Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a third-person adventure game currently scheduled for release alongside the movie of the same name next month. We had an opportunity to check out a work-in-progress version of the game during a recent meeting with Disney Interactive, and we can report that its gameplay promises to offer plenty of variety.

　　The Nintendo DS version of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End will feature 16 levels of 3D platforming action, each incorporating plenty of combat and puzzle-solving. The level that we saw during our demo took place on Black Sand Beach, where Captain Jack Sparrow was battling with enemy pirates en route to a duel with one of the game's 10 boss characters. Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann will also be playable in the game, and we're told that you'll be able to choose between at least two characters at all times.

　　Much of our demo on Black Sand Beach was spent navigating the terrain by jumping between platforms, climbing, and avoiding hazards such as flaming geysers and collapsing bridges. The grappling hook that was already in the stylus-controlled inventory made it possible to reach otherwise inaccessible areas, though we're not certain that it'll be available from the start of the game because, as we were told, you'll be able to revisit levels as you progress through the game and acquire new items—a pole that can be used to vault over bottomless pits being one example. Puzzles that we saw during the level included using the stylus to pick a lock and arranging cogs in a way that would cause a door mechanism to work.

　　The one-on-one duels are tactical, stylus-driven affairs.

　　Combat in the DS game will employ jump, kick, and sword attack buttons as well as the use of secondary weapons such as daggers and whips dropped by slain enemies. Special moves can be performed provided your "savvy" meter isn't empty, and we're told that enemies can be killed with a single blow if they're not aware of your presence. The combat gets much more challenging when you enter into a duel with a boss or, as we found during our meeting, with another player. Dueling in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is controlled using the stylus and, depending on whether you're left- or right-handed, either the directional pad or the four face buttons. The stylus is used to perform one of four attacks, and the four directions or buttons are used to perform four corresponding blocks. A further four, more powerful attacks can be unlocked as you progress through the game, and the challenge when dueling comes not so much from knowing when to attack, but from figuring out and learning to read your opponents' "tells" as they prepare to attack so that you can block them correctly and then hit them on the counter.

　　In addition to dueling, those of you looking for multiplayer action can look forward to four-player games of Liar's Dice using only a single copy of the game. Perhaps because it's based exclusively on the upcoming movie, further details on the DS version of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End are scarce at present. We look forward to bringing you more information as soon as it becomes available.