VG review: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

“PIRATES OF THE CARIBBE­AN: AT WORLD’S END”
Disney, for PlayStation 3, Play­Station 2, Xbox 360, Wii and PC
rated T for Teen (use of alcohol, violence); $59.99 (PS3 and 360), $39.99 (PS2), $49.99 (Wii) and $29.99 (PC).

"Pirates of the Caribbean” is a frustrating game — it’s just competent enough to make its flaws all the more annoying.

And to be sure, there are some pretty glaring flaws. You’d think, for instance, that the combat mechanism in a pirate game would be one of its highlights.

You’d be wrong, however, as sword fighting for the most part proves desperately boring, full of mindless button mashing and wading through a sea of faceless enemies. A few meager boss battles rise above the mundane by letting you use the thumbstick to block and parry your opponents’ moves, but those sequences are few and far between.

The game tries to get you to mix up your attacks by using pistols, bombs and other items, thereby increasing your “notoriety.” But apart from being able to show off your gun skills online, it’s a hollow achievement.

“At World’s End” follows the plot of not just the third “Pirates” film, but the second one as well, with Capt. Jack Sparrow attempting to acquire Davey Jones’ heart and thus avoid becoming a member of his crew.

At different points throughout the game you get to play as Sparrow, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. There will even be a few scenes where you’ll need to switch between characters on the fly. These tend to be the worst moments of the game, as whatever character you happen to not be controlling at the time will become brain-dead and refuse to defend itself.

The Wii version of the game is slightly different in that it requires you to swing the Wii-mote up and down and side to side instead of button mashing, so you’ll just get carpal tunnel in your wrist instead of your thumb. Other than that it’s more or less identical to the other versions of the game, though the graphics are considerably poorer.

In the end, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” is another mediocre movie tie-in. It’s playable, but it’s far from enjoyable. It’s not the first of its kind we’ve seen this year, and it certainly won’t be the last.

Copyright The Patriot-News, 2007