‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’
If only compelling gameplay was a part of the pirates’ code, then this game could have had a chance.
“Pirates 3” was an action-packed ship-on-ship blockbuster. The video game, however, is another slow, uninteresting look at how easily a great film can become bad interactive entertainment.
First, it seems as though the game’s creators were not allowed to see the films. The game’s overarching plot is a strange stew of events and characters from the second and third films that present story events like a checklist to keep you moving from skirmish to skirmish.
Action is pretty generic button-mashing that can be pretty to watch but monotonous to play. The Wii version requires wiggling the remote to produce unresponsive combos that leave your arm tired and unfulfilled; the 360 version touts a dueling feature that has all the style and flair of a cell phone game.
The voice acting and graphics are very good but do little to mask the lack of imagination or worthwhile gameplay.
Feel free to let this one rot in Davy Jones’ locker.
‘Pirates: At World’s End’
1/5 stars
» Publisher: Buena Vista Games
» Price: $29.99-$59.99
» Systems: PS2, PS3, PSP, X360, Wii, DS, PC
‘Dawn of Mana’
“Dawn of Mana” brings a new installment to the World of Mana that shows that the PS2 still has something to offer.
You play a young boy who must defend a sacred island from invading forces. Your journey is aided by spirits (Gnome, Undine and the rest from the SNES “Secret of Mana”) that offer their magic to help you in the form of slingshot ammunition.
You also have a whip that allows you to fling objects and enemies and wield them like weapons.
The story can be cheesy, but for an RPG, the combat is brilliant. There are so many ways to take out your enemies; you’ll just want to keep fighting.
For fans of the “of Mana” games, this one’s a must.
‘Dawn of Mana’
4/5 stars
» Publisher: Square Enix
» Price: $49.99
» System: Playstation 2
