IGG is working on a bringing gamers an updated sequel to the very popular online casual game, Tales of Pirates. We had a chance to pick the brain of Tales of Pirates 2's Product Manager, Allen Chen, for some info and insight into the franchise and the upcoming game. Read on to get the full details. 

Blend Games: Given the success of the original ToP, what exactly made IGG want to move forward with publishing a sequel?

Chen: Here at IGG, we’re always trying to give our players new and exciting games. Tales of Pirates (ToP) was released 3 years ago and instantly became a classic. We appreciate all the support we received from players as the game grew and evolved. Starting fresh with Tales of Pirates II (ToP II), we felt we had a chance to extend the storyline of the original and add new, amazing elements to the game. We want to give our existing players an even better game experience while attracting new players to our world of pirates. In ToP II, players are going to find out that being a pirate has never been so much fun.

Blend Games: For those who haven’t been following the news regarding Tales of Pirates II, what are some of the major differences between the first and second game?

Chen: ToP II features improved graphics and a new game layout. As for the gameplay itself, 8 new systems will be introduced, including the Rear Fairy system, Treasure Digging system, Sea Battle system and the PVP Arena. These were designed to take gameplay to a whole new level.

Blend Games: With the enhanced 3D graphics present and more visual upgrades implemented, will a lot of players running the original Tales of Pirates on low-end PCs be left out of the sequel, or is the game scaled to work for both high-end and low-end PCs on the performance spectrum?

Chen: While ToP II utilizes advanced 3D rendering to create a realistic and detailed game environment, we have also implemented an optimization design to lower the overall hardware requirements. Players should have no problem running the game smoothly even with lower hardware setups. Of course, those with better systems will be able to experience the game in its full glory.

Blend Games: Sweet. That means all of you playing on your grandmother’s computer shouldn’t have too much of a problem running ToP 2. Moving on…can you explain a little bit about what the sea-battles will be like and what gamers can expect?