Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

"A fun adventure while it lasts."

Intro
Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a beat-em-up game that is fun in short bursts.

Controls/Sound: 8/10
The controls are simple but effective. While there are a bunch of combos you can unlock, only about half of them are worth the trouble of collecting. The sound is decent, with only a few songs that sound anything like the movie's soundtrack. The characters sound like themselves, but it doesn't really matter because there isn't much speaking to begin with.

Graphics: 9/10
The graphics are great for a DS game. All the characters look just how they should. The animations are great, from Jack's weird style of walking to Elizabeth fighting with one hand while holding her wedding dress up in the other. No details are spared in recreating the looks of the movie.

Story/Gameplay: 8/10
The story follows the major points of the movie through text portions and small cutscenes. The gameplay is actually great for a beat-em up. Buena Vista took the simple concept of a beat-em up and expanded it with tons of destructible objects. You can do anything from using a cannon to fire a cannonball at your enemies to picking up chairs and throwing them. There's no shortage of weapons, as you can fight with a cutlass, an axe, a parasol, and almost anything else you can fight. Most of the game you just slash away until a door opens and repeat it in the next room however, and even with all the weapons and objects, it still gets repetitive.

Multiplayer: 9/10
This is where the game really entertains. You can play any of the three mini-games head to head with your friends, and while the mini-games aren't great, they're still fun from time to time. The great part about the multiplayer is that you can play through the entire story mode with a friend. No levels, weapons, or boss fights are left out and both characters are on the screen.

Replay Value: 8/10
There are six different levels, each with three stages and one boss battle. Each stage is considerably long and each one looks and feels different, it's too bad that there are so few. There are many things to unlock, including 11 different characters, 20 pieces of concept art from the movie, and weapons for use anytime. The 19 levels of the game go back very quickly, and you could beat the game in about four or five hours depending on the difficulty, but it's always fun to go back with a different character and try it out.

Final Score: 8/10
With exceptional graphics and fun gameplay, Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest only falls flat in length and sound.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/20/06