This is exactly what I want from DS gaming, but I also want more great online multiplayers like Metroid Prime Hunters.
User Rating: 9.1 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest DS
This is an early review for sure, but I decided to add my $1.50 anyway, because it might be useful to someone. I watched a few of the trailers floating around for this game before it came out and thought they looked too good to be true. But some of the comments I read weren't making it out to be anything special. Still, I dropped the $35. down on it yesterday and have made it past the first boss. So far I really like this game a lot. It's exactly what I want from DS games. The graphics are top notch, and of a kind I personally haven't seen on the DS yet (currently own 9 DS games). The movement is smooth, the action is constant - ceratainly a hack and slash adventure game. The buttons are responsive, though I think there's room for small improvements mostly during combat. The camera has a few glitches occasionally, like when you're moving between two rooms - there were a couple of times when it kept flicking me back and forth between two rooms and I couldn't get oriented properly, but these seem to be rare at this point and aren't a significant distraction. Overall the camera works surprisingly well. It follows your character and doesn't get in your way. It's not a 3D game I like Metroid Prime Hunters is, but it's designed to look like you have more freedom than a typical 2D side scroller. So far for me the game presents a LOT of combat fighting, box breaking, and a good amount of story line which contains a few humorous remarks along the way. There are cut scenes which momentarily show you what action lies ahead after you reach certain point along the way, and there are also story-based cut scenes after you finish levels. Game saves are mandated by the game and not the gamer. Usually I would prefer to be able to save games at any point in the game, but in this case it works out ok; the game automatically saves at the right times, and they are frequent. The sound is good, but it's no movie soundtrack.
Overall, I think this is a top-notch game for the DS. For me it's addictive. The graphics, controls, and gameplay are all fantastic. If you like action/adventure games on your DS, you'll definately want to check this one out. I think it's a "must have" for any DS fan.
