Captain Jack Sparrow Fighting

Controlling Jack, Will, Elizabeth, and Barbossa in third-person action.

On the gaming side of things thus far, Pirates has had a much smaller impact. We got an accompanying game with Curse of the Black Pearl, but with no console-wide game

Captain Jack Sparrow is exactly the type of game you'd expect it to be. Take control of the main cast members in an adventure that parallels the movies, controlling Jack, Will, Elizabeth, and Barbossa in third-person action.

The game focuses primarily on combat, with enemies spawning from any and every location, each of which is focused on a main area from the movie. And for the most part it works. Since the game follows both the second and third film

The game is entirely linear, and tailored specifically for a single player adventure, with multiplayer add-ons for game sharing and multi-cart. As for the main game, it's all about getting from point A to point B, cutting down anyone in your path, and completing mini-objectives to earn more style points and unlock more content.

It's a pretty straightforward design, but when you factor in the added sub-weapons and constant AI-controlled supporting cast there's plenty of diversity to go around; just don't expect the game to change too much from the main mash-fest. During your adventure you'll participate in multiple enemy combat with sword fighting, have access to throwing knives, pistol rounds, and grenades, and giant roasted turkey breast for retaining health. All sub-weapons are accessed by hitting the D-pad and then using the sub-weapon button

As you progress through the game you'll happen upon more circumstantial events, having sword-only duels on a fixed, 2D-esque dueling area, or cruising down rapids on a rotating raft. As a quick note, sword fighting in the Captain Jack Sparrow versions of the game is far better than the HD console counterparts, as there's still a somewhat-entertaining combo system. Later in the game you'll need to pull off multi-objective levels, which include protecting certain characters, using basic stealth to navigate enemy-infested areas, or setting up giant chain-reaction sequences through a plethora of mini-missions.

As one of the finer points in the game, sword dueling is a blast, as it plays out like a more refined battle strictly between two characters. You'll be able to move left and right only, using a combination of grabs, thrusts, light attacks, and power attacks to take down a rival. Battles take place anywhere from on the city streets of Tortuga to the top mast of a pirate ship, and since it's an on-rails battle it constantly evolves around the arena in a fluid, cinematic way.