The video game "Pirates of the Caribbean" has little in common with Disney's summer hit film of the same name.
Sure, the theme of the Bethesda Softworks game for Xbox is similar. It's got sailing and battling, running and sword fighting. But playing the game is a bit more complicated than watching the movie. And don't expect to see Johnny Depp's Capt. Jack Sparrow clumsily navigating his way through the game.
"Pirates of the Caribbean" is a role-playing game that offers aspects of an action game as well. The game begins on the island of Oxbay in a fictitious world comprising seven islands. The French army overthrows the town of Oxbay, and the player's character, Nathaniel Hawk, involuntarily becomes involved in the war. He is asked to carry out various orders from the English governor.
But he is not necessarily bound to this fate. As in all role-playing games, the character can take many paths throughout the game. Hawk's travels consist of various activities, including seeking out traitors, hunting for sunken treasure and battling enemy ships.
One if by land
There are two kinds of travel in "Pirates." Land travel is the most common. The controls for land travel are similar to those used in most other video games, and the beginning of the game is dedicated to easing the player into abilities such as sword fighting.
Sea travel is a bit more difficult but a crucial facet to fully enjoying the game. In sea travel mode, the player can toggle back and forth between two cameras, both of which are necessary for survival at sea. One camera displays the entire ship and crew and can make 360 degree rotations around the ship. The other camera is representative of the captain's perspective on the ship. From this view, the captain can see where to fire his cannons on enemy vessels.
As the game progresses, the player gains the ability to board other vessels and take ownership of them.
Two if by sea
Sea travel is risky because the player will have many encounters with enemy ships, as well as storms. The natural disasters are not so easy to avoid and may leave the ship in pieces. Controlling various actions at sea can be difficult at times, but it doesn't take long until handling the controls becomes second nature.
One special feature in this role-playing game is the "fast-travel" option. Once on land, instead of wasting walking time from place to place, the player can simply activate the fast-travel icon to instantly transport the character to different locations, such as the tavern, shipyard or town hall.
Another high point of the game is character generation. The kind of character the player operates can be altered constantly. For example, the character can always add to his chances of success by using points earned to upgrade skills such as leadership, melee combat or cannons. Also, a character may gain commerce points by trading various goods with other people from other islands. What the player does in certain situations determines what kind of person your character becomes and how others will react to him.
Three more shipmates
A player can also acquire up to three other shipmates he may find during his travels. These counterparts can be controlled in various ways.
The main downfall of the game is the time it takes to load scenarios. If a player wants to sail to another island, he must first take the dinghy to the ship, which takes time to load, then activate the world
map, which also brings up a loading screen.
Similarly, when porting at an island, the player must go through the same routine, which can become tedious.
However, the loading screens do provide useful tips that can make the player more familiar with the game.
Occasionally, when loading a scene, the game will freeze, and a blank screen will appear. The misfortune here is that the player must reload his previous save and will lose all data that took place after the previous save.
"Pirates" is similar to the popular role-playing game "Morrowind," but "Pirates" is not quite as in-depth, and it's easier for players to get involved.
The graphics can be astounding at times, especially when at sea. Real-life surroundings and environment, including the subtle use of sharks in the sea, makes the player feel as if he were really sailing.
If you were a fan of the movie, you may not necessarily find pleasure in the game. But overall, "Pirates of the Caribbean" is a game that RPG gamers will enjoy.
August 15, 2003
By: Evan Dunkin
Star correspondent
Evan Dunkin is a senior at Purdue University.
Source:
Indy Star 
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You would need to check with Bethesda Softworks. 
thats awesome, i love the movie so much i would love to see what the game is like
