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LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean Review for Xbox 360

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean Review for Xbox 360

Drink up, Me Hearties. Yo Ho!

Pirates of the Caribbean has a pretty good history with me. I’ve always loved the Disney park ride, the movies inspired me throughout my high school and college years, and I am dying with anticipation for the fourth entry in the movie series to premiere later this month. However, when I heard that the series was going to be getting the LEGO-ization treatment, I couldn’t help but be a little nervous. It’s not that I don’t love LEGO games, but the series as a whole seems to have been lagging in quality lately. The formula is getting a bit old, and the charm of even the stalwart LEGO Star Wars series is wearing thin. However, leave it to a bunch of bloody pirates to make the series feel fresh and new again. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean isn’t a perfect game, but it’s certainly a return to the excellent form of the original games in the LEGO series.

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean Screenshot

Like all LEGO games, LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean tells you a truncated version of the story in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. If you have never seen the movies, you probably won’t understand much of the game’s plotline. But these games are pretty much made for franchise fans, so you can’t fault them too much for hitting the highlights and going straight for the laughs.

And laughs are something the game definitely doesn’t skimp on. Triggered cutscenes are extremely frequent, but I never found myself bored or annoyed with them. The humor is extremely well done, and if you are a big-time Pirates nut, you will appreciate some of the in-jokes and winks that you get throughout the game.

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean Screenshot

However, humor can only get you so far. Fortunately, the main gameplay mechanics are another area where LEGO Pirates succeeds. One of my biggest complaints about the LEGO series as it has aged is the reliance of the “Force” gameplay mechanic. Sure, it’s permissible in Star Wars games, but the use of renamed Force powers in games like LEGO Indy and LEGO Harry Potter made me feel like the level design was getting just a bit too lazy. But the good news is that you won’t find any Force powers or floating pieces here. Instead, most of the game relies on your ability to fight with a sword and solve simple environment-based puzzles by using each character’s various strengths. For example, you can hit targets with Will Turner’s axe, you can use Jack Sparrow’s compass to find hidden items, and you can even use animal characters to explore hidden areas. While some mechanics are clearly recycled from previous games, most of the gameplay elements feel new. Longtime players won’t feel as fatigued from the gameplay as they probably did in previous releases.

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean Screenshot

Though much has been improved for LEGO Pirates and the experience certainly stands head and shoulders above the last few LEGO outings, there are still some issues that prevent this game from being as awesome as it could have been. Though combat and puzzle-solving work well, extensive platforming sections suffer from poor visual design and a camera that just doesn’t like to cooperate. Running through hidden areas is particularly exhausting. The camera won’t follow you in, and you’ll frequently run up against objects you can’t even see. And even when you can see, it’s sometimes hard to judge jumping distance. This can result in a lot of frustration when you are trying to clear challenging areas and you have to go through the character reset over and over again.

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean Screenshot

Another issue in LEGO Pirates is the A.I. Conventional wisdom says you should play this game with a friend, but the game doesn’t have an online co-op mode. If you can’t find somebody to sit next to you, you’re out of luck. And that can be a deal-breaker in LEGO Pirates, as the A.I. is so bad it sometimes feels like it works against you. Need another character to pull a switch? They’ll walk the other way. Trying to walk across a narrow ledge? All your A.I. characters will want to give you a hug and knock you right off. This is less of an issue if you are playing with a friend. (Occasionally a “third wheel” character will bump into you, but it doesn’t happen that often.) If your only option is to play by yourself, however, prepare for some severe annoyances with the A.I. You may just want to grab a second controller and play as both characters, which is actually a lot less frustrating then waiting for the A.I. to trigger an event.

Visually, LEGO Pirates is on par with its immediate predecessors. The different environments have a very polished look, and the animated cutscenes feature extremely smooth animation with a great plastic look. Sound is also top-notch in LEGO Pirates, though hopefully you are ready to hear the Pirates’ main theme quite a lot. Voiceovers, as usual, are minimal—with characters only making non-word vocalizations during animation sequences—but are still very entertaining.

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean is a great LEGO game, and certainly proves that the LEGO franchise is still capable of innovation. Though I was disappointed by last month’s LEGO Star Wars III, LEGO Pirates has restored my faith in the series. And with four different movies to play through, as well as plenty of hidden areas and collection quests to complete, there’s quite a bit of content to plunder in LEGO pirates. So if ye be lookin’ for family-friendly fare, and ye ain’t afraid of some treacherous waters, than you can procure yourself a copy of LEGO Pirates and have a rollicking good time! Savvy?

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.2 Graphics
Animations are polished and in-game environments have lots to explore. 3.9 Control
Puzzle-platforming controls are easy to learn and are exactly what you’ve come to expect from a LEGO title. 3.8 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Much of the music is recycled from the films, but to great effect. Vocalization-based voiceover is minimalistic but effective. 4.5 Play Value
Each of the four playable movies is expansive and features plenty of collection quests and hidden content. Re-plays are a must with unlockable characters. 4.2 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • Exploration – Players will explore familiar locations filled with interactive LEGO objects. Prepare to encounter more than 70 memorable and new characters while making your way through more than 20 levels.
  • Combat – The LEGO Caribbean is full of danger! Intense sword fighting moves give the LEGO minifigures a brand new pirate flavor.
  • Unforgettable Cutscenes – Everyone’s favorite scenes from the Pirates of the Caribbean films are re-rendered with LEGO minifigures in the humorous style synonymous with LEGO video games.
  • Puzzles – Players will need all their pirate cunning to find the hidden LEGO treasures and discover the game’s many secrets.
  • Two-Player Co-op – Players can join a friend or family member in the same room for two-player “drop-in/drop-out” cooperative action.
  • Freeplay – Building a collection of characters throughout the game, players can use their distinctive abilities to gain access to previously unavailable areas.

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