By contrast, Will can throw axes at targets to trigger switches, and characters such as Davy Jones can walk and breathe underwater. As an example, in the first stage, Captain Jack can use his compass (the same one that is in the films, that shows him where the thing he desires is) to find hidden objects in the sand, which can then be dug up by passing control to the guard dog figure, who has the dig ability. In fact, a tiny bit of deja vu may have crept in, as the mechanics of LEGO Pirates are almost a carbon copy of the earlier games from Traveller’s Tales.Įach character has a special power that needs to be used to solve immediate problems, but once a level is completed, it can be replayed with other LEGO mini-figs than were intended, allowing you to open up new areas and go about attempting to collect all of the ships in bottles that are hidden in each level. Each of the films featured completely different areas, and so it is similar in the game, with the addition of also being able to unlock new characters.

As you completed missions and stories from the films, the Port got bigger, and extra parts were added to allow you access to other areas.

The video game was based around Port Royal, which acted as the hub for the adventure. Admittedly, the spoken dialogue was nothing more than the occasional grunt and groan, but still playing as Will or Captain Jack himself felt very real and completely authentic. It was a joy, as his expressions and, more importantly, his walk had been captured perfectly, shrunk down and then placed into the game and the grateful hands of players. And so it was the case here with LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean giving us the chance to take control of Captain Jack for the first time. The first LEGO Batman and the first LEGO Star Wars, and all since then, have allowed the mannerisms of the movie stars to be brought to life in a small piece of plastic.

Traveller’s Tales have always, since the very first LEGO games, been able to capture the spirit and the character of any of the protagonists with just subtle gestures, not even needing dialogue in the first few games. It was in May of 2011 when those pirate related dreams came true.

Xbox 360 lego pirates of the caribbean