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E3 06: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Impressions

Buena Vista Games gives Jack Sparrow and friends the handheld treatment, complete with multiplayer versions and unlockables.

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LOS ANGELES--Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is the new game from Buena Vista Games that re-creates the plot of the movie on the handheld consoles. The basis for the gameplay is a third-person perspective action adventure that combines fighting with puzzle-solving.

In the PlayStation Portable version, the single-player game puts you in the shoes of Captain Jack Sparrow, swashbuckling through 11 levels of action picking up various weapons as you go. You'll collect grog to replenish your health and stun enemies by throwing bottles at them. It's expected that there will be around eight hours of gameplay to get through, and when you complete the game, you'll unlock a special bonus for the multiplayer game. Unfortunately, the build we saw wasn't the smoothest of experiences as far as the controls went, and the collision detection looked a little off on occasions. But that said, the combat was good fun--each different type of enemy requires a different set of button combos to defeat, so you'll need to use your memory. It seems to add an extra sense of strategy to the mix.

The multiplayer element is completely different, however, and lets the player take to the high seas, shooting it out cannon-to-cannon just like in Sid Meier's Pirates!. You've got three different types of ammunition to choose from, depending on whether you want to sink your opponent, destroy his masts, or just kill the crew. As you sail around, you can also pick up various power-ups and treasure. The gold you collect will go toward repairs and upgrades ready for the next round, and you can also steal gold from your opponents by boarding their ships. The power-ups just give you a short-term advantage, such as extra speed or the ability to ram without incurring damage. The game supports four-player wireless battles, with any spare slots being filled by computer-controlled ships. The end of the battle doesn't herald the end of the war, however, as you can take your newly purchased upgrades into the next round and carry on for as long as you like. The upgrades aren't savable, though, so each completely new multiplayer series of rounds will start you back at the beginning.

There are a few differences with the Nintendo DS version, chief among them the ability to play minigames at various points on the touch screen. You can also play as different characters (Will or Elizabeth) as you encounter them. There are six boss fights altogether, and once you complete the DS version, you can replay the game to unlock extra features. Each time you come to one of the bosses, you can smash a statue and then make it possible to start a new game playing as that particular boss.

It's also possible to play through the levels with a friend on wireless multiplayer. Your friend will take the role of Will and can leave and join the adventure at will, although that person is then locked to that particular saved game, and nobody else will be able to replace the person. The DS version looked sharp and colourful and will be released on July 7, with the PSP version becoming available a week earlier.

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