Taking control solely
of Jack Sparrow, players romp around various film locales sword fighting with whatever
comes at them. The system is set up so that the enemy defense needs to be broken down
before any actual hits can connect. There are three types of enemies in total, regardless
of the different graphical models used. Each has a specific string of attacks needed to
break through noted directly above their head. This causes a number of aggravating issues that carry through the entire experience. Fighting multiple enemies is nearly impossible to pull off successfully. Using the wrong button to initiate combat results in them automatically gaining a free hit. In a situation where all thee types of enemies are surrounding you, it's easier to die and respawn at the nearest checkpoint than to even try and fight your way out.
Secondary weapons can take out any foe in a single blow, which means a glass bottle has the same amount of impact as an exploding cannon ball. A third set of moves is unlocked by completing brief endurance stages. These charge as Sparrow hacks away at various nasties and can take out piles of monsters with a single shot. It feels like an admission by the developers that the combat simply doesn't work otherwise.
Pits, rope climbing, rope swinging and puzzle solving round out this five hour ride of dullness. Getting over a pit via any means is difficult. The camera is rarely in the right location, and other times it's not adjustable at all. Jack has trouble stopping, so trying to gain a running start before taking a leap of faith is more work than its worth.
Puzzles bring solutions so blatantly obvious, you have to wonder why they
bothered in the first place. Level design is linear enough that getting lost isn't
possible. Repetitive and mundane tasks like blasting open doors with a cannon are
repeatedly forced on the player. They're not fun the first time, and after the 15th
attempt, it's an absurd waste of a gaming period.If there's anything to take away from this PSP mess, it's the graphics engine. While sharp and clean, somehow looking better than the Playstation 2 version, the animation takes a serious hit. Single frames of animation are all that come through in crowded areas, lessening impact and making it difficult to tell if a swing even lands.
There's little to recommend here, even for the most fervent fans of this now multi-billion dollar franchise. It's a lackluster run through a wildly popular film. With such little merit, Dead Man's Chest should stay buried.
