With games like “Fortnite,” now a piece of internet meme culture, and “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds,” better known as “PUBG,” it can be easy for newly released video games to go unnoticed. Microsoft Studio’s latest attempt at catching the interest of its audience came as “Sea of Thieves,” an open-world pirate game released March 20.

You begin the game by customizing your pirate avatar, which is how you will appear to other players. Depending on the size of your crew, between two and four players, you can set off with the smaller and more nimble Sloop or the larger and more powerful Galleon. From the port, you can travel across the map and partake in different missions. Unlike most mission-based games that have a HUD pointing you where to go, “Sea of Thieves” requires you to use a more old fashioned style of navigation: a paper map located below deck, filled with all the different islands and ports you can visit. Because of this, one person has to be above deck manning the wheel while another is below directing them where to go. The sails also require yet another player, as they constantly need to be shifted, raised and lowered to catch the wind. This required team effort comes as both a pro and con, as communication between shipmates is key.

Since the game is live, any players you come across will be in real time, and when in range, you can also chat with the other pirates. Upon coming across another ship, just like in times of ole, players have the ability to attack at any point. Using cannons as fire power, you can attack from a distance, or forcibly board the others’ ship. This type of gameplay is what gamers have been looking forward to, and “Sea of Thieves” hasn’t done much to disappoint.

Yet, only a week into its release, discussion of its future role is a bit premature. The game’s interactive online world allows players across all platforms (Xbox, PlayStation and PC) to sail the seas with one another. Though the ability to play with different consoles offers a promising run for the game, unlike “Fortnite,” beta and recent players were quick to point out the impending flaws. Regardless, “Sea of Thieves” offers hours of pirating fun and has the potential to really make some waves.