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Pirates of the Caribbean

Score: 80%
ESRB: Teen
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Akella
Media: CD/2
Players: 1
Genre: Adventure/ RPG

Graphics & Sound:

If Pirates of the Caribbean looks surprisingly similar to a not-too-well-known title by the name of Sea Dogs, it's because it was supposed to be the sequel. Instead, it seems the company got out of whatever trouble it was in by tagging the movie license on the box and cutting some of the originally planned features. What wasn't cut, however, were the stunning visuals from the first title. The 3D world you'll be sailing around in is filled with some great effects, like shimmering water and awe inspiring naval battles. The islands themselves don't look too bad either, as most are covered by lush greenery and hilly landscapes.

The audio experience is a more subtle one, but spot-on nonetheless. Your quiet voyage on the sea will be invaded by the harsh sounds of cannon shots ripping through the hull of your opponent, or if you're not lucky, your own ship. The music also kicks in as the battles intensify, really drawing you into the action.


Gameplay:

Pirates of the Caribbean also sports the same open ended gameplay that was such a great selling point of the first title, this time with more RPG elements to liven things up. As the captain of a small ship, you begin your adventures by witnessing a French attack on a British island. From here you can do just about anything. Following the main story line is about as easy as going out on your own to become a vicious pirate, savvy merchant, or all around Quest Connoisseur.

A quick warning about the name of the game though; as mentioned earlier, the movie title was added rather late in this game's development, and most of the movie's script was left out. What similarities Pirates has with its movie counterpart are shoehorned in there, and movie characters like good old Captain Jack Sparrow are nowhere to be found.

If you can get past this fact, though, the game has plenty to offer. You cannot create your own character, but you can customize his skills to your likings. Leveling up is an all important feature of this game, allowing you to live your high seas dream through your generic looking avatar. You'll also need a good boat for your journeys, and Pirates of the Caribbean gives you plenty of seaworthy options to choose from.

Fear not, though, you won't be alone in your endeavors either. Hiring good officers for your ship is crucial to both dominating the sea as well as the land. When you dock on an island, you can take up to 3 of your trusty sailors with you, and they level up the same as you do. If you happen to board a ship and successfully take it, you can then pass it down to one of your officers, forming the makings of a small fleet.


Difficulty:

The hardest part of Pirates of the Caribbean will be trying to learn what the game can do for you. The instruction book is sparse with information, and a quick (and pointless) tutorial at the beginning of the game will leave some gamers out in the cold if they are not prepared to tackle the open-endedness offered within. If you manage to get a foothold, things will become as easy or hard as you want to make them. Going completely through the main story may prove a tough challenge, but you are not really forced to do it, or anything else for that matter. If you feel like sight seeing in this fictitious archipelago, it's as easy as setting sail and letting the wind take you away.

Game Mechanics:

Pirates of the Caribbean suffers greatly from poor control and some annoyingly buggy gameplay. When your character is running around on his own two feet, you would expect an easy to master third-person control scheme. Instead, you're given a clunky system of keyboard and mouse movement. Why the developers didn't opt for a run of the mill control scheme is beyond me, and it would have passed unnoticed if you were able to change it. The options for the controls are pretty much set in stone, making you suffer from start to finish.

Once on the sea, things get a little better. The speed of these boats isn't such that you will have to be making split second decisions, giving you plenty of time to think your moments out. You can also board other ships, and the gameplay will switch back to third person for you and your crew to fight it out on the decks with swords and pistols. Hand-to-hand fighting is a little clumsy as well, but fortunately it is all very simple, so there aren't too many mechanics to get in the way.

Pirates of the Caribbean is far from what Sea Dogs 2 should have been, but it's not all that bad. Fans of the original game will most likely be disappointed by it, even though it's not that bad of a title. Some may feel cheated when they find out that it's nothing like the movie that is depicted on the box, but if they are open minded enough to look past that, there's plenty of fun to be had on these waters.


-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications
AKA Andrew Horwitz

Minimum System Requirements:



800 MHz Processor, 128 MB RAM, 8X CD-ROM, 32 MB VRAM, 1500 MB Hard Disk Space, DirectX 8.1
 

Test System:



Windows ME, AMD Athlon 1.4 GHz Processor, 256 MB RAM, 128 MB GeForce FX 5200 Video Card, 40 GB Hard Drive, Creative Labs Sound Card, Cable Modem Internet Connetion

Windows O.R.B.: Off-World Resource Base Windows PlanetSide

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated