Hands-on with LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean for Nintendo 3DS

It must be tough working on a new LEGO game.

With TT Games practically nailing the family-friendly gameplay on the very first attempt, each subsequent entry has seen the company refine the formula rather than risk sending the bricks tumbling.

This time it's the turn of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean to receive the Danish block treatment.

We went hands-on with the 3DS version at a recent event in a pub that “has windows like a ship” in deepest, darkest Camden to see what has been changed for this new 3D edition.

If you were hoping Pirates of the Caribbean would be the title that rocks the LEGO boat, then you’re in for a disappointment, as this is once again an extension of the same gameplay we’ve seen many times before across all of the platforms.

That means you’ll be revisiting key moments in the films (all three, plus the new movie, are included), randomly lashing out at objects scattered around the levels for LEGO studs, and swapping out characters depending on their special qualities.

These qualities have been tuned for the Pirates world, so there are no droids or Jedi Knights here. Instead, certain objects can be accessed using Pirate Lords, the undead, or even blacksmiths.

The cast of characters is as large as any of the previous titles, ranging from the film’s stars (including a swaggering Jack Sparrow) to minor characters and – effectively – extras, like Will Turner’s employer who turns up for the starting level.

You even get to control a dog (or rather ‘the’ dog from the prison scene in the original film), as well as ride a variety of creatures over the course of the game.

What the 3DS version brings to the mix is a combination of 3D effects and StreetPass functionality.

The 3D effects are subtle in the main but look extremely good when they do kick in, with platforms lurching out the screen and studs flying up above the playing area into the counter.

It’s not game-changing, but it does look like a measured usage of the tech.

The levels and graphics themselves aren’t too far removed from the home console versions. There have naturally been some concessions, but having seen a side-by-side comparison of the first level I can safely say these differences are far less pronounced than on the last generation of handhelds.

I was unable to try out the StreetPass functions for the hands-on, but the battles and collection feature sounds like a direct descendant of the previous 3DS LEGO game – Clone Wars - in which you collect characters and engage in fights in much the same way as Street Fighter IV works.

Disappointingly, no other multiplayer modes will be available on the portable versions of the game.

Still, the gameplay feels as solid and enjoyable as ever. The hub area – the docks – is packed with extra activities for the obsessive (and young children) to collect and try out, including character customisation (via the tailor’s shop) and ship models (collected by finding items in the levels).

While there may not be that much in terms of new gameplay concepts, it does seem like TT has nailed the atmosphere and humour of the Pirates films, with levels looking eerily close to the locations in the films and the company’s trademark comedy LEGO cut-scenes working their subversive magic with key parts of the plot.

We’ll find out if it can work the same magic on gamers when it launches in May.