The Lego series takes a stab at Pirates.
No. The Lego series does not need to be online. The series is just a series of fun little games mostly designed for children. They are mostly meant to be played by oneself or with one friend, we don't need to be going online. The series is played by a multitude of children, and the world of online gaming is a scary world, lest we forget the internet subculture. If you really think that the Lego series needs to be online, you need to go find some friends, there are plenty of other amazing games that you can play online.
Yes. The Lego series is repetitive. In this game, and pretty much all the others, you will find many of the same puzzle types that are in other games. Digging, bombs, repairing, ect. It's all here. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing. These games are formulaic. That formula works. It's cute, entertaining, and while not the most challenging thing in the world, does put up a bit of a challenge.
Now, this game adds a couple new puzzle elements to the mix: Jack's compass and underwater areas. Both of these elements are interesting and fun and both do a good job of adding to the puzzles.
The story is fun and entertaining. Many people disliked the second, third, and fourth pirates movies. That is not a problem here, as the game (like its predecessors) doesn't take its world to seriously. It is entertaining and funny.
The game is much smaller than the other lego games, especially when compared to the massive Lego Star Wars III. It makes sense given that the makers of the game were working on this, Lego Star Wars III, and the upcoming Lego Harry Potter 2 at the same time, so I'm not surprised or disappointed on this point. However, it would have nice to see a bit more collectibles in the game. This is the main reason why I took off a couple points.
Yes, the game is just like the other games in the series, but that's ok. It's not a genius game, but it is a good solid game in the series. It may be smaller and have less to offer in comparison to other games, but it gets the job done.