LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game

I will continue to sound like a broken record, but it's true. At a day and age where you can hold 60 bucks in your hand and have dozens of suitable unique gaming options in-hand, the Lego franchise is very quickly falling behind in my mind's eye for where my gaming money should go.

Satisfyingly vacuous. [July 2011, p.102]

New Traveller's Tales' game is a job well done that provides an absorbing entertainment for many hours. But that doesn't mean we have the best installment of the series in our hands - only a Pirates of the Caribbean maniac will think so. The developers have given us a simple, next-in-line game without any spectacular surprises. Does it mean sad routine and no heart? Fortunatelly no - belt-system production never provides stunning results but the LEGO series is still defending itself from losing its identity.

Pirates has its moments, but we're ready to set sail in a new direction.

The formula might be a little overdone, but its charm goes a long way.

A bit more confusing storytelling than the other Lego games and still a lot of bugs. Fun co-op and better graphics though. TT Games delivers just what is requested and nothing more, just as usual.

The Pirates of the Caribbean license is just perfect for TT Games Lego adventures. But while Lego Pirates of the Caribbean is very entertaining, it is also unpolished and too hard for younger gamers.

It's not quite as whiz-bang as LEGO Star Wars III and feels quite formulaic at times, but there's no denying it has charm and widespread appeal.

If you've played past Lego movie tie-ins, you can expect more of the same from Pirates of the Caribbean. It follows a predictable formula, but it's still suitable for Pirates fans looking for lightweight family fun.

A few months ago, I reviewed LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars. That game introduced some light RTS elements to the series, along with loads of vehicle-based missions, and a huge cast of playable characters. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean falls short of that high mark, delivering a more traditional LEGO experience. That's not to say that Pirates is a bad game – quite the contrary. It's just puzzling to see a series that has struggled to evolve take a step back. Where are the epic ship-to-ship vehicle battles? Why is the pirate-infested port hub so boring?

Traveller's Tales could use a magic compass, we suspect - there's a definite sense of diminishing returns here, a worry that for all the franchise's simple amusements and dumbshow gags, LEGO is sailing close to the rocks.

Like previous Lego games, two player co-op is available in this version but splitscreen only. While the game maintains the easy drop-in, drop-out multiplayer the series is known for, the long-desired cooperative online multiplayer remains absent.

Too many basic flaws hinder the block-bashing fun of Lego Pirates of the Caribbean.

LEGO: Pirates of the Caribbean is full of beautiful environments and funny situations. But every time you try to enjoy them, your fun is spoiled by hindering mistakes made while polishing the game. Especially the unclear puzzles and the lacking platforming-sections make the game unnecessarily frustrating.

If you're a Pirates of the Caribbean fan, have a friend, sibling or girlfriend to play it with and aren't yet burnt out on the LEGO series this might be one for you. Everyone else should probably think twice.

Another faithful, funny play on a popular movie license, marred by persistent problems that, for some years now, Traveller's Tales hasn't remedied. And it probably won't happen at this point. [Issue#72, p.84]

Good atmosphere, decent production values, a lot of content and humor, funny puzzles, well implemented platform sequences, light combat : that's a lot of pros to make Traveller's Tales' developers proud. Yes, LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean is a rather fun title. But when will this saga revise its basics and innovate? With more than 5 games in the franchise, it may be time to consider that fans may very well like some new blood.

Quotation forthcoming.

Lego Pirates of the Caribbean can be fun, so long as you don't get bored of doing the same things over and over again. The humor of the LEGO series remains, however, so there will be laughs along the way.

This is not my favorite of the series so far, and after the excellent releases we had with Harry Potter and Clone Wars, I'm a little let down by this one.