POTC: The Video Game - Initial thoughts (**SPOILERS**)

[Duck]

Ahoy shipmates!

Sorry if theres another thread for this, but if not, here goes! (Warning: Possible spoilers)

Well, after pre-ordering POTC: The Video Game for XBOX 360 off Gameplay, it arrived today - a day earlier than the UK release date, which was cool (although it disrupted my day-off which i had planned to use to almost finish Brickington Sails Forth: Episode Seven - I still finished some of it, but its not as close to completion as i'd planned!).

Previous to this, i'd only played the Lego Star Wars (Complete Saga) on my XBOX and had given Indie and Batman a miss, so i can only compare this to Starwars, but i must say that it is fantastic from what i've played so far!

The attention to pirate detail is brilliant and my little face has been smiling non-stop while playing it as a result!

The game remains as faithful to the films as is possible in a version made out of lego and with no dialog - so the usual lego-comedy variation of events to tell the story ensues! One of my personal favorites during a cut-scene so far being when Elisibeth has been rescued from the Island and the Black Pearl is giving chase - Barbosa using a massivley extendable (and bendable) telescope to see whats going on when Elisibeth gives Will the medalion below decks.

The bits of the story that are in-between the scenes you play out with the characters are told at lightening speed by the use of a Lego-style

cardboard-puppet show, where cardboard cut-outs of the characters and ships chase each other around, being moved by a lego-figure below, presumably. Very comical!

There are the usual studs to find throughout the levels, reaching a certain amount per level earns you the title of "True Pirate", something we all aspire to! There are also red bricks to unlock multipliers and special abilities, and Ships-In-A-Bottle to find through Story and Freeplay modes.

The only thing that i'm not so keen on so far is "The Port", the equivilent of Lego Starwars "Cantina". This wooden jetty with the Black Pearl in the background is quite a boring place to hang out, with just the four "Noticeboards" to walk up to and select the level you wish to play, with the odd character you've unlocked walking about also. There are two gates at either end of the "Port" which are closed. I only hope that these unlock at some point to reveal something more interesting, otherwise admiring the stern of the Black Pearl is all we can really do!

I've only played the first three levels so far, which for anyone who's interested are:

Level One: Port Royal - After a cutscene of Norringtons promotion followed by Jack rescuing Elisibeth, Starting off in the blacksmiths with Will and the Smith, theres abit of contructing piles of bricks to be done and getting the donkey to work the machinery before Jack appears down the chimney, burning his bottom and promptly plonking it in a bucket of water to relieve the pain - que the Will vs Jack swordfight. Following the attack on Port Royal by the Black Pearl, Will must rescue Jack from the jail and then escape through the port to the Dauntless (which looks especially beautiful! Fingers crossed for a minifig version of it!). The trip through Port Royal is brilliant, full of redcoats patrolling (who can only be described as cute, even when their shooting at you!). The large lego barrels are used as a replacement for the upside down boat, for walking underwater, a theme used throughout the game if you need to retrive something from under water. Level one is a great start to the game!

Level Two (Curse of the Black Pearl): Tortuga - Totuga is again, fantastically recreated! Lots of roudyness, drunk pirates, lots of ladies of negotiable affection hanging around, and everything one would expect (Including three pirates doing "The Konga" - a personal favorite of mine!) In Tortuga, Mr Gibbs, Anamaria (the female pirate), Marty (the dwarf) and Cotton + accompanying Parrot must be found. A must see for all pirate-lovers!

Level Three: The Black Pearl Attacks - As the Black Pearl draws level with the escaping ship, the battle takes place. Shots must be fired using the cannons at the prison-cell windows to free jack, from different levels of the ship. This level seemed particually random in some of the puzzles which followed, which generally involved smashing everything and then putting the bricks together in somewhere totally unobvious to progress. Eventually I worked it out and went on to the next part which involved retrieving the medallion from the sinking ship with the use of Will, Elisibeth and Jack. Again abit random in the way to get it, but fun. Following this, the final part of the level involves chasing the monkey around the two ships, using different characters special abilities to reach him.

Speaking of special abilities, Jacks is his compass, which can be used to find any required lego items which are in the area - a nice touch!

So, with the exception of "The Port" i'd say this is a brilliantly polished game from what i've seen so far, as expected! I'd recommend it to anyone. I'll update when i've played some more!

Duck.

[Big Cam]

Thtnks for the review, I've updated your title to indicate there may be spoilers, simply because this is so sparkling new still.

[Duck]

Thanks Big Cam! Realised I should have done that as soon as I posted it, so compensated by putting it in bold at the top the title now says it all though!

[Tazmaniac]

Nice start I wont get my pre-order till next week but hope to give some feedback on the "premium pack" as well as the game play it self.

You lucky ducky

[Brickus]

Nice start I wont get my pre-order till next week but hope to give some feedback on the "premium pack" as well as the game play it self.

You lucky ducky

Same here, I mainly got it for the fig though.