There’s an epic story to be told as well. These come in the form of Tall Tales, Sea of Thieves’ answer to quests. These have you embarking on an adventure & ending up at the legendary Shores Of Gold. Tall Tales have been made easier with the introduction of checkpoints, but they still offer a challenge to even the most seasoned pirates. So all you Sea Dogs and Scallywags beware! Because spoiler warning here: there will be spoilers for several Tall Tales ahead.
5. The Cursed Rogue
The 2nd Tall Tale isn’t too difficult on paper. But the final fight can bring problems bigger than you bargained for. The Cursed Rogue Tall Tale comes to a close with a boss fight against Captain Briggsy. She has a ridiculous amount of health and summons a ton of Skeletons to keep you busy. Her most dangerous attack is a shock wave that can throw you in the sea (if it doesn’t kill you), and this is where the problem lies. This fight takes ages, even more so if you keep ending up in the drink. The longer this fight takes, the more likely another player ship will come and see what you’re up to. And since your crew will be busy fighting, you’ll probably never see them coming. There’s always the threat of piracy in Sea of Thieves – but dying to it here when you’re so close to the end really stings!
4. Revenge Of The Morningstar
If you’ve struggled with riddles thus far I’ve got bad news for you, they get a lot worse. Revenge Of The Morningstar starts with you having to change your pirates’ outfit to masquerade as a different crew which is pretty cool! The difficult part here is you’re given a book of symbols with matching words followed by a page written in those symbols. You have to flick back and forth through your quest book trying to decipher the passage, and when you finally do…. yeah, it doesn’t make sense. The passage itself is written in riddles with lines like “From Cave Walk Rising Sun” which means “Starting at the Cave, walk East” (because the sun rises in the East). This Tall Tale is much easier if you write everything down and figure it out the good old fashioned way: with a pen and paper.
3. Art Of The Trickster
The Art Of The Trickster will have you solving some very difficult riddles. These riddles involve you lining up a special Spyglass with landmarks, but you’re not given a lot to go on – and it’s easy to lose where you were if you ever get attacked. Toward the end of this Tall Tale is where the difficulty really rears its ugly head. You have to make your way through a gauntlet of mechanical traps. And one slip is all it takes to get you killed. If platforming isn’t your strong suit, you’re going to die a lot. So take your time, and if someone can come with you, they can revive you if you go down. There’s a boss battle at the end of the Tall Tale – but compared to what you’ve just been through, they’re a pushover.
2. Stars Of A Thief
Navigating with a map is one thing. But navigating by the stars is quite another thing altogether – and there’s a reason we don’t do that anymore! Stars Of A Thief is the 3rd Tall Tale, and is a rude introduction to how cerebral the puzzles in Sea of Thieves can get. You’re given an enchanted Spyglass and you have to find your way around using star constellations that glow when you look at them. The biggest issue with this Tall Tale is it’s so easy to get lost. And if you simply get turned around at any point, you can lose a ton of progress. If you can figure the clues out, more power to you. But it’s easy to get mind flooded – and there’s very little in the way of help or hints.
1. The Shores Of Gold
The final Tall Tale in the main story is the toughest quest in the game, and this is why: The Shores Of Gold is a true test of any pirates skill, with a mix of puzzle-solving, platforming, traps, and a grand boss battle in a vault of pirate treasure. Every part of your gameplay will be tested here. And if you have any weaknesses, you can bet the Shores Of Gold will expose them. But there’s one part that really stands out for difficulty. It’s the part where you need to traverse thin planks and jump across tiny platforms with only your lantern for light. Many a pirate’s lives have been lost here. And there is no way to skip it. Only a well-rounded pirate can hope to leave the Shores Of Gold alive and live to tell the tale.
