One important point about The Legend of Jack Sparrow should be made clear right off the bat: this is not in any way, shape, or form a sequel to Sea Dogs or last year's Pirates of the Caribbean. This is not a pirate/seafaring sim; this is an action-platform adventure game with sword-fighting combos, puzzles, and secret levels.
The game tells the story of how Captain Jack Sparrow became the infamous pirate that you saw in the hit movie. You'll get stranded on that desert island with the rum and the turtles; you'll have to sack Nassau Port, and so on. You'll do this by using swordplay, solving puzzles, and using the environment to complete levels. Several characters from the film are in the game from Sparrow to Will Turner. Bethesda is still working on getting the voice talent together, but hopefully Johnny Depp comes on board because it just won't sound right having another actor do the voice work for Captain Jack.
The combat is fast and furious. You will learn new combo moves as well as find new swords, which allow you to perform new tricks throughout the course of the game. You'll also be able to use the environment to your advantage. You can pull ropes to trigger traps, lure unsuspecting foes into pits, pick up and hurl explosives, etc. Bethesda is stressing the fact that while this is an action/platform game, it's not all about just slashing enemies down with a blade. There are a lot of puzzles to solve, as well.
The game will have anywhere from 12 to 15 goal-oriented levels with primary and secondary objectives. Bethesda is still working on constructing some of the levels, but there should be several unique environments from wrecked ships to royal ports. If you want to hack, slash, and jump through the game with a buddy rather than solo, you'll be able to play two-player co-op.
The game is still a long way from completion, as its currently set for a mid to late 2006 release on Xbox, PS2, and PC, but the graphics and animation already look very good, especially during some of the more intense sword-fighting sequences. We'll have more on the game in the coming months as it nears completion.
