Pirates of the Caribbean (PC)

This game is, from the moment you load it up and access the options menu, a blatant console game ported to the PC. Whether it was designed that way or it was reverse engineered for the PC is hard to tell, but everything in the game is obviously designed for a gamepad to control. As a consequence the interface is pretty but clunky, barely making use of the PC's wide range of control opportunities. It is, however, very very pretty. Everything looks polished and detailed, and the actual sailing action is very nice just to watch. Sadly it isn't as nice to play. The fact that some controls can't be reconfigured, and that some controls aren't even listed clearly is pretty dire and confusing. Some controls perform the same function in any situation, some do not, with only experience allowing you to distinguish the two. On land your character has very basic movement, turn left/right and forward/backward in a choice of two speeds; slow and average (walk and run). In a swordfight, far from being the nimble clashing of blades and acrobatics the movie and other games of the genre have spoiled us with, you have much the same controls, turn left/right, run/walk and "dodge" which jumps you backward. You can't sidestep (whoever tried swordfighting without sidestepping??), you can't jump and your attack moves are randomised not related to your control input. However your block move will block all attacks (well you have a % chance to block any attack), so that partly compensates for not having moves to choose from. At sea the controls are suitably sluggish to take effect and the reactions to your commands of your crew are visible on-screen, which is a nice touch. On the map screen (used for traveling large distances between islands) the controls aren't configurable (they're WASD), random events happen a bit too often and you get little help surviving them (sail away from pirates, sail through storms (storms are very good for eyecandy!)). Combat at sea is quite good, although using the first person cannon-aiming is strongly advised as the AI aim is abysmal at first. Boarding is messy when achieved but satisfying when completed successfully.

The plot is a fairly enjoyable period piece, but if you resent being railroaded into doing tasks when you want to be off exploring the world, then this might not be for you. You can avoid the storyline but the game then gives you no difficulty gradient to climb, you'll be in at the deep end. Even during the storyline it is far far too easy to get into situations you can't handle, and the limited number of savegames (console feature anyone?) only compounds the issue.

This game desperately needs more documentation and in-game help than you get. Navigating on land is a nightmare with no map available to tell you just which dusty turning beyond a tree you need to get back to your boat. The fast-travel in ports is handy but for some unexplained reason does not include your ship as a destination. So once you've fast-traveled to the tavern, say, getting back to your boat means you have to run through the streets until you find the exit to the port area. As the streets have no signposts this can be tedious.

To Summarise:

It looks like it should be Morrowind At Sea. It isn't. It looks good, the plot is OK, but as it fails to make good use of the PC controls it rather ruins the game and you find yourself fighting against the software to get enjoyment from what should have been an instant classic. If you like sailing or combat at sea in the 1600s and can handle the control system, it could be worth a try. If a strategy guide is produced it may heal alot of the flaws in the (lack of) documentation, so I'd advocate buying one if it is produced.