LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean

Lego & pirates of the caribbean, what an explosive mix of two worlds and tongue-in-cheek comedy aplenty! The game covers the trilogy and even the new film (on stranger tides). There are 4 chapters in each film, and as a result the story is very compact. The cut scenes are beautifully animated, and the usual Lego comedy is evident but because Pirates of the Caribbean is funny anyway it just adds to the value of it. There's the usual free play once you've finished the level in story mode, allowing you to gain access to areas and items that weren't available in story mode, like using mystic powers to summon a part needed for a puzzle to get a ship in a bottle.

The musical score is nice, I keep humming the main tune in my head. There is a level where the same tune is played on about a 3 second loop, and it is very annoying you will want to complete the level quickly it's that bad. The graphics are beautiful, and there is some very nice use of the 3d feature of the 3DS. I have a Wii too, but I decided to get the 3DS version because the graphics are better!

You can buy unlocked figures in the tavern using the Lego studs you've collected, I'd advise trying to get a score multiplier brick as soon as possible, because buying all those Lego figures is very expensive!

There are no real boss fights to talk of, you have sword duels with key characters, Black Beard etc., during these battles you have to repeatedly press the B button to get an advantage and then press the x, y, a buttons as prompted on the screen to take a life from your opponent, you may need to repeat this 2 or 3 times. I would have preferred proper boss fights like in Harry Potter, it seemed a bit lame the way it is.

I played this for 10 hours on the day I got it, so that is testamount to how good the game is. If you love the Lego series and have followed every game, then you're going to love Pirates of the Caribbean. If you've grown tired of the Lego games or never liked them then Pirates won't be in the slightest bit for you, you should avoid it.

Gameplay 90% : The usual Lego style building bricks to solve puzzles, formula never changes but that's the whole charm of a Lego game.

Graphics 95% : The 3d effect is well utilised, and they are sharp and rich in texture, a nice treat for the eyes. I actually felt that
the graphics added to the feel of the game, they're that good!

Sound 85% : The weakest part of the game, some sections are monotonous and you wonder what the designers were thinking.
The rest is superb though and adds to the atmosphere of the game.

Controls 90% : The game tells you what you need to know at the appropriate time. The shoulder buttons cycle through your
different characters as you need them, and y button attacks, b button jumps, a button places items. You can use
the analogue circle pad instead of the d-Pad, I find this the best way of moving your character around.

Overall 91% : A nicely executed Pirates of the Caribbean game, that does all four films justice. It can't be ignored though that it
doesn't offer anything significantly new, which will put off some people. If you love the Lego games, or have never
played one before then don't delay, get this game now. If you dont't like the Lego games or you've grown tired of
the same old formula, then best leave this one alone then.

I doubt many people will even need to read a review for this game as im sure anyone who has even played a demo of one of the many Lego games knows exactly what to expect from this title. Like marmite you either love them or hate them. I personally love them, especially the simple pick up and play approach to these games especially for a handheld console.
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean is at its best when you're either constructing items from vibrant plastic blocks or bashing them and collecting the little pips that go flying everywhere. Equally fun is the game's silly, wordless retelling of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, with cutscenes as sly and charming as Jack Sparrow himself.
Almost every cutscene has some silly surprise or another, and they are as colorful as the vibrant in-game visuals. The 3D effect definetly adds to the experience even just to give you a sense of how high you are or how deep the water your swimming in is, little things like this really make the graphics stunning (for a lego game anyway).
The main adventures also feature duels, though these ones involve halfheartedly mashing a button and then participating in the world's slowest, most uninspiring quick-time event. The dreariness of duels is mirrored by the standard combat, in which one or two enemies might gang up on you, but the only one that fights back is the one you engage. If you hit the button five times, down they go--no fuss, no muss. It's so simple, you will likely never need any of the health-giving hearts that enemies drop, let alone actually die. Therein lies the biggest flaw of this game - its so easy, including the games puzzles (if you can call them that)but the joy is in the journey.
You could complete all four stories in as many hours if you don't linger, though every level is filled with secrets that are accessible only by returning to them in free play which is a must to keep the longetivity of this game alive.
Overall a very good game that im glad i invested in, and i enjoyed it immensely whilst it lasted. I think the best advice is if you've never played a lego game before buy one of the cheaper older ones first and if you enjoy that you will enjoy this.

As a huge fan of both the recent Lego games and Pirates of the Caribbean, I decided this game had to be the first on my list of 3DS games.
I was blown away. The graphics are incredible for a handheld console, and the gameplay is the best Lego gameplay I have come across. Having loved the Lego: Star Wars games, I started to become a bit disenchanted by their later releases, especially Harry Potter, which relied far too heavily on puzzles and long, sprawling levels.
Lego PotC keeps the puzzle-solving to a minimum, while having more combat, so you will never get bored. It includes 16 levels, 4 from each film. If you haven't seen the films, I doubt you will follow the story of the games, as the Lego videos are always for fun and obviously don't have much of a plot.
The game takes about 15 hours to complete and collect all the hidden objects. For the visuals alone, I would recommend this game, but when you add the hilarious Lego moments, fun gameplay and replay value, I would say it is a must.
Also, Jack Sparrow's in-game walk is hilarious. Worth the price tag alone.