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Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End—Disney Interactive
A sinking feeling is what you may experience.
Video: 3
To make up for the lack of any major tie-in last year, the game is actually two stories in one, covering the plots of both Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and this summer’s At World’s End, along with expanded events that provide even more action than was seen on the big screen (if that’s even possible). So far, so good; but watch out for rough waters ahead.
Through the full story from both films, you’ll get to play as any of the three main characters, including Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann. You can even switch between them as their unique skills are required. The heart of the game is based around swashbuckling swordplay, where you’ll get to pull off a variety of pirate-inspired moves, such as swinging on ropes, as you battle a variety of villains, including Davey Jones’ menacing crew of soulless sailors. Yet, because the emphasis is on the action elements, the gameplay becomes repetitive and somewhat redundant. And, while the PlayStation 3 version takes some advantage of the SIXAXIS control during the swordplay, it lacks some of the more inspired gameplay that gamers on the Nintendo Wii may encounter.
The graphics on the next-generation PS3 edition—and, for the record, the Xbox 360—are a noticeable step up, and the character renderings do look very good. The looks are deceiving, however. This is a game that finds itself solidly in “uncanny valley” territory. Even with the 480p/720p (1,280 by 720) widescreen presentation, at 24 to 30 frames per second, the graphics are unfortunately jaggy at times and, except in the cut scenes, far less convincing overall. The movements are awkward, and because so much of the game is based on swashbuckler-style action, the result fails to engage you into the experience.
Likewise, the sounds of the sea also come up short. How many ways can you re-create the sound of swords clashing together? Apparently, not that many. Many of the sound effects in the game are used over and over again to the point of becoming annoying. The in-game surround sound is punctuated with the film’s movie score, and it fits the mood well enough. The dialogue is filled in by soundalikes, and, as with the other audio effects, there is too little, and you’ll hear the same lines far too often.
Considering that Pirates was the results of two stories combined, this should have made for an epic adventure, but instead (and perhaps because of the fact that it is two overly long films), the result is a muddled game that goes on for far too long. The reliance on the swordplay, lackluster sound and disappointing graphics make for a journey that seemingly doesn’t end. You’re more likely to give up than reach the world’s end.
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Despite the all-hands-on-deck approach that Disney took with last summer’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, there was no major game tie-in off the port side. And, other than a couple of handheld titles, the pirate flick didn’t get the small-screen video-game treatment. This time around, Disney Interactive is going all out with a game release for practically every platform on the market. As expected, the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 versions are the release’s flagships.
