For some unexplainable reason, massively multiplayer online (otherwise known as MMO) developers love trolls, dwarves and elves. Almost every MMO looks exactly like Sony Online Entertainment's EverQuest franchise or (what the cool kids play) Blizzard's World of Warcraft. Thankfully, the same cannot be said of Disney Online's Pirates of the Caribbean Online. Instead of forcing people to kill the same dragon that they've been slaughtering for the past decade, it taps into the incredibly successful movie franchise and created a fun, light-hearted adventure suitable for all ages and most computers (both PC and Mac). Even better, players download it and play free of charge. Well... sort of.

Yes, free. Disney will release the game online and give people two options. If they don't intend on paying for anything, they can play a small portion of the game for as long as they want, the only catch being that they'll have to put up with a bunch of ads. Or, they pay $9.95 ($5 less than most MMOs) per month for unlimited and ad free access. Some may argue that the price should be cut, seeing as how World of Warcraft dominates the MMO space at a hefty $14.95 monthly fee. However, and at the very least, the free portion lets gamers earn their sea legs.

Instead of trying to fulfill some cockamamie prophecy, Pirates of the Caribbean challenges players to become the most notorious pirate in the world, and before setting out on this quest, gamers must create their own pirate persona, customizing everything from their eyes, hair, clothes and scars. Then, they choose a name, either using the humorous name generator (allowing them to play immediately) or by creating their own which, while fun, must be approved by Disney Online (takes 48 hours).

As the game's title implies, gamers explore the Caribbean, dashing across white, sandy beaches, rampaging through lush, green forests and traveling by ship across an enormous, blue ocean. Since Disney owns the rights to the billion-dollar franchise, the developers created various locations from the films such as Port Royal, the governor's mansion and Tortuga as well as ships the Black Pearl and The Flying Dutchman. In addition, popular characters inhabit the game world, and people will brush shoulders with -- not play as --Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and the lovely Elizabeth Swann. They'll also battle the royal navy, which has a nasty habit of hating anything pirate related. Various monsters also populate the game world, like evil skeletons, for example.

On land, players engage the enemy and rapidly click the left mouse button. The game contains the following six weapon classes: Rusty Cutlass, Flintlock Pistol, Dagger, Grenade Pouch, Straw Doll and Wooden Staff, each of which features multiple (and upgradeable) types. However, gamers will still select a move and watch as their character performs it, basic combat resembles standard issue hack-and-slash games in which each button press causes characters to swing or fire their weapons, whereas Warcraft players choose to attack and then watch the battles unfold.

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