Cloud Pirates is a multiplayer online battle game set in the sky. Players can choose from 12 different ship classes, each with unique weapons and stats. Players work as part of a 10 person fleet to compete in capture the objective and team deathmatch battles. Combat is strategic, considering factors like ship speed, altitude, angle, and weapon heat and range. Players can upgrade their ships' equipment and abilities to gain advantages in battles. While customization adds strategy, the potential for pay-to-win issues exists. Overall, the game aims to provide tactical sky combat with depth and variety in ship classes and battle environments.

1. S T A R T
YOU CAN
CHOOSE FROM
TWELVE DIFFERENT
SHIP CLASSES,
EACH WITH UNIQUE
WEAPONS, STATS,
AND AESTHETIC
QUALITIES
Cloud Pirates is a tactical PvP
multiplayer game involving sky pirate
combat. Working together with your
ten person fleet, you compete in basic
capture the objective and team death
match-style battles in the sky.
Combat is very strategic. The health,
speed, altitude, and angle of your ship
each have a tactical purpose. When
manoeuvring around the map, speed
and altitude not only determine how
fast and high you are, but also the
chance of incoming projectiles hitting
their mark. Your angle marker signals
nearby enemies and debris within five
metres, but the overall radius display
points out enemies from a further
distance. The target icon partly helps
with aiming, too, but individual attack
ranges, enemy speed and altitude, and
interfering debris influence the chance
of a successful attack.
Using both main and broadside
artillery gives you a near 360 degree
attack radius. You can’t thoughtlessly
waste your ammo, either, as your
weapons can overheat. Deciding on
the right time to use an ability or
charge into an enemy for a close-
quartered assault is great fun, and
emphasises Cloud Pirates’ approach to
tactical combat.
Levels also differ in scale and
environmental aesthetics, as each map
requires you to adapt your strategy to
your surrounding environs. Floating
debris might necessitate careful
navigation but it can also be used as
cover, giving you a brief moment to
heal or flank.
Destroying parts of an enemy ship
disrupts its movement, rewarding
you for exploiting their weakness. If it
happens to you, you’ll have to spend
your in-game currency on making
repairs after combat. This adds weight
to your decisions, but the cost is never
anything substantial so it doesn’t feel
especially punishing.
You can also research new
equipment and abilities in a skill tree
based upgrade system, influencing
the movement and durability of your
ship. Upgrades cover details such
as horizontal and vertical speed
and detection range, as well as your
shield capacity. You can also upgrade
your weapons’ damage per second,
projectile speed and range, and
overheat time, which can give you an
exceptional competitive advantage.
While this adds an extra layer of
role-playing strategy to the game, the
potential for pay-to-win is obvious.
In battle, you can choose from
twelve different ship classes, each with
its own unique weapons, stats, and
aesthetic builds. The Mine Corvette
focuses on AoE attacks often used
to break the enemy’s tight line of
defence, while the high DPS-built
Interceptor Cruiser makes it harder
for the enemy to respond in kind.
Battleship fans will also appreciate
the variation in size, speed, and
construction material in each class.
Despite being potentially
unbalanced and facing stiff
competition from other vehicle-based
multiplayer games like War of Tanks,
Cloud Pirates has enough depth and
charisma to potentially make it a big
player in a crowded marketplace. Keep
an eye on this one.
Julian Rizzo-Smith takes to the sky with a patch on his eye
Cloud Pirates
CATEGORY Action MMO
DEVELOPER Allods Team
PUBLISHER My.com
PLATFORM PC
DUE 2016
Upgrades in place, Thomas
was determined to stick it
to the Fat Controller once
and for all
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