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Buena Vista Games and Amaze team up to bring the Pirates back to the PSP. The game is based on the film of the same day which is scheduled to be released tonight, at midnight. As with most blockbusters, the film has a number of games available. The PSP version is obviously a different game than Buena Vista’s Dead Man’s Chest for GBA, but it’s also different than Bethesda’s Pirates of the Caribbean title for PS2.
The GBA game is the only title of the four to be a two dimensional side scrolling platformer - the rest of the games (DS, PSP and PS2) all take place in a three dimensional world. This may turn some people off, as there are those who feel that creating two dimensional games is akin to beating a dead horse; however, Pirates of the Caribbean proves to be an entertaining romp through the life of Jack Sparrow.
In the game, Jack Sparrow realizes that he has made some shady agreements in the past and one of these involves Sparrow’s soul. Realizing that his soul is something he values and would rather not lose, he goes on a quest to break the pact that put it on the line. I’m guessing that the plot of the game is similar to that of the movie but since the movie has yet to be released, it’s impossible to vouch for its authenticity.
The PSP version of Dead Man’s Chest includes a lot of combat, many puzzles, a fair amount of enemies and weapon upgrades. Combat is clearly the focus of the game since the game frequently throws five or so enemies at you in an attempt to recreate the film’s epic battles. The combat engine is decent with a good amount of moves at your disposal though it’s a bit awkward at times, especially when you have more than three enemies onscreen. Oh, and it’s not a traditional engine, but rather the game tells you which buttons to press in order to defeat an enemy like would be found in a rhythm title. To switch enemies you press the circle button. Aside from combat, the game includes a number of puzzles. These puzzles are designated as such so you’re never really scratching your head figuring out what to do and they to manage to change the pace.
Naval warfare makes is present in the game’s multiplayer component. The game lets you control one of five different ships as you shoot other ships with your cannons. There are three game modes, though they are predictable. The game modes are Deathmatch, Plunder the Flag, and Last Man Standing. The multiplayer mode can be played locally via wireless or against the AI.
The game’s visuals are solid. The character models are well modeled with (usually) excellent animation. The combat animation is especially fluid and well made. Jack swings at enemies with great precision and the game presents this well. The at-sea portions look good too with nice looking water and naval battles.
The game’s soundtrack is similar to the first film and captures the franchise very well. It’s recreated well on the PSP and sounds quite epic. The sound effects are solid, managing to capture the sounds of sea battles and general looting well. Unfortunately, there is no licensed voice acting in the game.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest single-player mode is fairly interesting but it needs some more work. The game is combat-intensive which is the least fun part of the game. The multiplayer is splendid, though. -- Michael Taylor, PGNx Media
---- Jul 6, 2006
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