GameDome Blog

Videogames released as a tie-in to a big movie tend to be disappointing. Especially when that movie is a sequel, expected to be a blockbuster, and is a somewhat shallow summer released created to offer simple entertainment. However, there have been enough good movie-based videogames that gamers still hold out hope when a new one is released. The new Pirates of the Caribbean videogame turns out to be very solid and will please fans of the movie of all ages.

Each of the movies in the Pirates of the Caribbean series have been, in their own right, epics. Yes, they are somewhat silly and perhaps aimed more at children than adults, but they are truly triumphs of special effects and tell huge stories that span the seas themselves. Sadly the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End action adventure videogame is not so epic. Instead we get what is basically a hack-and-slash action videogame that loosely follows the story of the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean movies. The point of the game is more to let you fight as Jack Sparrow rather than acting out the complex storyline and going through all of the twists and turns. The Pirates of the Caribbean game does tend to get some story elements wrong when compared to the movie, but the gist of it is correct and I am sure some changes had to be made to help the story be easier to understand in the context of the game.

The movie stars do not perform the voice acting in the game, and this is quite obvious when you hear the characters speak. While the voice acting will not trick you into thinking that movie stars were a part of it, the performance are close enough that the game is enjoyable. Also, there is not a lot of dialogue in the game since it is action-driven, so the voice acting is not very important.

The game is visually very impressive, but not as much so as the movies are. This is to be expected as the game as to be rendered in real time while the computer generated effects in the movie are pre-rendered. However, after seeing the movies the game does not look nearly as slick and polished. The graphics are quite good compared to other fast-paced actions games out at the moment. The environmental effects help give the game a lot of ambiance and help draw you into the experience. With any fast-paced action game the character animations are extremely important. Everything has to be fluid and convincing or the game will just look awkward no matter how good the textures and character models are. Luckily the animations in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End are very good. For reference, they are on par with the Dead or Alive games, Ninja Gaiden, and Devil May Cry. The pre-rendered cut scenes are also fantastic and show some great ship battles.

Game play and controls are also very important to action games and Pirates of the Caribbean does not disappoint. Combat is the most important element in the game and it is generally accomplished by pressing two buttons and using special tactics such as making use of the environment around you. The levels also include some light puzzle-solving elements, but they are simple enough that they do not get frustrating. You also sometimes have to defend allies and fight bosses, which require changes in tactics. The controls do not allow a huge amount of freedom, but they feel very organic and make a lot of sense for this style of game. The combat system lacks depth, but it keeps the action fast and fresh and makes the game easy to pick up and play. While Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End can be enjoyed be adults, it is also designed so that children can play it successfully. The easy puzzles and simple controls will not frustrate any children and cause them to constantly get stuck at certain points in the game.

The main draw of the game is that it allows you to play as Jack Sparrow, a very interesting and unique character. The animations and simple controls allow you to easily accomplish the feats that Jack Sparrow accomplishes in the movie with the same sense of style and flair that he does it with. It would be a shame if the swagger of Jack Sparrow did not translate into the controls and animations, as it would leave gamers as if they were not really controlling the character they know from the movies.

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Mary Murtha