Once at sea, PotC unfurls its best game play. While quick navigation takes place on an area map, once players encounter another hostile ship, the 3D sea combat begins with up to eight ships at once. During battles, players can raise and lower sails, steer, fire cannons – loaded with one of four different types of shot – and order their other ships around, all done in an effort to set up a vicious cannon attack or run for it. The sea battles make for some intense gaming; I must say a broadside from a Man-o-War in PotC is one of the more fearful things I’ve seen in a game. As expected, these wooden ship battles can be slow and deliberate, but the devs included the option to greatly speed up the action.