Rating: 2.5 Pulses

ESRB Rating: T

With another Pirates of the Caribbean movie comes another mediocre action game that doesn’t have much going for it other than its great graphics.

Legendary pirate Jack Sparrow is back to give players their swashbuckling fix, but the combat in this game is so boring that sometimes I’d rather be walking the plank. With a few simple and repetitive sword swipes you can pretty much defeat any foe quite easily. Even when attacking, the simple sword swipes don’t always feel responsive and makes the combat even more dreadful. Boss battles are a little different with 1-on-1 duels, but the long pauses between attacks and dodges kill the flow of the battle.

Other than fighting pirates and sea cronies, there are exploration-based puzzles to mix up the game. These missions are often more of a burden and are uninteresting because you have to search up and down for only a few hidden rum bottles.

The attention to detail in this game is something to praise. The character details are spot-on and the game follows the movies perfectly. The one thing I didn’t like is how quiet Capt. Jack Sparrow is in the game. The Johnny Depp soundalike does a good enough job that they could have added a few more lines to really give the game more personality.

Oh, and aren’t pirates suppose to be able to swim? For some odd reason Capt. Jack Sparrow and his companions seem to be afraid of water in this game, which is quite confusing.

With all the visual details intact, I’m not sure why the gameplay of this game couldn’t at least been half decent. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End is not much better than the previous Jack Sparrow games, but does have great potential to sell because of the movie. But unless you’re a Pirates freak, I’d look elsewhere for a better and more in depth action game.