their own rather than steal of Sid Meier's Pirates we'd probably be looking at a different story. Then again, it's those successful elements that keep this release afloat. If you're completely out of stuff to play then this title gets a light rental suggestion but I'd say you can just skip it and find something better to spend your time with.
Graphics
Swashbucklers features some interesting designs that resemble something straight out of a comic book. The artistic design kind of copies the look of J. Scott Campbell's style but that's really besides the point because apart from menus and occasional blips on the screen the actual graphics don't hold up. Bland textures, stiff animations, and jagged edges make the game look dated. With the PlayStation 3 being all the rage and current PS2 titles looking fantastic it's a shame to see a title like this pumped out with graphics that date back four or five years.
Sound
The music here is cliché for a pirate game though truly nothing here is of quality. The soundtrack gets boring and old after a short time playing and don't even get me started on the awful dialogue. This game simply features poor design all around in terms of the audio and what is successful is very unoriginal.
Conclusion
I don't completely understand why bargain bin titles are even produced these days. They are nothing more than a waste of people's time and money. Sometimes there are hidden treasures in bargain titles. Unfortunately Swashbucklers: Blue VS. Grey is not one of them. The problem here is that those feathers in its cap were essentially stolen from Pirates, just without the personality or finesse. The game gets boring and repetitive after a short amount of time, the graphics are severely dated, and the audio is downright terrible. If you really loved Pirates! and want to try something to pass the time with then you could rent this. Otherwise I would say this title is a skipper.