by Sam Leake

Created on: June 20, 2007

Pirates of the Caribbean-At Worlds End
(360,ps2,ps3,DS,wii,pc)

Yes the game is flawed, but tremendous fun. Yes unlike the film it's quite brief you're looking at ten or twelve hours if you go through and look for all the hidden items, which is a shame it is so short because I found it thrilling and intense to play. The combat system is spot on and rewards you for fighting quickly with fury rather entertaining swashbuckling moves such as grabbing a Redcoat as a human shield then throwing him into a bunch of his mates running up the stairs, hurling bottles daggers etc, finishing moves, etc. all of which take a degree of skill but are relatively easy to pull off, it can turn into a button-basher at times.

Graphics are top notch as you'd expect from a game made by a world famous animation studio though some of the characters look a bit odd as likeness rights weren't given, doesn't feel too much like pirates of the Caribbean in this sense. The voice acting is not too shabby, some of it sounds like it might be taken from the film with voice actors standing in for the original dialog. A minor problem is also the animation of Jack's running it's just not Jack's manic arm flailing run, its not like him at all. Almost all the characters are playable at some point though slightly more freedom and choice would be good, I'd rather be able to play as Mr Gibbs than Will Turner when not clashing swords as Captain Sparrow, who is by far the most enjoyable to play as.
Just have to quickly mention the camera angles are not as bad as people are making out. You've got to use the right stick to keep it tracking behind your character it doesn't follow you automatically, which is a common problem with many games. It takes a little getting used to at first but after a while you will soon be a true sword buckling pirate. I'd far rather have this system then the horrendous angles that some games choose for you, control over the camera is much better in the long run.
The bottom line is it is far too easy, there is no difficulty setting, a difficulty setting would have improved the game dramatically. It is also too short, one to rent or buy when the price comes down, its not worth the original price tag as it is too short. No depth but tremendous fun which is the plus side to it, it is amazingly fun to play, even though it is short it is worth getting for the fun factor.
Over all, the game lacks depth but is a complete experience to play, it's a game for you land lubbers out there.

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