This May, the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie, At World's End slams into theaters, and to complement its release, Disney Interactive will release a video game of the same name for Xbox 360. This third person, hack and slash adventure plunges people into the world of Captain Jack Sparrow, where they not only sail the high seas but also engage in plenty of swashbuckling. They'll also explore a host of detailed environments and play as their heroes, all the while enjoying beautiful graphics and audio.
At World's End covers both the upcoming film as well as its prequel Dead Man's Chest. With that, developer Eurocom expanded various scenes and battles to give players a more in depth look at the franchise. It seems to capture the essence of the films, thus giving people the opportunity to immerse fully into Disney's critically acclaimed franchise. As Captain Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner, they'll visit popular locations from the movies such as Port Royale, explore dense jungles, hunt for buried treasure, solve puzzles and of course, battle against plenty of nefarious pirates and monsters. Not only will they contend with Davy Jones' cursed henchmen, but they'll also combat the nasty Kraken, a creature that'll be more than happy to wrap its slimy tentacles around a ship and drag it to the bottom of the sea.
In the Pirates of the Caribbean tradition, the game features plenty of swashbuckling. Gamers slide down rope and kick people in the face, jump onto loose planks and watch as the other end smacks an enemy in the face, fire guns, throw knives and plunge their swords into their foes. The sword fighting looks especially polished, with players able to easily rack up combos as well as integrating punches and kicks by pressing just a few buttons. At times, gamers can switch between all three characters while the computer controls the other two. Each one has the standard assortment of sword slashes, though they possess individual finishing moves, pulled off by filling a swordsmanship meter.
Eurocom has done a great job programming large-scale battles, thus giving the game an epic feel. Instead of squaring off against one or two enemies (though that does happen), players will find themselves in skirmishes where artificially controlled opponents and allies dash about, flinging weapons through the air and firing weapons. They'll also be treated to superb animation, particularly Jack Sparrow's signature mannerisms. In addition, the developers have captured all three characters' likenesses, though for whatever reason, the game lacks the voices of Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley; bizarre, considering Disney Interactive should in theory, have some pull. At least the game includes original music from the films.
Gorgeous visuals complement the action. Character, ship and environmental detail looks outstanding. Kudos to the developers for such beautiful imagery.
Considering Eurocom's average portfolio -- which includes the enjoyable Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy along with the awful Predator: Concrete Jungle -- At World's End could turn out to be nothing more than an uninspired hack-an-slash adventure game with horrible controls. However, thus far it looks like an entertaining romp through one of Disney's best franchises, as well as an excellent companion piece to the films. Expect more coverage leading up to its May 22 release.
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