By Matthew Scott Hunter
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END (T)
**1/2
Disney Interactive
Xbox 360
“Spider-Man 3” and “Shrek” are behind us, but with “Transformers,” “Ratatouille,” “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Four” on the way, we have quite a few mediocre movie tie-in games to go. And if they’re all as good as “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” we’re gonna need some rum.
At least “Pirates” looks fantastic. From the dirt under Captain Jack’s fingernails to the slime dripping off Davy Jones’ tentacled beard, the detailed graphics miss nothing. The gameplay, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired. You’ll be swarmed with generic foes who can be easily (and mind-numbingly) dispatched with the repeated press of a single button. Seriously, you’d have no trouble beating this game in a few hours even if one of your hands was a hook.
If you really want to use this game to get a taste of the pirate’s life, then sail to a deserted island and bury this disc on the beach. But be sure not to draw a map to it because you wouldn’t want to risk finding it again. Savvy?
DAWN OF MANA (T)
**
Square Enix
PlayStation 2
I waited 14 years for this? 1993’s “Secret of Mana” for Super Nintendo was the kind of magnificent RPG that should’ve been a franchise starter, like “Final Fantasy” or even “The Legend of Zelda.” We finally have a true sequel (or prequel), and it’s this mediocre, linear, fantasy-themed platformer. Sigh. Excuse me while I check if my Super Nintendo still works.
ODIN SPHERE (T)
***1/2
Atlus
PlayStation 2
Despite the eye candy offered by the latest 3D games, old-fashioned 2D sidescrollers have managed to stick around, thanks to some heavily stylized art design. If “Viewtiful Joe” was a comic book come to life, “Odin Sphere” is a book of breathtaking fantasy art come to life. And if you can peel your eyes away from the backdrop long enough to keep your valkyrie avatar alive, you might just get hooked in by the twists of the narrative as well.
DINER DASH: SIZZLE & SERVE (E)
*1/2
Eidos
PlayStation Portable
Some video games let you battle the forces of evil. “Diner Dash” lets you wash dishes. Some video games introduce you to new worlds with exotic characters. “Diner Dash” introduces you to a room full of nagging customers. If waiting on tables and micro-managing a busy restaurant sounds like your idea of a good time, “Diner Dash” is for you. The PSP’s control scheme isn’t as user friendly as that of the DS or PC, but that shouldn’t be a problem. If you’re playing this in the first place, you clearly like to suffer.
When Las Vegas Weekly contributor Matthew Scott Hunter realized his career as a lab technician was seriously interfering with his gaming, he pink-slipped himself into a successful career as a freelance writer. Bug the hell out of him at [email protected]