And while Sea of Thieves lacks the systemic complexity of a traditional role-playing game or massively multiplayer adventure (you can't upgrade your weapons or boat for example – everyone gets the same kit), what it offers is a very different sort of role-play experience, existing somewhere between acting and childlike make-believe. You're pirates on the ocean wave, fighting sea monsters and digging up treasure, but you're also larking about playing musical instruments together or firing each other out of a cannon. Whether you're playing on PS5, Xbox or PC, the Sea of Thieves of 2024 provides its own kind of imaginative fantasy, freed from the tyranny of the skill tree and levelling up system. You'll laugh, you'll sail, you'll drink grog until you're sick. What a luscious, singular sandbox experience. What a real, genuine treasure.