Pirates of the Caribbean - At Worlds End - XBOX 360
“I think we’ve all arrived at a very special place. Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically.” A fitting quote, I say, we have arrived at a very special place. A place where I sit down to try a movie based video game, and I actually play it all the way through, all by me onesies, savvy?
I’ve always had “special feelings” for that Cap’n Jack Sparrow, right from the very beginning. For each release in the trilogy, I grew more excited for another dose of revealing Jacks less then complex soul and slurring rum induced charm. I can’t say if that tilts my review with an upward swing or not, but Disney Interactive Studies surely deserves kudos for capturing the characters likeness. The look and feel of the game is right in line with movies (At Worlds End is derived from the story line of the second and third movie combined) including Jack’s deliciously inebriated pirate style humor. So take this review with a grain of salt, it’s really good, but if all you want is hardcore ass kicking action, you may find yourself dulled by not enough use of the cutlass. Do we have an accord?
Without question, AWE’s claim to fame is stellar graphics. The game is beautiful; from the dark dungeon details, colorful island tropics, on deck sea storms, to the vast expanse of Davy Jones’ locker, you will frequently find yourself saying, “wow, that looks good!” The scene variety is also right on the money. With very little visual duplication, you play through 11 scenes all varying between Jack, Will, Elizabeth, shipmates, and even Barbosa jumps in for good measure. Though mostly you play as one at a time, certain fight scenes include 3 characters which you have to switch between to keep everybody alive. There are some fun tricks here in multi character play when you fight close to each other, like using your fight-fellows as leverage to kick a baddie in the face, etc. The character movement is fluid and fast enough to remove any feeling of game cludge.
When you speak of game play, keep the fighting separate. Generally speaking the action is really fun. You have to learn to balance using a controlled “steady” of the LS and RS to keep you from falling. There are lots of slides down zip lines, jumps off cliffs, shimmy on ledges and climbing ropes and ladders. You have actionable’s like movable boxes, lighting things on fire, cutting or pulling prisoners free. Side quests and collectibles, while not very out of the box, add well to the games play. The point is there really is some variety in your game play, unlike a few of the reviews you’ll read. Much of the “bored” response comes from the fighting. Now, keep in mind we gamers tend to get highmarked by some amazing fighting and FPS titles that take complex fighting to a new level and you really can’t compare that here. This is an action adventure game and fighting isn’t its strong point. It’s not as weak as a lot of AAGs I’ve played. You can pick up knives, guns, and bottles of rum to throw which add to your notoriety score, along with employing other “trick” fighting moves like throwing a baddie off a cliff or using certain attack combos. You have one-on-one duels with characters from the film that zone you into a mini game fight, not very good maneuverability here but I applaud the effort. General fighting includes special moves, though they are the same for all the characters and don’t really change or enhance any as you progress through the game. “Sticks and stones, love. I saved your life, you saved mine. We’re square.”
All in all, it’s a super fun AAG and while its may not live up to Tomb Raider or Drakes fortune in adventure, or be as fluent in good fighting as Ninja Gaiden, the graphics, story, and experience is all but boring and it’s an awesome way to dominate your weekend. Three hours a day for a few days will gain you a chunk of achievements and a pirate like feeling of accomplishment..savvy? “Or perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you already found one, and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet. You’re not a eunuch are you?”
Kiss Kiss,
Dawngrrl Gametart
