The unfortunate fact is that, when anyone in Hollywood wants to release a sequel to summer blockbuster, they know that the sequel has to much better than the original (more explosions, gore, or special effects depending on the type movie) in order for the fans of the original to perceive it as even being “as good” much less “better than” the prequel.

Astraware has released Tradewinds 2 for the iPhone and I would like to take a moment and look at it both as a stand-alone game as well as comparing it to the original.

Traadewinds 2 by Sandlot Games is designed around you playing the part of a pirate as you attempt to build your fortune.  You do this by going from port to port (in the Caribbean vs. the Far East)  and picking up jobs (such as rescuing someone or simply delivering goods from one port to another) and/or fighting other pirates and, claiming their booty for your own. There are several captains, each with their own different story line, to choose from (although some will only be unlocked if you complete the game as one of the available ones) and about 20 different ports that you can ultimately visit. There is even a character generator that can be used once you finish the game as an existing choice of captains.

Once you reach port you can gain valuable intel by buying drinks for the locals at the bar or head straight to the local governing body to pick up an assignment.  While in port be sure to take time to have your ship repaired or upgraded at the shipyard.

Tradewinds 2 is great as a standalone game but I was actually disappointed when I began comparing it to the original. My son, who has spent hours with this version and more hours than I can count with the original, wrote up this list of pros and cons when he compared it to the original:

Pros:

  • Many more cities to unlock and then visit than the original TW
  • Four (instead of three) starting captains, with two (instead of one) unlock-able ones, each with their own unique ship bonus

Cons:

  • The economic tips only refer to one city, depending on which captain you choose
  • Instead of having X ships battling against X number of ships simultaneously, you only one ONE ship against X number of enemy ships…. You can upgrade your ship and # of cannons, but you still end up with ALL them shooting at just you
  • The music is annoyingly low-quality, and unique per city (Note: you can choose to listen to music from your iPhone library if you wish…)

Conclusion: if you are a fan of strategy games then you will find this game quite appealing.  If you are a fan of the original and are looking for vast improvements in the sequel then you will enjoy it but might be disappointed with it as well.  Available for $3.99 in the iTunes store, I think it might be slightly overpriced but fans will enjoy it all the same.