Lego Pirates of the Caribbean

[Wolvieboy17]

I hadn't heard anything about this and couldn't see a thread.

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean First Look

Like a loveable, family-friendly Keyser Soze, the LEGO franchise is unstoppable. Having spent much of the past decade working with Lucasarts and Warner Bros to turn iconic films into charming videogame adventures, Traveller's Tales has now turned its attention to Disney. And what better franchise is there for the comedy-minifigure treatment than the already exuberant and over-the-top Pirates of the Caribbean?

Unveiled to the world last week at TT's Knutsford studio, LEGO Pirates of the Carribbean is the most ambitious LEGO game yet. It's being released at the same time as the next film in May this year, which is a first for the series, and covers all four Pirates films, from Curse of the Black Pearl through to the forthcoming On Stranger Tides. In keeping with tradition, it's cute, funny and admirably accessible – the adventuresome, piratey antics of Cap'n Jack and crew fit perfectly with the LEGO aesthetic and slapstick sense of humour.

We're shown the very first level as a taste of what's to come: Captain Jack Sparrow's arrival at Port Royale, where he meets Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann and, of course, Commodore Norrington and his distinctly anti-pirate navy. The wordless LEGO recreations of significant scenes are predictably funny and beguiling – take a peek at the teaser trailer for a quick example – but as always, it's the scenes you actually get to play through that provoke the biggest smiles.



We play through Will's first encounter with Jack in his uncle's smithy, engaging in a swordfight atop the beams after running around rebuilding the broken mechanisms to create a way up there. The combat isn't at all like it was in any of the other LEGO games – the clash of tiny plastic swords is actually pretty dramatic. Weaker enemies are easily overpowered, but one-on-one encounters can go on for ages as you chase an opponent down, making them really feel like swordfights.

The most important thing about Pirates of the Caribbean, though, as we're sure you'll agree, is Captain Jack Sparrow. Transforming him into a LEGO minifigure was a daunting task for Traveller's Tales, knowing that his look and mannerisms had to be just right. They've done a pretty good job - all that eyeliner looks a bit wrong on a Lego figure, but he's got the trademark swaying, flourishing walk and some excellently flamboyant sword-twirls.

Playing as Jack has a really distinct feel, something that the developer is hoping to achieve for all 70-plus characters in the game. There are loads of character-specific weapons – grappling-hooks, swords, guns et cetera – and as usual, there are plenty of unique puzzles built into the levels themselves. The cursed crew of the Black Pearl can walk on the bottom of the ocean, just like in the films, and if you walk them into patches of moonlight you'll be able to see their little LEGO skeletons.

There have been a few basic improvements to the rather floaty platforming. Some platforms are now sticky, making those dramatic swordfights across narrow boughs and walls and cross-masts possible without falling off every five seconds. This makes the levels more vertical – you can be up on the topmast, or down in the bowels of a ship's decks. That trademark diagonal split-screen, drop-in-drop-out co-op multiplayer remains intact, but there'll be no online co-op. LEGO games are best enjoyed as a "family experience" in the same room, reckons TT – online features are difficult to implement, and they just wouldn't be used enough to justify it.

The idea is that you can still enjoy the game for all its piratey swashbuckling even if you're not a huge fan of the films themselves – or if your kids are too young to have seen then. The setting allows for plenty of silliness and variety, from firing cannons and muskets to sabre duels in the crow's nest, and the LEGO sense of humour works brilliantly with the material. Watch out for more details in a couple of weeks' time.

http://au.ps3.ign.com/articles/114/1147333p1.html

 

[ProjectPat2280]

No. More. Lego. Games!

 

[Wolvieboy17]

No, give us Lego X-Men!

 

[SuperFerret]

No. More. Lego. Games!

Why. Not?

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Why. Not?

1. Theres too damn many.

2. They're really, really lame.


You are controlling an effing lego piece. These devs are just damn lazy.

 

[SuperFerret]

They're some of the most fun games out there. And nothing about them seems "lazy".

 

[Jennifer Walters]

They're some of the most fun games out there. And nothing about them seems "lazy".

Yeah. Gotta agree with this. And for one, the target audience is often the kids who are in the age range that more mature games based on those franchises are not exactly for them.

So, yeah.

 

[SuperFerret]

Plus Lego Star Wars was the best Star Wars game I've ever played.

 

[Jennifer Walters]

Honestly, you know what? I think can agree with that too.

 

[SuperFerret]

The world must be coming to an end.

 

[Jennifer Walters]

Dangerous amount of agreeing we're doing here! Uhhh, quick say something I disagree with!

 

[Wolvieboy17]

You should go to the Captain America forums. Plenty of disagreement there.

 

[Jennifer Walters]

Haha. It's an in joke thing between me and Ferret that we never agree upon anything.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

I gathered lol.

I really enjoy the Lego games. As far as fun, collecting muck around platform type games go, they're pretty good. Alot deeper and better designed than other games of that genre.

 

[spidey-dude]

wooo

love the lego games, one of the few games I can play with my little sister, this and lego star wars 3 are gonna be great

 

[Milu]

I've yet to play a non-Lego Star Wars game that was better than Lego Star Wars.

 

[Sam Fisher]

I'd much rather play that cancelled POTC game than this. Not a huge fan of the lego games.

 

[GamerSlyRatchet]

Fun fact: Before Arkham Asylum came, Lego Batman was actually the highest-graded Batman games around.

Anyways, hopefully they can still keep the formula fresh. I was getting bored with Bats and Indy, but the Harry Potter game brought much new life to the franchise.

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

I quite like these games, they are good time wasters.
Wouldn't pay full retail price for them though.

 

[spidey-dude]

have you seen the graphics for the new star wars one? the backgrounds look fantastic! hopefully potc follows suit!

these games and new super mario brothers (and maybe mario kart) are the PERFECT parent children bonding games btw, i dont have kids myself but my sister is 15 years younger than me and these games give us great common ground and bonding experience too, first thing she asks when im back from uni is to play them with her

 

[Dave McFly]

If it as fun as Lego Star Wars, Indy, and Batman, I will have to pick it up .

[YT]lhk7vCfET3c[/YT]
t:

 

[Wolvieboy17]

Hands on with the game

Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: Tackling Tortuga
Another look at Traveler's Tales most ambitious game to date

When we went to visit Traveller's Tales for the first showing of LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean last month, we were shown a level we weren't allowed to tell you about: Tortuga, the pirate port from Curse of the Black Pearl. It was a bigger, less scripted environment to play in than the opening level, giving us a bit more room to stretch our game-evaluation legs.

There's a lot going on in the background in Lego Pirates, which really makes its world come alive. The atmosphere in Tortuga is palpably piratey. Happy-looking sailor types were dotted all over the place, doing swashbuckly things like swilling grog and dancing jigs. Lego Jack Sparrow gets slapped by disapproving buxom wenches as soon as he steps out onto the pier. A pirates-only pub is packed with cheerily intoxicated revellers.



More LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game Videos

This might seem like an odd thing to say about a Lego game, but it looks extremely good. There's a nice contrast between the shiny plastic Lego figures themselves, with their toytown sheen, and the realistic-looking brick, wood, sand and choppy, reflective water of the environments. The Lego-brick buildings and mechanisms stand out from a more photographic background. It's a lovely stylistic twist.

The lighting is much better than it's ever been, too – flickering torches illuminate the streets in Tortuga, and in enclosed spaces, shafts of moonlight flood in from the windows. The puzzles are more physics-based now, too, meaning that objects react realistically to your happy-go-lucky destruction. It smells of money – this looks more like a Lego set constructed in the real world than a shiny, all-plastic alternate universe.

After finding our way through the pub, swinging across the chandeliers to a hidden exit, we find chubby engineer Gibbs asleep in an alley round the back, surrounded by pigs. There's a simple puzzle where Jack Sparrow and Will have to work together to ferry a tub of water over to him and tip it over his head, and then he joins up with us. There are quite large parties in Lego Pirates – people will come along without without you needing to take direct control. Following our lead, Gibbs happily fixes a broken mechanism all by himself.



There are floating skulls around the place pointing the way to important places of things. They're a bit like objective markers, and they take the place of the obligatory tutorial messages that usually scroll across the screen. They're optional, of course – they can be ignored if you'd rather figure things out for yourself. Traveller's Tales hopes that they are a less intrusive way of proffering guidance.

This is still very early code, so it's a bit rough around the edges. On one memorable occasion, the Captain Jack model was inexplicably replaced by a giant sword-wielding pink cube, which we're rather sad won't make it into the final release. But it's easy to see why Telltale is calling this its most ambitious Lego game – there's been a step up in terms of graphical standards, and the tiny improvements that have been made to the core platform game are already noticeable. Hopefully there should be enough time to polish it to a shine before May.

http://au.xbox360.ign.com/articles/115/1150417p1.html

 

[Benstamania]

The Lego Star Wars games are the best Star Wars games some of you played? Have you guys never, ever played the KotOR games? Because to say the Lego games are the best Star Wars games ever made is crazy talk, IMHO.

The Lego games were "cool" at one point and time, but I'm seriously sick of them, I couldn't even finish Lego Batman because I got annoyed with the same stinking gameplay over and over again.

Maybe if Lego Pirates does something different other than just change the setting and characters I'll give it a chance. I wouldn't be surprised if it's just Lego Star Wars/Batman with a face lift. Which, isn't enough to get me even mildly interested in the Lego series again.

 

[SpideyVille]

So I kinda want to get this game, but I'm thinking of holding off until a price drop.

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

The Lego Star Wars games are the best Star Wars games some of you played? Have you guys never, ever played the KotOR games? Because to say the Lego games are the best Star Wars games ever made is crazy talk, IMHO.

The Lego games were "cool" at one point and time, but I'm seriously sick of them, I couldn't even finish Lego Batman because I got annoyed with the same stinking gameplay over and over again.

Maybe if Lego Pirates does something different other than just change the setting and characters I'll give it a chance. I wouldn't be surprised if it's just Lego Star Wars/Batman with a face lift. Which, isn't enough to get me even mildly interested in the Lego series again.

I was playing KOTOR a couple of weeks back and it's aged horribly. Jedi Academy on the other hand has aged really well, the game play is much more solid.

Also I really don't get the hate with the lego games in general, sure they aren't the second coming of Christ but if you are a fan of series and looking for something casual or are a very young kid (you know, because they play games too?) they are generally great fun.