The Capt. Jack Sparrow of the silver screen often prefers a quick tongue and fleet feet to a swift blade. However, the pirate captain of the video screen is full of fight.
Gamers who crave swordplay will be pleased that there’s rarely a lull in the action in “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.”
The game by Disney Interactive Studios follows the exploits of Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner, along with the scruffy assortment of friend and enemies who populate the films inspired by Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme park ride.
It follows the basic story lines of the second and third films in the series. The pirates stumble through a series of encounters with cannibals, British authorities and the slimy Davy Jones in the first half of the game, which is based on “Dead Man’s Chest.” The crew then gathers the pirate lords to face threats posed by both Davy Jones and the East India Trading Co., as told in “At World’s End.” However, the game isn’t a strict retelling of the tales. It’s more of a blend of the two with a few extra tidbits that don’t appear in the films.
This is actually the first game to follow the plot of any of the films. The first “PotC” game, from Bethesda Softworks, carried the film’s name but didn’t try to re-create the action. Last year’s, “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow,” also by Bethesda, tried to fill the gap between the first and second movies.
This time around, Disney decided to create its own set of games, with different versions designed to take advantage of the processing power of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and the motion-sensitive controller of Nintendo’s Wii. There are also versions for older consoles and handheld systems.
As could be expected in the Wii version, waving and jerking the remote and nunchuck transmit slashes and punches to enemies. And in the Xbox 360 version, such actions are handled by pressing a few buttons. And, of course, the graphics are far superior on the Xbox 360. For example, Sparrow’s odd mannerisms come across very well and the mist and moonlight effects give the game a cool, spooky feel in some levels.
What’s unexpected is the fact that virtually every detail differs between the version for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and the version for the Wii, which is similar to the version for the “current gen” consoles. While the overall plot is the same, each level is built around different maps, different mini-missions, different power-ups and different goals.
Overall, the “next gen” version delivers more action and offers more interesting ways to confront an opponent — igniting barrels of gunpowder, hurling wine bottles and launching multiple-coconut assaults, for example.
However, the Wii version offers its own set to extras — including an entire level that focuses on Isla de Pelegostos, where Jack almost ended up as a cannibal feast in the second film. It also offers additional mini-games, such as pirate dice and poker.
The Capt. Jack Sparrow of the silver screen often prefers a quick tongue and fleet feet to a swift blade. However, the pirate captain of the video screen is full of fight.
Gamers who crave swordplay will be pleased that there’s rarely a lull in the action in “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.”
The game by Disney Interactive Studios follows the exploits of Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner, along with the scruffy assortment of friend and enemies who populate the films inspired by Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme park ride.
It follows the basic story lines of the second and third films in the series. The pirates stumble through a series of encounters with cannibals, British authorities and the slimy Davy Jones in the first half of the game, which is based on “Dead Man’s Chest.” The crew then gathers the pirate lords to face threats posed by both Davy Jones and the East India Trading Co., as told in “At World’s End.” However, the game isn’t a strict retelling of the tales. It’s more of a blend of the two with a few extra tidbits that don’t appear in the films.
This is actually the first game to follow the plot of any of the films. The first “PotC” game, from Bethesda Softworks, carried the film’s name but didn’t try to re-create the action. Last year’s, “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow,” also by Bethesda, tried to fill the gap between the first and second movies.
This time around, Disney decided to create its own set of games, with different versions designed to take advantage of the processing power of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and the motion-sensitive controller of Nintendo’s Wii. There are also versions for older consoles and handheld systems.
As could be expected in the Wii version, waving and jerking the remote and nunchuck transmit slashes and punches to enemies. And in the Xbox 360 version, such actions are handled by pressing a few buttons. And, of course, the graphics are far superior on the Xbox 360. For example, Sparrow’s odd mannerisms come across very well and the mist and moonlight effects give the game a cool, spooky feel in some levels.
What’s unexpected is the fact that virtually every detail differs between the version for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and the version for the Wii, which is similar to the version for the “current gen” consoles. While the overall plot is the same, each level is built around different maps, different mini-missions, different power-ups and different goals.
Overall, the “next gen” version delivers more action and offers more interesting ways to confront an opponent — igniting barrels of gunpowder, hurling wine bottles and launching multiple-coconut assaults, for example.
However, the Wii version offers its own set to extras — including an entire level that focuses on Isla de Pelegostos, where Jack almost ended up as a cannibal feast in the second film. It also offers additional mini-games, such as pirate dice and poker.
In addition, this version tries to be a bit more “family friendly” — at least for families who hang out in bars and gamble with cutthroats. The bodies of slain enemies quickly evaporate and it’s a little less obvious that many of the women are prostitutes.
Both versions also offer multi-player modes where gamers can fight or compete in various challenges as different characters from the movies.
Although they don’t break any new ground, both versions are a cut above the typical movie-based game. Fans of the flicks shouldn’t be afraid to grab a cutlass and take a swing.
On the Web: http://adisney.go.com/disneyinteractivestudios/pirates3/englishus/index.html.
In addition, this version tries to be a bit more “family friendly” — at least for families who hang out in bars and gamble with cutthroats. The bodies of slain enemies quickly evaporate and it’s a little less obvious that many of the women are prostitutes.
Both versions also offer multi-player modes where gamers can fight or compete in various challenges as different characters from the movies.
Although they don’t break any new ground, both versions are a cut above the typical movie-based game. Fans of the flicks shouldn’t be afraid to grab a cutlass and take a swing.
On the Web: http://adisney.go.com/disneyinteractivestudios/pirates3/englishus/index.html.
