Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (PSP)

In a nutshell:
The only game based directly on the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, this is your chance to control Cap’n Jack Sparrow as he staggers his way through sword fights in his quest to save his own soul from Davy Jones.

The lowdown:
Movie tie-ins don’t have the best of reputations in the video games world but this does go to some effort to try and repeat the easy charm and constant action of Dead Man’s Chest. The game looks great at least, with Jack’s peculiar swagger replicated perfectly, and the movie soundtrack is superb. There’s also some neat puzzles to solve in the game, usually revolving around blowing up large portions of the scenery with exploding barrels. The combat though is a might too simplistic for its own good, with a strictly regimented way of fighting the three different styles of enemy.

Most exciting moment:
The best bit by far in the game is the completely separate multiplayer mode where you get to control your own pirate ship on the high seas. It’s a great little action game and with four friends a lot more fun than most of the single player game.

Since you ask:
Dead Man’s Chest is available on all three portable formats but not on the home consoles or PC. Instead the PS2 and PC has a Pirates of the Caribbean game named The Legend of Jack Sparrow, which is more of a prequel to the new movie.

The bottom line:
A good movie tie-in but only an average game.
HARRISON DENT