Sea of Thieves made a surprising appearance during Xbox's E3 2021 showcase. During the show, Rare's iconic pirate game announced A Pirate's Life - a sprawling pirate story split across five separate Tall Tales in the game. A tense and atmospheric narration was quickly interrupted by the unmistakable drawl of one Captain Jack Sparrow. Sparrow was not the only Pirates of the Caribbean character seen in the trailer, with the iconic Davy Jones crashing into the Sea of Thieves on the formidable Flying Dutchman. This crossover is a match made in heaven, Jack Sparrow fits perfectly within the goofy, bombastic tone of Rare's pirate adventure game.
As is custom with the infamous Captain, a stolen artifact has plunged the seven seas into certain doom. With the Captain's help, players have to combat Davy Jones and his massive horde of ghost ships, stopping the entire world from sinking into shadow. Sparrow's unremitting humor makes him the ideal crossover character for the game in A Pirate's Life. His blend of drunken wit and swaying, expressive movement mean he fits seamlessly into the cast of cartoonish corsairs already in Sea of Thieves. Although there is a wealth of pirate protagonists that the game could crossover with, Captain Jack is undoubtedly the best choice.
What Is The Jack Sparrow Sea Of Thieves Expansion?
Releasing on June 22 for free on Xbox and PC, A Pirate's Life spans over five different Tall Tales in the game. A Tall Tale is a story voyage that players can embark on alone, or with co-op partners. These adventures begin at specific parts of the map, and often serve as part of a wider story. Five different Tall Tales for one story is a whopping number, matched only by the amount of new enemies, ships, and locations apparently on offer in the expansion. It looks like at least part of the expansion takes place in the Sea of the Damned, tying the adventure directly to the rich lore of Sea of Thieves.Â
In fact, this is not the first time Sea of Thieves has delved into the Sea of the Damned. The 2020 Fate of The Damned update for the game featured hordes of enemies from the Sea of the Damned. It looks like Davy Jones might well join those threats in this latest expansion, in his endless pursuit of the notorious Captain Jack. Sea of Thieves is no stranger to wave mechanics in combat encounters, but this E3 trailer showed off a monumentally huge fleet under the command of Davy Jones. Hopefully players get a change to tangle with the undead octopus captain, and Jack Sparrow is the perfect companion for such an event.
Why Jack Sparrow Is So Perfect for Sea Of Thieves
As Sea of Thieves is already comedic, Sparrow is an easy addition. In fact, Sea of Thieves looks like a much more cartoony version of Pirates of the Caribbean. Both settings are rich with rival pirate factions, hungry sea monsters, and vicious skeleton crews. However, without Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean would be far too self-serious to cross over with the jaunty Sea of Thieves. In the original film, Sparrow even moves like a Sea of Thieves character. The spring in his step, slapstick comedy, and expressive hand gestures essentially make him a walking emote. It is honestly surprising that the character has not appeared in the game already.
In a way, Sparrow's long list of pirate escapades make him like a Sea of Thieves player. Throughout his pirate career, Sparrow has stolen a magical compass, commandeered a ship, been bested by other more aggressive pirates, got lost among mysterious islands, visited Davy Jones' locker, and died to a kraken. Most Sea of Thieves players boast a similar resume. Not only does Jack Sparrow embody the day-to-day of pirates in Sea of Thieves, he carries out all of his adventures with the same wit and charm that enraptured over 20 million Sea of Thieves players.
What Other Pirates Would Work in Sea of Thieves?
Captain Jack is undeniably a better fit for Sea of Thieves. A sense of wonder, joy, and incredible camp lies at the heart of the swashbuckling simulator. Each memorable voyage shines that little bit brighter thanks to Sea of Thieves' weird bananas and grog-chugging mechanics. Although Jack Sparrow is arguably the best choice for a crossover, there are still other movie swashbucklers that have great crossover potential.
Although David Tennant's video game credits pale in comparison to his film and TV appearances, his voice does crop up in the occasional title. For example, he plays Just Cause 3's propaganda minister. His voice also gave life to Charles Darwin in the movie The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! Like Jack Sparrow, the pirates in this animated feature are incredibly silly, charismatic, and full of manic energy. The claymation in the film would also suit itself well to Sea of Thieves' cartoony visuals.
After a Pirates of the Caribbean crossover like this, and Sea of Thieves' redemption story, anything is possible for the game. Many fans will undoubtedly be echoing the words of Captain Jack after that trailer: "Bring me the horizon."
Sea of Thieves: A Pirate's Life will release June 22, 2021, on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.