Using the Wii-mote as a sword has been one of the more sought after control mechanics for the Wii. Of course, by "sword" I really mean "lightsaber," but until LucasArts decide that they wants to start printing their own money, we're left with the clang of metal swords. Twilight Princess showed that a swing-based sword combat could work. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, on the other hand, shows that it can't, absolutely ruining what would otherwise be a good movie tie-in.

At World's End is one of the better looking Wii games to come along in the system's short lifespan. It doesn't stand up to the quality of the 360 and PS3 versions, though it holds its own remarkably well. All of the movie's characters, including Davy Jones's macabre crew, and locales are accurately represented. The real visual highlight is how well the game captures Jack Sparrow's subtle nuances and body movements. Jack's movements are backed up by great voice acting. Although Johnny Depp doesn't provide the in-game vocals, the stand-in, as in Kingdom Hearts II, is as good as the real thing.

A few strands from the movie's soundtrack pop up from time to time, though a majority of the tracks are brand new. Although the new tracks don't have quite the impact as Hans Zimmer's movie score, the new tracks still blend in well.

Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ties into the second movie in the trilogy, Dead Man's Chest and the third film, At World's End, and places you behind the cutlass of several of the movie's main characters, including Jack, Will and Captain Barbossa. For the most part, the game plays like a typical action game, though it tries to add in a few new elements with varying degrees of success.

The game's plot follows the plots of both movies while fleshing out background elements that may have once been mentioned in the film. For instance, Dead Man's Chest begins with Jack escaping prison in a coffin; the game explains how he got into that situation. For the most part, the game is true to the plot, though it also alters a few elements to better adapt to gameplay. For example, in the game Jack needs to inform the Pirate Lords about the council, while in the movie he has no clue about it. The minor plot alterations don't matter in the long run, though the writing could use some work. Although the game does a great job at capturing Jack's mannerisms, it constantly falls short on delivering his witty one-liners. There are several moments where a joke is set up but never develops.

Gameplay is supplemented by other diversions. The first, and most common, are events called "Jackanisms," which are similar to the interactive cinemas in God of War. These are where most of Jack's personality come through and usually involve him pulling tricks to avoid guards. You are given one shot at completing these sections, otherwise you are forced to enter into combat with a group of guards.

Each level features a main goal and one or more sub-quests. These are usually simple and involve hunting down specific targets. Although they don't add a whole lot to the game, they are worth the time only because they are the only way to get your hands on charms that let you cheat during the Poker and Pirate Dice mini-games.

After completing the first level of the game, you unlock Challenge Mode. These three events are playable through the Main Menu and include Combat, Loot and Combo Challenges. In Combat, you try to defeat a set number of enemies, while in Loot you collect specific pieces of loot in a period of time. Combo involves stringing together combos and is the most difficult of the three, only because of the unresponsive controls. Completing specific Challenges unlocks Duel Mode, where you can compete against the A.I. or another player in a sword duel.

Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a difficult game. Progression is linear, though you are sometimes left wondering what to do next. One of the earliest examples of this comes during the first battle between The Black Pearl and Flying Dutchman. The area opens with Jack telling Will to find a way onto the Dutchman while he fights the attacking crew. What seems like a straightforward fight becomes a total mystery when Will suddenly says he is being overwhelmed by an enemy and gives you no time to react or a direction to react to. If you aren't right there when it happens, then you have to replay the area. These instances aren't plentiful, but happen enough that they become annoying.

When in combat, you spend just as much time fighting with unresponsive controls as enemies. Sword combat isn't just a component of At World's End, it is most of the game. Unlike Twilight Princess, which required short flicks of the wrist to produce sword swings, At World's End's system requires large, sweeping movements - otherwise they don't register. Add in poor enemy targeting and large groups of enemies (something the system can't handle) and you are left with little more than a sore shoulder and plenty of replayed sections.

Combat revolves around two basic attacks. Swinging the Wii-mote left and right produces a light attack, while swinging up and down results in a heavy attack. These attacks can be strung into combos. The mechanics behind the system make sense and should work; the problem is that you need to use over-exaggerated swings in order to get any type of response. Slight flicks don't cut it.

The Wii-mote is better used during the Jackanism sections. Here, the motion sensors require less motion and are more responsive - at least when compared to combat. Even here, movements aren't always recognized; one misread movement can, and usually does, lead to more combat - usually with more than one enemy.

Motion control aside, the rest of the controller layout works. Three sub-weapons are also available and assigned to the D-Pad. Pressing a direction queues up the item which can be used in combat by pressing (B). Sub-weapons are limited use weapons and are a nice insurance policy for when combat gets too crowded. They won't completely take care of the problem, but they will free up a little breathing room.

If it wasn't for the control issues, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End would be a competent movie tie-in. The game shows lots of potential and the idea of daring Errol Flynn-styled sword duels would be a great fit for the Wii. Unfortunately, because of the sloppy control setup, At World's End is a rather unremarkable game and not more than another multi-platform port with bolted-on Wii functions.