It’s a 7.5 Game—If You Time Travel to 2010

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Summary

  • Captain Blood, a pirate-themed hack-and-slash adventure game that was initially set to release in 2006 but faced major development issues, finally launched on May 6, 2025.
  • Resurrected by Seawolf Studio and publisher SNEG, Captain Blood maintains the quirkiness and characteristic jank of games from that era, but this has led to middling review scores.
  • SNEG’s co-founder believes Captain Blood’s flaws are part of its charm, and that it would be a 7.5/10 game by 2010 standards.

Originally released as an action-adventure game in the early 2000s – specifically, Captain Blood – is now available on contemporary platforms, having been held up in development for over a decade before being abandoned. As an older title, Captain Blood naturally has some peculiarities and idiosyncrasies; however, the publisher, SNEG, views these elements as endearing characteristics that add to its unique appeal.

The production of Captain Blood initially started back in 2003, spearheaded by Akella who was the mastermind behind the Pirates of the Caribbean game from that time period. Captain Blood was designed as a dark, God of War-inspired action game intended for release in 2006 on the original Xbox and PC. However, it was later moved to the Xbox 360. Sadly, its publisher Playlogic filed for bankruptcy in 2010, halting the development process and eventually leading to its cancellation. But now, Captain Blood has been finished and made available again by SNEG, a company dedicated to preserving games.

In a fascinating turn of events, the classic game Captain Blood, originally created by its developers, has been reborn under the new name Seawolf Studio. The revival aims to preserve the authentic feel of the game as if it had debuted in the late 2000s, with only essential updates for compatibility and bug fixes applied. Consequently, the game may not boast the sleek polish common in today’s modern titles, as reflected in its Metacritic scores, which stand at 57 on PS5 and 45 on PC. However, Oleg Klapovskiy, co-founder of SNEG, views this as a positive aspect rather than a shortcoming. In a recent interview with PCGamer, he expressed, “If judged by contemporary standards, I would rate it quite low, perhaps a 3 or 4?

Captain Blood Publisher SNEG Believes it’s a 7.5/10 Game by 2010 Standards

Later, Klapovskiy emphasized that Captain Blood is not a game released in 2025, and thus it shouldn’t be evaluated based on modern standards. Instead, he suggested viewing it as a product of its time, appreciating its charms, flaws, and the nostalgic feel it exudes. If judged by contemporary standards for games from its era, he would rate it 7.5 out of 10. The game openly showcases its age, embracing the quirks and grandeur typical of its time, a trait that players seem to enjoy, as evidenced by the 68 Very Positive reviews on its Steam page at the moment. Moreover, it adds to the dwindling collection of pirate-themed games, which enthusiasts of this genre may find satisfying.

As a passionate admirer, I must say that Captain Blood stands out as one of the most intriguing and heartening releases in recent times. SNEG and Seawolf Studio didn’t undertake this project for monetary gains or to follow fleeting trends, but rather, because they believed in its worth. The visionaries at SNEG, former GOG staff members, viewed it as a mission of preservation and a responsibility towards the developers who nurtured this project for over two decades without ever seeing its day in the sun. Remarkably, some of these developers, now engaged with major projects like Roblox, took time from their busy schedules to contribute, simply to witness Captain Blood come to life and find its way into our gaming hands.

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2025-05-11 11:36