Atlas may have arrived quickly, but it still built up a lot of excitement leading up to its release in December. The early access title from Studio Wildcard (the developer behind ARK: Survival Evolved) looked to set itself up as the pinnacle of pirate shenanigans, but the initial launch has demonstrated that the game isn't what gamers had hoped from the 40,000 player pirate MMO. Now more than ever it's clear that Sea of Thieves is the experience that fans should be pursuing if they want to scratch that high-seas itch.
What's so interesting about Rare's romp is that Sea of Thieves wasn't well-received upon its release – much like Atlas has been thus far. Perhaps in that light, Atlas will grow and become the game it was touted as in time, because Sea of Thieves also released in a barebones form that left players wanting more. With nearly a year's head start on the project, however, Sea of Thieves has grown into one of the most overlooked experiences on Xbox One and Windows PC. As a result, it's worth replaying the title.
Related: Atlas Launch Disappoints In So Many Ways: Expectations vs. Reality
Sea of Thieves began as a sandbox venture that provided players with the opportunity to become a pirate when it first launched in March 2018. While it made for a fun few hours with friends, the game eventually lost a sense of incentive for players. Returning to the game now, however, there's more to do than ever before, with a vivid world loaded to bursting with treasures, enemies, and upgrades. It's no longer the disappointment it started out as.
Taking on a hostile skeleton ship, defeating a hungry Megaladon, avoiding volcanic rocks shooting out of an active volcano, or lobbing special cannonballs to thwart other players sailing after hard-earned treasure are all now possible thanks to the updates Rare has made. These adjustments make the environment feel much more alive and engaging as a result. More than that, these are only just the beginning of what awaits players eager to set sail with their friends.
Future updates to Sea of Thieves will add a brand-new PvP mode, pets, missions, and even more enemies and monsters that will keep players coming back. Despite debuting as a much lighter version of what it has grown into, Sea of Thieves has become something worth revisiting time and time again given the constantly evolving sandbox that players find themselves exploring. Every new voyage leads to discovery, triumph, and occasionally a bitter failure. It's fun, it's unpredictable, and the way in which players interact with one another makes the game all worth while.
At this point, Atlas is just trying to get off the ground and could be something worth checking out in time, but Rare has already built the best pirate adventure around and the studio has no intention of abandoning it anytime soon. For now, Sea of Thieves is where you should be spending your time and money. It's clear that Microsoft has something truly special in its hands with this one.