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by TheDCD on 05.17.11  Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum… oh, yeah, and really bad eggs. It’s almost that time again, the return of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which we haven’t seen since 2007. A new movie, On Stranger Tides, is set to open this Friday, bringing back Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) as he tries to seek out the Fountain of Youth. To tie in with the film’s release, Disney Interactive Studios has teamed up with Travelers Tales for a new LEGO game, based on the entire franchise. This is a step in the right direction, including all four films in one game rather than needlessly spreading them out across two products, like LucasArts did with LEGO Indiana Jones. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean makes a fine debut on the Nintendo 3DS, similar to what LEGO Star Wars III did for the system’s launch back in March. It doesn’t innovate the formula by any means, but operates with what worked well in past games – building objects, solving puzzles, occasionally getting into combat and collecting goods to give yourself the best score after each round. A variety of stages are spread across the game, all divided into sections depending on which film they’re based. You’ll notice a number of familiar events from the movies, from Sparrow’s first arrival into town to new events that take place in the latest film. (You might want to wait on picking up this game if you don’t want to run across any spoilers.) You can access the stages through a hub system, via a map where you can pick out locations. New areas open up with each stage you complete, and you can always go back and scavenge for missed-out coinage and bonus items. The gameplay is typical LEGO stuff, with lots of item building through loose, jumping bricks, and puzzles you need to solve, either with people joining up with you with special abilities or using a particular item to get them completed. It takes a little thinking, and sometimes it’s easy to get stuck, but overall, the level design is great, and the gameplay, though hardly original, clicks. What will probably impress the most, though, is the visual side of Pirates. How could it not, since it’s in 3D. Well, even in the 2D format, the game looks absolutely charming, with LEGO characters jumping around and plenty of comical situations played out via CG movies. The in-game levels look fantastic, with lots of detail given to the island surroundings and a camera that keeps all your characters in view, even though there are times it can be a bit cluttered. As for the audio, it’s not bad. You’ve got the character grunts, some well-chosen music and some other sound effects that do the trick. It’s nothing amazing, and we would’ve preferred more voice samples from Johnny Depp himself, but overall it’s about right for LEGO. The only real downside to this game is that you can’t take along a friend, unlike the console ports of LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean. You’re struck strictly on your own, and that could make the game drag a little. Still, there’s plenty to do, so if you don’t mind the game’s repetitive nature, you’ll have fun. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean is a fun Nintendo 3DS game, perfectly timed on release to provide some summertime thrills alongside the release of the film. There are times the levels could’ve been a little easier, and a few glitches do pop up every now and then, but overall it’s an entertaining romp. You don’t even need to buy an eyepatch for it.
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