Same engine as POTC. If Played POTC (Sea dogs with POTC name) then know that game is the same with updated graphic of like 2010, also game is literally using same areas and sound effects/similar system. Nostalgic as helll

Perhaps, it is the best game about pirates at this moment.
Sea Dogs: To Each His Own is successor of Sea Dogs (2000), Pirates of the Caribbean (2003) and Age of Pirates: City of Abandoned Ships (2007).

Advantages: interesting storyline, various gameplay, very beautiful atmosphere of 17th century's Caribbean. Many quests, including story missions, have several variants of solution. For the first time at the Sea Dogs series appeared craft and alchemy.

Disadvantages: old graphic and restrictions of old game engine. Do not forget that it's an indi project of amateur stidio.

If you like games about pirates, where you need to think, not just swing a cutlass, if you like bright characters, historical accuracy (many characters are real historical people) - well then, it is a game for you.

9/10 (not 10 points due to old graphic)

P. S. I play Sea Dogs and Age of Pirates series during 5 years, and I hope, that this series of games will continue to evolve.

Very OLD Akella Pirates game player here when "dinosaurs ruled the earth".
I basically played the entire game in Russian before it was released in English offline.

The game series has been around since 2000. Developed by Akella. This is actually the SIXTH game in the series. Sea Dogs, POTC (Sea Dogs Modification, SD2, the bad disney production), Age of Pirates (AoP) , Tortuga - Two Treasures, AoP2:COAS (City of Abandoned Ships) , and POTEHO (SDTEHO). Black Mark Studios has most of the original modders and designs from the original games. SDTEHO has MANY of the same landmarks as COAS and similar quests. Personally, I am partial to COAS for many reasons, but predominantly the freedom to do whatever the hell you want very early.

There are several other distinct subset series mods as well both from Russian (Ukraine), and the the generated POTC Build Mod, Gentlemen of Fortune and "Eras" mods. The one that is most notable is the "Gentlemen of Fortune" (GoF) + Eras which makes the game even more massive in terms of gameplay, but "cryptic" terms of controls and difficulty.

In order to enjoy THIS game, a player has to be willing "take the pain up the bunghole", at least initially anyway.
It is rogue style, you die, you are DEAD.
You will die.
You will get frustrated.
You will get angry.
You will probably curse at your computer.
You will probably curse at Akella / BlackMark Studio developers.
You might even curse in Russian if you know the language.
Save your game, OFTEN.
I do mean A LOT.
You may even have to revert to an earlier stage because you missed something critical.
If you do not and end up on the main screen staring and saying "WTF!" because you just lost 10 hours of gameplay, it is YOUR fault.

I REALLY mean that.
This game can be incredibly unforgiving at times.
I was part of the design production team of the original English release of AoP2: COAS, but passed on the English translation of SDTEHO, because even the updated Storm Engine is not aging well and problems with the original English release. Currently the translation to English is absolutely insanely laughable at times, but most of us left that understand the game engine are probably not going to fix this game in the series this time round as Akella still has not learned their lessons. Additionally, the entire source is not available inside the game anyway as it is ENCRYPTED. Thanks Akella.

There are quests on this particular game that will give you more game rage that you have ever experienced in previous series. "The Gambit" comes to mind, sailing in "real time" and even with time compression is laborious. Most people have not seen the endings of the later games due to difficulty or just throw up their hands and go, "I quit".
"Silly gamers, SDTEHO is not for kids..."

Basically the gameplay provides a very solid RGP single player experience, but the controls are still ARCHAIC, graphics are aging (lack of intiial DirectX 9 support is UNACCEPTABLE this is 2016!), hit detection is average, and this game WILL NOT HOLD YOUR HAND.

There are no "arrows" to guide you.
You need to WRITE DOWN things in order to remember them.
You need to do some research on how to do things, because the game will not tell you how to do them even with the extra long tutorial.
There are a lot of game mechanic concepts that have to be understood UPFRONT.
Combat can be unfair and brutish for the unprepared.
Landmarks and graphics are RECYCLED from all previous games (with some small expanded list of new areas and features such as ships decks).
Items are GREATLY expanded, which magic and alchemy all over the place.
It adds a new twist to the game series.
There are NO FULL VOICE OVERS (that are unrelated to dialogue), so get used to it, or move on.
Failure to read dialogue can result in game failure, and some things are ONLY said ONCE!
You are not in a "Captain Blood" novel here.
You need to earn your place in order to be successful.
You will need to spend a LOT of time in order to build up your skills.
Once you master the mechanics you will have a great time, but that will require about 8-10 hours at least if you have never played the series before.

Age of Pirates Words of Wisdom: "Rewards come to those that are patient".
Can you pass the test?

Do you like pirates? Becauseif you do, you should get this game ASAP.
Yes, the graphics are old, but other aspects are awesome!
Let`s go down the list:
1) Great, and realistic sea combat - you can use different types of ammo to deal damage (bombs can begin fire, shrapnel will tear crew apart )
2) Ground combat mechanics are unique - it`s challenging at first, but when you get used to it, you will ask yourself "Why nobody did this before?"
3) Great role-playing system - It`s got character stats, character perks and ship perks
4) ALOT of micromanagement!
5) Awesome quests, great characters, great artstyle
6) Massive open-world
And a lot more!
And finally devs made english translation! (It took pretty long time)

The game is boasting that it's from 2012. Well it was completed that year but don't be fooled! The game can be traced back to Pirates of the Caribbean (2003) a. k. a. Corsairs 2 or Sea Dogs 2 and manages to look and feel much worse. TEHO in essence is a stand-alone DLC for Corsairs 3 a. k. a. Sea Dogs: Caribbean Tales (2006) which also was a huge step back compared to PotC. The developers tried to make a joke with game's abbreviation: PO:TEHO (PO standing for Pirates Odyssey) which looks like a transliterated russian word "fun" but it only makes them look even worse 'cause this game is anything but fun.
The first quest is atrocious. I couldn't leave the starting island for 6 bloody hours! And that's after playing the previous 2 games for at least a thousand hours. In PotC you can complete a similar tutorial and learn all the basics in 5 minutes or skip it and learn the game as you go. In TEHO they make backtracking a key game mechanic. You will be going the same paths for hours in a series of lazy uninspired fetch quests.
Naval battles are ridiculously brutal. You start with such low stats that it may take a couple of hours to capture the weakest ship. And let's not forget about "glitched" ships that you can only sink by aiming manually or by boarding. I'm pretty sure that it was easier to become a real pirate than play this game. It kicks in after about 100 hours once you reach decent skill points in Navigation and Cannons and becomes more playable but those hours will chase you in nightmares.
Music is a huge disappointment. I still listen PotC soundtrack sometimes but TEHO's music is the most generic and annoying thing I've heard in years.
Overall TEHO is a bug infested mess with hugely reduced playability to make it more "realistic" - yeah, good luck making it to another island in time while the wind is blowing in opposite direction. Also you could choose a female playable character in Corsairs 3. In SD: TEHO you can't, which is a pity 'cause you're stuck looking at guy's rear for many hours.

For all of you who don't know it yet: this is the fifth game in the Sea Dogs series (originally named "Корсары").
The previous games are titled as follows:

Sea Dogs 1: "Sea Dogs: An Epic Adventure At Sea" (2000)
Sea Dogs 2: "Pirates of the Caribbean" (2003)
Sea Dogs 3: "Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales" (2005)
Sea Dogs 4: "Age of Pirates: City of Abandoned Ships" (2009)

Back in the day, "Pirates of the Caribbean" (which got the license of the Disney film) was my favourite pirate game of all time. I had played the classics "Pirates!", "Sea Legends", "Big Sea", "1869: History Experience" and many many more before that, but "Pirates of the Caribbean" was the one to keep me entertained for... well... years, actually. It just had everything: sailing, naval battle, exploration of many different areas of the isles on foot, trading, raiding forts and much more. The soundtrack was absolutely enchanting and while the game had a bit of a console feel to it (and a few bugs), it was just amazing. The two "Age of Pirates" games were great as well, but they had no real main story (at least not to the extent of the predecessor) - instead you could create your own character and just be free in the caribbean. Sounded nice on paper, but playing the game felt a bit redundant.
(My REAL problem with those games was the atrocious StarForce copy protection on the disks. I just don't like rootkits on my PC, so I installed them both exactly once and when I grew tired of them, I uninstalled them, never to turn back to them again. "Better go back to Sea Dogs 2", I thought for many years.)

It's been SEVEN YEARS since the last instalment in the series and now there's finally a brand-new game! And thankfully, it offers everything the great "Sea Dogs 2/Pirates of the Caribbean" offered. Here, we FINALLY have the good old feeling of being back in the caribbean. There's only one character to choose, just as in Sea Dogs 2, and it's great because it comes with a strong story hook (no pun intended).

Of course, the game's engine feels exactly like the one from 2003.
Yeah, the voice acting is borderline silly. And yes, apart from SOME(!) high-res textures, the graphics seem like they are from 2006 or something.
And yes, instead of video sequences that tell the story, you get most of the exposition by dialog boxes (almost like in those anime visual novels).
HOWEVER: This really *IS* what the perfect pirate game should feel like. It's a bit wonky, yes, but it's worth every second of your time, without a doubt. Here's why:

Want to sail your ship from island to island with the possibility of switching to real-time every second? You can!
Want to buy and sell ships, freight, loot and other items, equipping the best weapons and armor to improve your stats? Then do that!
Want to explore all the different islands on foot and discover exciting areas? This game has that, and it's gorgeous!
Want to engage in exciting naval battles with the option of boarding enemy ships, attacking the enemy sailors with swords and guns, advancing to the captain's quarters in order to finish him and take over the ship? That's what this game is best at!! :)
Want to raid cities/forts the same way - by attacking them with your fleet and then finishing them off with swords and guns? Heeeell yeah, go for it!!

Up until now, this game hasn't had all that much of attention (let alone media coverage), which is an absolute shame because it clearly deserves it! These developers DESERVE to finally have real success with their creation! So even if it's a pirate game: don't pirate it! Support these guys!!

If you've ever thought "A pirate I was meant to be, trim the sails and roam the sea...", THIS is the perfect game for you!

This game has its issues. Unlike other games I play the developers seem to pay attention to our complaints as to bugs, crashes, translations and such. With that said, this is a great game. No it is not as polished as "The Witcher" series, but the potential is there with future updates, fixes and releases.

There is a serious learning curve, which only enhances the playability. Understanding all you can and can not do, makes the game interesting. I enjoy a challenge. Some of the missions are close to impossible untill you understand the game mechanics along with your abilities. I like the AI that controls the sailing aspect, seas, wind, weather. I actually sail and that part of the game is fun for me.

Getting the map of the Caribbean Sea, for the game's time period is valuable. As all things in the real world, names of places change, the geography pretty much stays the same. Different ships, weapons and core crew members make for interesting choices you need to make. Some will come back to haunt you others were splendid choices.

Of course save often in open slots, follow the developers suggestions for a smoother game, and when all else fails and your frustrated, start over choose different options and see if they fit your style of play.

No, this game is not for everyone. I am sure eventually with luck and persistance you will become the feared pirate "Roberts" with a devastating ship, but till then play and enjoy. Be part of a game still being tweeked and developed by a group of developers who, IMHO get it.

Heads up, this review is LONG. There will be a TL;DR at the bottom.

This game is a gem, covered in a pile of ♥♥♥♥. If you've read negative reviews for the game I hate to say that most of them are very much accurate. This game is very unwieldy, hard to learn, harder to master, and really doesn't teach you anything. The closest this game has to a tutorial is essentially a few hours of being stuck on one island doing small quests to make enough money to buy a small ship. Unfortunately, this means you likely won't know if you want to keep the game or not until after the refund period has passed.

So before I go on, you need to be absolutely sure you want the game before you buy it, because you won't be able to refund it.

Now that that is out of the way, I want to address all the things I love about this game:
It is, for the most part, a sandbox game very similar to that of Mount & Blade. You can do what you want and do it over a big area (the entire West Indies). There is a "main" quest, but you could completely ignore it if you didn't want to do it, as you'll still witness almost all the game has to offer without it. However, there are certain events and areas you'll miss if you skip the main quest, so you should get to it eventually.

As for the actual gameplay, it is phenomenal. I love Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag for its amazing naval combat, and I can honestly say this game does it better. The naval fights are very action-packed and intense, bigger ships have more cannons that deal more damage and fire farther, you have different ammunition to choose from, and you can even get into large battles at the sea. Furthermore, if you choose to board instead of sinking a ship outright, you've got even more fighting in store. I can only praise the naval combat, I really can't think of anything wrong with it.

The regular combat is a bit different, especially since there is no tutorial to actually teach you how to swing your sword (unless I missed it or something). It is not nearly as straightforward as the naval combat, and if you don't know what you're doing, you'll easily die to the first enemy you encounter. However it is very fun and intense, and some fights can go on for quite a while depending on how strong your opponent is along with healing items. You won't just be cutting through enemies like you would be in Mount & Blade, each fight can easily end with a sword through your chest and a man marking your grave.

On to the more guided sections of the game, there are a plethora of quests you can take on to fill your coffers when you aren't strong enough to go raiding fleets for gold and silver cargo. Most quests consist of you seeking out a specific ship or some gang of bandits, but many quests are much deeper, especially once you get into the main questline. A lot of effort was clearly put into these quests to make fun and engaging gameplay, and there are really only a few quests I haven't liked. I'm sure I haven't even done all of them yet in 120 hours of gameplay.

As for getting strong enough to take on these flotillas bearing gold and silver, you start out as a weak, inexperienced man who is merely a virgin to Caribbean life. This game uses a dynamic levelling system, where your skills get better as you use them, rather than just increasing whenever you level up. You must improve your skills if you want to get anywhere, as when you start out you'll barely be able to take on the smallest of ships and weakest of dueling opponents.

There are lots of other things to do, but I feel I've covered all my bases for the sake of this review. Now on to the negatives:
To start off, the game is Russian, and this is an English translation of it, and sometimes that translation is really bad. The quests I haven't liked have been quests I flat out couldn't understand due to terrible translation, and I've even come across some segments of dialogue that are still in Russian.

Speaking of quests, you HAVE to pay attention to dialogue. A lot of times your character will simply omit important information in the quest journal, so if you weren't paying attention you could easily get stuck and end up failing the quest. This is especially true with the main questline, so make sure you are paying attention to the dialogue.

While I have been praising this game for the gameplay, I need to further emphasize how unwieldy the game is and how it completely fails to teach you the mechanics of the gameplay going in. You are very much alone in figuring out how to play, so I recommend you check out guides for the game. I myself have been frequenting the forums to find out a lot of things that the game should really be explaining. This is a dealbreaker for a lot of people, and that is something I can perfectly understand. If you aren't willing to take the time to learn how to play the game, then this game is definitely not worth the purchase.

Along with the unwieldy controls and lack of tutorial, this game is very unforgiving. If you die, you are dead, and you better have saved recently. I highly recommend to keep as many saves as possible, and NEVER overwrite a save file. If you get into a really tight spot and you don't have an earlier save you can revert to, you'll likely have to end up starting over. Which means you have to go through the awful, hours long "tutorial" again.

I understand that the negative aspects of the game seem to outweigh the positive ones, and that's where a lot of the negative reviews for this game come from, but I have to say the opposite is true. This has quickly become one of my favorite games, but when I started out I was extremely frustrated with it. All I can really say is give the game time. If you are planning on buying this game you can't expect to be able to get a refund, once you get it you're in for the long haul.

TL;DR: This game is like eating at an excessively fancy restaurant. The menu is confusing and you have to wait a long time for your food to show up, but once it does you've got a 5-star meal. The game is really fun if you can just figure it out and really get into it.

Despite running on a 10 year old engine this game still looks amazing.
The deep story, role playing rivals even with Assasin's Creed IV. A milestone in sea games.

I was thoroughly impressed with the first Sea Dogs title, their sequels - Pirates of the Caribbean, Age of Pirates/Age of Pirates 2 City of Abandoned Ships which makes this game, the logical continuation of that tradition from Akella to make these games (although now they just earn money as a publisher since they own the rights to the game).
On a technical level this is the same Age of Pirates with numerous additions. Think of it as the Warband of Mount & Blade.

The story got much better since the first Age of Pirates. Continuing with the good tradition of CAS (Age of Pirates 2) story and quests got a special spotlight, many of them are randomly generated.
You play Charles de Maure, a french aristocrat who came to the New World to help his brother. Eventually you get entangled in politics, earning a revenue all the time to fight off scurvy and... boredom in the sea. This is a slow game.
Relationships with factions, bounties on your head, pirating, bribing - all of it is improved and refined to make a believable experience.

Unlike more arcade games this one is hard. It plays by the logic of a 15 year old mentality.
Life in the sea is hard, sailing is slow, authenticity to the maximum. This isn't for everyone.

I consider this a great expansion if you loved the previous games. It is hard to get in if you never played anything like this before. Learning the ropes may proove difficult since the game doesn't like to hold your hand at all.
Like a newborn baby you'll try to hold on to every possible hook on getting your sailor life easier.
The tutorial exists though. If you were looking for such an experience than this is the closest you'll get in he forseeable future.

Since there's no English version yet (reportedly coming this summer) everything will be in Russian. Thus, this can only be recommended to those passionate about naval adventures, and a realistic RPG/simulation of sailing. If you watched Pirates of the Caribbean a million times - this is for you.
To those who stay, take care of CTD's and freezes. The age of exploration is nigh. Save often!

Wow, I thought this game will never be translated into English! And they finally did it! If you've ever thought "I wish there'd be another SeaDogs game", or "I wish Sid Meier's Pirates would merge with Mount and Blade" - look no further! This game is as Indie as it can be, but it's plethora of mechanics are insanely deep. Sandbox Pirate Simulator you maybe didn't know you needed in your life!