All hands on deck! Well, one hand on mouse, actually. Frantic Frigates is a lovely little maritime game where you must survive the onslaught of sharks and other pirates as you try and make your way to the top of the aquatic food chain.

The game is actually quite simple. You steer, while the ship aims and shoots at the nearest enemy automatically. Sounds easy, right? At first, maybe. But this game is anything but easy after the first level. Defeating the superboss at the end of each level gets dramatically difficult at every level, so expect to try a few times before actually managing to sail through. The sharks and pirates don’t get any friendlier, either. The sad bit is that each time you lose all your lives, you have to start right at the bottom of the game, although your upgraded status remains.

Frantic Frigates also has its share of action enhancers. Every time you destroy an enemy, he drops his treasure into the water, which obviously you must collect to earn money to upgrade your vessel. Upgrading can be done at any point in the game, a huge advantage if you’ve saved enough when the superboss arrives. Upgrade wisely, and the game can be a breeze. The bundle upgrades are quite helpful, offering great value for your hard-stolen money.

All in all, Frantic Frigates is an engaging fun game that can keep you occupied for hours together. But be patient, because if you manage to get through the game without having to repeat it even once, you’re the god of reaction time. Batten down them hatches, sailors! You’re in for barrels of fun!