I have to hand it to the guys at Disney -- they really nailed the visuals in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," at least in the Xbox 360 version I played.

I started the game with expectations in the basement, and I ended up floored by the graphical detail, especially the character models and the way they moved. Facial expressions were wooden, but I didn't at all expect a movie tie-in game to look this nice.

Unfortunately, there has to be something more than looks for a game to be worth buying. While I enjoyed "At World's End" -- enough to keep playing even when I didn't have to anymore -- it's still a step down from a truly good game.

The problem is the combat. It's dull, not terribly difficult, and uninspired. Slash, slash, kill. Over and over. It never takes more than three slashes to kill a guy, unless it's a slightly higher-ranking bad guy, in which case it takes a few hits and a special move.

You learn special moves throughout the game, but there's nothing really that special about them. Even when you switch between playing as Jack, Will and Elizabeth, they're pretty much the same.

Boss fights are more interesting, at least, though still not difficult: Duels. Circles on the screen light up to indicate if it will be a low, middle or high slash, and if you block it you build up a special attack meter, which you then unleash on the boss.

The only reason I didn't get falling-asleep bored from the start is because of the number of hidden items there are to find in each level. Instead of focusing on the fighting, I scoured each level for money bags and chests.

Each level has a number of specific items you need to find (such as seven letters on the first level). In addition, there's one Calypso chest and one "Jackanism" chest (opened with shrunken heads) on each level. Some of these are hidden very well, and some are tricky to reach. I enjoyed looking for them.

The storyline encompasses both the second and third movies, so if you're worried about being spoiled for the new one, it's a ways into the game before you reach it. Even then, the storyline is vague and not particularly interesting.

The voiceovers aren't done by the actual actors, but they're close enough that it doesn't even matter.

While "At World's End" is entertaining enough, it's probably a rental rather than a buy. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that possibly a large part of my interest in continuing to play was because of the Xbox 360 achievements -- they're easy to get simply by playing through the game and finding the hidden items.

If you're a huge "Pirates of the Caribbean" nut, I wouldn't say it's a bad idea to buy this game. It's got enough in it to keep you entertained for a while. But if your interest in the series is merely passing, try "At World's End" as a rental first.

'Shrek' a wreck

Another movie tie-in game out recently is "Shrek the Third." I played the Wii version and was glad to see that the motion controls were at least competent, if not terribly exciting.

I haven't seen the movie, so I can't comment on how closely the game follows the movie. But I would assume it would be generally the same story: Shrek heads out to find Fiona's cousin Arthur to take the throne so Shrek doesn't have to.

I was amused by the "cut scenes" in between levels, done as paper puppets on a stage. The rest ... ehh. "Shrek the Third" is one of those games that has potential, like maybe if they'd put a little more effort into it, it might have been good.

As it is, it's mildly entertaining, but some of the imitation voices are irritating, and many of the jokes fall flat (though I did laugh out loud when Donkey says, "Well, he can just kiss me!"). The graphics are decent, but the fixed-angle camera wreaks all kinds of havoc with the gameplay.

In the Wii version, you swing the controller back and forth to punch. You use the nunchuk controller thumbstick to run, and if you shake the nunchuk, you charge up for a powerful punch.

There are lots of hidden items to be found, but unfortunately they're not difficult to find. Each level is merely a set path, so if you miss something, it's because you were playing with your eyes closed.

The gameplay also never varies, and it quickly becomes repetitive. Run, fight, run, fight.

I did like that you can play as a number of characters, including various fairy tale princesses. But why does this game not have co-op? It seems like a perfect opportunity to play alongside a friend, but the only multiplayer is in the (lame) minigames.

"Shrek the Third" might be okay for very casual gamers, but anyone with any experience with good games will not be satisfied. Pass on this one.