System: PSP, DS, X360, PS3, Wii, PC, PS2
Dev: Eurocom
Pub: Disney Interactive
Release: May 22, 2007
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: Teen
Review by Cole Smith

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Review Rating Legend
1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
2.5 - 2.9 = Average
3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
3.5 - 3.9 = Good
4.0 - 4.4 = Great
4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
5.0 = The Best

For the most part the sword swipes do their job by eliminating the enemies, but you'll be cutting a wide swath as opposed to having the ability to pinpoint your attacks. In the same vein, the grenade will also aid you in producing some collateral damage, but when it comes time to aim the gun, forget it. Attacks can be linked into combos, and they are the most fun you'll have with the game. There's a promise of new combos as you progress but aside from a slight variation in the animation, the results are virtually the same.

Utilizing different weapons, attacks, and combos will result in giving your character more notoriety. It's the pirate version of street cred. You'll be able to take a few more hits, but overall the affect is barely noticeable. To break things up a little there are some pirate-style mini-game which involve gambling with cards and dice. You'll be able to play poker and roll the bones against other PSP players. The ad hoc system features game sharing for a multiplayer mode that accommodates up to four players. The third mini-game is a version of the game Hearts called Davy's Hearts.

Another interesting addition is the interactive movie sequences where you have to hit the corresponding face button when certain icons appears onscreen. It's similar to the classic laser disk game Dragon's Lair, but not nearly as fully realized. It's not always easy to see the icon and sometimes the button doesn't register your command.

I wasn't terribly impressed with the graphics. Some of the backgrounds looked great, with plenty of depth and rich textures, but these were mostly static renderings that are anything but interactive. The characters look decent, but they fail to move their mouths when talking. While there are some funny lines, there is a lot of repetition in the dialogue, especially during the combat. Similarly, the sound effects are limited to sword clashes, swishes, and the occasional ambient effect such as an explosion. The soundtrack weaves its way in and out of the mix, and is probably the most professional element in this game.

What Pirates of the Caribbean lacks more than anything are two things: cohesion and challenge. I wouldn't complain about the generic nature of the gameplay if it were challenging, but it has to be challenging in a good way. The kind of challenge that makes you want to do better next time. All I could hope was that there wouldn't be a "next time." Rent this if you must.

By Cole Smith
CCC Senior Writer