The latest Lego title recently hit store shelves and this time we get to accompany Captain Jack Sparrow on his adventures. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean features some of the most memorable scenes from all four films. With that said you might not want to play the levels that deal with “On Stranger Tides” until you get a chance to go to the movies and watch Jack Sparrow’s latest adventure. As soon as you load up the game you are treated to a cinematic that showcases the opening from the first Pirates movie. As a fan the moment the score from the film(s) came on made me smile and immediately got me into the right mindset. This game features over 70 characters from the Pirates franchise. You can control any members of your party at any time just like the previous Lego titles. Different people have different skill sets and you will have to figure out what each person does best.
The gameplay of Lego Pirates is essentially the same as the other Lego titles. You’ll have to use Lego blocks to construct objects that have been destroyed, collect Lego studs, solve puzzles and participate in some of the greatest moments from the Pirates franchise. There are of course tweaks that were made to make this feel like more of an authentic Pirate experience, however, the core concepts are the same. Lego Pirates does feature local co op like its predecessors and will definitely be a great title that parents can play with their kids or simply a couple of fans of the series. The “Drop In/Drop Out” co op returns which is always a great feature to have. With this feature you can easily “drop out” if you get a phone call or have something else to do and then you can “drop in” again at a later point. The only complaint I have with this game is the lack of online co-op. At this point it is inexcusable that I can’t hop onto Xbox Live and go through this game with my friends.
In terms of graphics, Lego Pirates of the Caribbean is the most impressive Lego game to date. The level of authenticity in the game and the way the development team paid attention to even the smallest details has really paid off. Lego games don’t really utilize voice acting and this game is no exception. With that said the development team did a truly amazing job at getting these blocky Lego characters to show the proper emotion that their real life counterpart displayed in the movies. There was of course some artistic license taken to give gamers a chuckle and make the game more fun overall. There is a part in the first movie where Will Turner hands over a sword he made to Commodore Norrington. In the game, instead of a sword, the Commodore receives a carrot and then gets angry and throws the carrot back in Will’s face. There is another part where Jack is sailing into Port Royal for the first time and, in the movie, you see three skeletons hung, issuing a warning to any pirate that might enter the port. In the game you have three Lego characters hanging there and one is even reading a treasure map. I definitely chuckled over that one and it was great to see that the development team was serious enough to put in all of these little details, however, they were also able to lighten up with some great comedic moments. The cinematics themselves are also fantastic and it is something that fans of the series should really enjoy.
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean is clearly the best Lego game to date. As a fan of the Pirates franchise I have been looking forward to this title for a while now and I wasn’t disappointed. I can see this title being one of those games that I will go back to whenever I just want to sit back, relax and enjoy the experience. If you are a fan of this series I highly recommend that you give this title a chance. This is not simply a kids game as Disney and Traveller’s Tales have done a fantastic job making a game for all ages. With all of the big releases hitting store shelves recently be sure not to skip Lego Pirates of the Caribbean. It is a great tribute to the series as well as anyone who has ever enjoyed the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow.
Score 8.5/10
