Video Game Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that the game's tone and content is
consistent with the movies that inspired it. Players may kill
dozens of pirate zombies, Spanish sailors, and rival pirates,
but no blood is spilled, and the game retains a sense of humor
throughout. Captain Jack Sparrow is his rummy self, and
characters reference past pillagings.
Families can talk about the role a video game plays in the
marketing of a summer blockbuster movie. Should a video game
augment or reproduce your movie viewing experience? Does the
participation of a celebrity (in this case,
) attract you to a video
game the same way movie stars attract people to the cinema?
Also, why are these games often so lackluster? Why don't video
game makers put more time into them?
Players control the pirate Jack Sparrow, his sidekick Will, and spirited Elizabeth Swann in a multicharacter cooperative trudge through the storyline (with some embellishments) of the original Pirates movie.
Gameplay features a collection of simple puzzles (of the "find the key to this door" variety), combat with dumb-as-dirt enemies, and the occasional boss battle. Players can switch between characters while battling hordes of mindless enemies.
Interspersed cut scenes prop up some semblance of a story, but even the voice work of Oscar-nominated Johnny Depp can't infuse drama into the listless unfolding of the game. Players wander through an incredibly limited, linear game experience with little to discover and nothing to surprise. On top of all this, the game suffers from several technical shortcomings, including painfully slow frame rates (resulting in irritating slowdowns), imprecise controls, terrible artificial intelligence, and glitches that leave enemies trapped behind scenery.
While filled with swordplay and killing, THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE LEGEND OF JACK SPARROW features no blood or gore. It's easy to see why families who are fond of the movies would be drawn to this game. But there's no treasure to be found in this uninspired title.
Sid Meier's Pirates!
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