The puzzles, which tie in to the platforming elements, are less frustrating by virtue that they're all brick-simple exercises. Still, you'll regularly come upon a box you can't yet move or a switch you can't yet flip, requiring you to backtrack later on. It's quite rare, even in a really good game, for backtracking to be fun, and here it's a source of much frustration. The level designs are relatively small but extremely dense, usually consisting of multiple floors and exits to other areas, and it's quite easy to get turned around and lose sight of your next objective. The simplistic map is of little help either, since it gives you no sense of vertical space when most of the levels are often vertically oriented.
Retailers charging money for this game are themselves engaged in an act of piracy.
The game's presentation does little to compensate for the tired, clunky gameplay in Pirates: Legend of the Black Buccaneer. The animations are consistently stiff and unnatural looking, and the character models are mostly just simple and bland, save for the Black Buccaneer, who just looks ridiculous. The environments, which are consistently small, are also coated with dreary, washed-out textures that trade mostly in muddled earth tones. There are the occasional soft-glow effects and a black halo wraps the screen when you play as the Black Buccaneer, but even when the game isn't trying to show off with fancy effects, the frame rate is inexplicably erratic. The sound design actually seems unfinished, with a lot of repetitive or apparently absent sound effects.
From stem to stern, Pirates: Legend of the Black Buccaneer is derivative and uninspired. It cribs shamelessly from some of the best action adventure games of the past few years, and in the process fumbles the execution of the elements that made games like Tomb Raider and Prince of Persia so memorable. This game is banking almost entirely on its flimsy word association with Pirates of the Caribbean, and has nothing of worth to offer beyond that. Even the most steadfast enthusiasts of piracy should avoid getting Shanghaied by this one.
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Where to buy
Pirates: Legend of the Black Buccaneer (PlayStation 2):
$12.99 - $18.99
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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$18.99 | Yes |
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$12.99 | No |
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$13.99 | No |
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Amazon.com
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$12.99 | Yes |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$13.14 | Yes |
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