The last time we saw Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow in action, he was battling amongst the high seas against Davey Jones in the overblown yet moderately enjoyable blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. In an effort to cash in on the success of the film, Disney Interactive released a game based (loosely) on the film, but it just couldn’t capitalize on its success, turning into yet another rushed title that relied on license more than entertainment. Fortunately, we believe that Disney has learned its lesson, as it’s turned to the folks at Travellers Tales to make sure its next Pirates game wouldn’t suffer the same fate. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game doesn’t base itself on a solo film. Rather, it spans the entire Pirates saga to date, starting with events that took place in the original, The Curse of the Black Pearl, and eventually leading up to stuff that happens in this summer’s latest cinematic journey, On Stranger Tides. And it does all this around a familiar Lego set-up, where enemies fall to pieces (like Lego blocks would) and items can be used or built in order to progress.
Not that we really needed any more Lego games, since we have an abundance already, with Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars released this year. But kudos to Travellers Tales for actually doing something that works alongside the Pirates license, rather than driving it into the ground. The game alternates between all four adventures with ease, with lots of comical events, (mostly) solveable puzzles and co-op fun to be had across each one. And like any given Lego game, there are lots of goodies to find, characters to unlock and bonuses to earn. Most of the time, you control Jack Sparrow, the pirate in the middle of the whole mess, who gets captured at first (like in the beginning of Black Pearl) after a battle with Will Turner. As your adventure continues, you’ll switch between other characters, who can activate switches, battle enemies and set up special abilities to help you get ahead. Here’s where Lego Pirates gets slightly tricky. For the most part, the local co-op is effective, but flawed. Keep both players on-screen and it runs pretty well. Go apart for a lengthy amount of time, and the game goes into split-screen, where things can be slightly confusing – especially with a party of four or more (characters, not players).
It’s serviceable, but a slight headache. Furthermore, the lack of Xbox Live online support is painful. Yeah, there wasn’t a huge lobby of players, but we would’ve liked to team up with fellow pirates on our Xbox Live friend list. As for the gameplay itself, it mostly consists of on-foot stuff, battling enemies, solving puzzles and building stuff to help you progress, such as planks, pulleys and other necessary components. It’s not rocket science, and those of you tired by Lego’s gameplay system won’t find anything amazing here, but it performs admirably, just like it did in Lego Star Wars III. Some levels are also surprisingly sizable, like a stage from Dead Man’s Chest, where you roll around cliffs in a handmade stick-ball, running over everything in your path. We could’ve done with less swimming stages, and some of the puzzles are a real pain (I’ve been texted twice by friends who have gotten stuck), but it’s good stuff overall.
As for design, Travellers Tales really went all out here. Rather than cheaply putting the backdrops to an existing Lego engine, it really put forth a valiant effort, with lush tropical settings, beautifully detailed stages (wait until you make your way to On Stranger Tides’ territory) and smooth character movements. Some folks look better than others (Lego Davey Jones is an ugly sight), but this is yet another example of what Travellers Tales has been doing with the Lego engine. Likewise, the audio is mostly pleasant. A lot of themes from the Pirates games are included here, so you really feel like you’re wandering amongst the high seas with Jack and the gang. They repeat if you stay in a stage for too long, but not to the point where you’ll go bonkers. The sound effects are pretty good, with lots of Lego blocks clicking about and atmospheric pieces here and there. But the best part is Jack himself, who yelps and screams whenever he’s in danger. We’re not sure if Travellers turned to the actor who plays him, Johnny Depp, for consultation, or simply took sound clips from the films. Either way, it really does make it feel more, um, pirate-y.
Though the overall product is thoroughly polished and, thankfully, not split in two like the Lego Indiana Jones games (who made that move, anyway?), there are some hitches that get in the way. Because some puzzles take time to resolve, some players may grow restless, eager to hack and slash. Also, there was a moderate presence of some in-game glitches and collision detection. It doesn’t happen often enough to make you feel like the game’s broken, but it’s something that should be addressed with a future update. Also, is it just me, or did this seem like a huge opportunity to include a movie pass in the box? A free ticket for On Stranger Tides would’ve been a huge plus. Look at what that offer did for Rango when it came out a couple of months ago. Oh, well. Though the market has more than enough Lego games to go around, we’re happy to make room for Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game. Its heart is in the right place when it comes to gameplay and presentation, and it’s good swashbuckler fun for all ages. Drink up me hearties! Yo ho!
