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Pirates of the Caribbean Online

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 10, age appropriate for kids over 13; suggested age 10.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Become a pirate and join Jack Sparrow in a MMORPG.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 10–13

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    The game promotes cooperative gameplay requiring planning, communication, and coordination.

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    It's a Pirate game. You are doing Piratey behaviors such as breaking out of jail, stealing things, killing men from the British Navy and the East India Company, and playing Poker and Blackjack. Voodoo is also practiced in the game.
  • Violence:

    There is piratical person-to-person combat and naval combat. Cartoonish rather than realistic combat with lots of "Hollywood" style flourishes but no graphical blood or gore. You can use pistols or cutlasses but opponents simply fall over. Cannons can be used to sink ships but no bodies are blown up.
  • Sex:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Clean. Profanity filter cannot be turned off.
  • Consumerism:

    There are two versions. The ad-based game contains banners advertising products aimed at children: from Disney's own products such as their latest DVD releases, to other children's games such as Pokemon on the Nintendo DS. There is also an ad-free version that costs $9.95/mo.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    It's a Pirate game and although there are taverns, with barrels of grog and barmaids, there is no overt depiction of alcohol or tobacco consumption.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Pirates of the Caribbean Online was written by Carolyn Koh

Parents need to know that this is a massively multiplayer online game in which you become a pirate and that the pirates in this game are violent. There is no graphic blood, but you may be asked to kill crabs and wasps. You can fight with cutlasses and pistols, but opponents simply fall over. Cannons can be fired from ships which break masts and cause ships to sink, but you don't see bodies flying. Your major opponents in this game are other humans, not fantasy monsters. There is a Voodoo theme in the game where you wave a funny looking ragdoll and throw "hexes" which produce a greenish grey smoke effect. The game can be played for free in a frame which contains advertising for age-related product. In the free version some game content will be restricted. For the ad-free version, you must pay $9.95/month, but since this is an online game, content is constantly added. This game is one age bracket up from Toontown Online and carries through all of Disney's original child-protection and security settings, such as the ability to lock down free chat and a profanity filter that cannot be turned off. Many families play this game together and naval combat actually requires cooperative play as one person has to sail the ship, while others can fire cannons. Quests often also are more easily completed in a group and some require several players to play cooperatively in order to succeed. As with any MMORPG, kids can get sucked in and find they want to spend a tremendous amount of time in this world.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about how important cooperation is within this game. Do you think the naval battles were realistic of what pirates used to experience. Who is the most famous pirate you have heard of? What did Pirates really do? Does Voodoo really exist?
Did this review help you decide?

OK for Your Kids to Play?

Do you play it? Review It!

More on Pirates of the Caribbean Online

What’s the Story?

This game is based on Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean movies; your ultimate aim is to assist Jack Sparrow in recovering the Black Pearl. Along the way, players create their own pirates, dress them, and advance their characters by acquiring reputation in various skills such as swordplay, voodoo magic, sailing, obtaining treasure, and acquiring larger ships.

Is It Any Good?

The game actually leads the player through the storyline with well crafted quests and directions. The in-game tutorial is friendly, and the game is simple enough to play that an in-depth instruction manual is not required. First time players will be amazed at the quality of the cut scenes, which actually place your created character in the "movie," where you interact with familiar characters like Jack Sparrow, Tia Dalma, Elizabeth Swann, and Will Turner. To keep to its family friendly motto, players are defeated, but do not die. Instead they fall unconscious and wake up in jail. Another aspect of this game is the Player versus Player gameplay: players can go head to head with another player in an "arena" but when this occurs, they are not human. They are "cursed" and transformed into skeletons.

Young fans of pirates in general and Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean will be pleased with Disney's effort to craft an online game for the tween population who have outgrown ToonTown Online. The game is a fun romp and sailing on the high seas looking for enemy ships to lob cannon at with your kids can be a blast. Younger children may get frustrated at the more difficult quests or fights, but rest assured that in an MMORPG, there are many things to do. From playing cards to searching for treasure, from fighting with cutlass and pistol to using voodoo magic and naval battle.

A free version of the game supported by advertising in the form of a framed window is available for families to check out before committing to the full subscription membership.

Publisher’s Details

Developer: Disney Online
Released on: 10/31/2007, Price: $9.95/mo, not online enabled
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Alcohol Reference, Simulated Gambling, Violence

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    perfect for older tweens and up

    I think this game is a very fun game with a small amount of violence but no inoproporiot grafics and as for drinking in the game, there is no direct drinking, the worst is some people holding mugs. i give this game a thumbs up.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 4.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • Easy to play

    Awesome swashbuckling game for kids.

    This is a fun swashbuckling game where you can do anything. You can fight humans, bees, or giant aligators. No language, and you use a pistol and a sword to kill your enemies but its not bloody. Disney, youve done it again!

  3. I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it 2.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Negative message
    • My highlights are:
    • Easy to play

    Pirates Arrrr Suckers

    This was a very bad game for me. I never got passed the intro because it kept lagging, and the graphics are terrible. Disney really screwed up this time.

  4. I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models
    • My highlights are:
    • Safety isn't an issue

    cool

    it is so cool

  5. I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it 2.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models
    • My highlights are:
    • Easy to play

    Not worth $10.00 a month.

    My cousins recommended me this game and I decided to try it out.I got addicted to it for a while but once I got to level 10, I couldn't do anything. Plus in order to continue I had to pay $10.00 bucks a month! Everyone in the game are pirates doing exactly what pirates do so they're not very good role models. They all drink rum,beer and gamble in games like poker and blackjack. It is very violent as well as your character has too be very high leveled in order to go to most areas so theres not much to do for players level 15 and under. I do not recommend this game to anyone.

  6. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title iffy for age 7 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • Easy to play

    good for any body who likes pirates of the carribean

    its an amazing game where you live the life of a pirate and help Jack Sparrow recover the black pearl.

  7. Parent Reviewer
    Kids ages: 17
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • Easy to play

    Perfect for kids 9+

    In this online adventure you play as a pirate.Drinks Drugs and smoking are no problem. There is rum but theyre pirates for peat sakes.Language is not possible in the game. The worst ive ever said in the is crap game but i am open chat so this is only seen to some pirates.Ads are nevver seen in game play when unlimeted acess and on full screen. Safety is probaley the best ever when it comes to disney. The voilence is very little unlees you think killing a navy eitc or undead person with a sword gun voodoo doll dagger bombs or voodoo staff. There is no blood and ive checked, fyi ive played the game almost 3 years and have killed everything twice so there is no blood. The content in this game is sutibale for all ages.

  8. I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive consumerism
    • My highlights are:
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • Easy to play

    See, this game's been around a while and I used to play it and believe me: Usually I don't end up paying for MMORPGs. This is one of the few that drew me in well enough that I was willing to pay. If that statement means anything to you the other games I succumbed to were Wizard 101 (Which I don't recommend), Club Penguin, and I think that's it but this is a great game the naval battles drove me crazy on my lagging computer but now my brother's gonna play it today he's 10 my Dad is fine with it.

  9. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    I rate this title on for age 7 and give it 3.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive consumerism
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • Easy to play

    good for most kids old enough to use a computer

    it is a nice game my little 8 year old sister Loves it, she also plays spore

  10. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on for age 6 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • Easy to play

    SWEETEST ONLINE GAME EVER

    Great game. I didn't play it at first but then my friend started and we join up a lot on it. We help each other on missions, and the violence is cartoonish, yes you can gamble but I don't, Overall great! =P

  11. Parent Reviewer
    Kids ages: 12
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models
    • Easy to play

    Good for older kids but not for tweens

    Have been playing Pirates for almost two years and it seems since they installed the language filters people have gotten more creative with bad language and suggestive language. Keep a sharp eye out if your kids play.

  12. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Good role models
    • Safety isn't an issue

    It's a-okay for almost everyone! :)

    Pirates Online is a rather fun, yet easy game. I find it to be very entertaining and I'm sure children(and adults aswell) of all age groups will enjoy playing it. There is very little to be concerned about in terms of "innapropiate content" in my opinion. There are several things which(might) be innapropiate for some younger kids, such as bars, mentioning of drugs, minor violence, ETC. but nothing that most kids don't already know about(and that parents don't nessecarily "approve" of, but don't mind it.) Great game all-in-all, I suggest you try it :)

  13. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0

    i cried

  14. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title off for age 13 and give it 1.0

    0_o This game is for kids? Really?

    This game isn't THAT recommended for kids. Once the free trial(s) ended, it was boring. Pros: The free trial is longer than Toontown Online, it's got some good ships that you have to look up in order to get to know, and that's about it. Cons: You have to be a member to have Fullscreen, as far as I'm concerned, there IS blood in it, it's not very fun, and it's not quite for ages 10+. Overall, I rate it 1/5.

  15. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0

  16. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 5.0

    i just want to say......

    ok i know i wrote a reveiw already but i just wanna say... there is know blood.. and yes you have to kill stuff but stuff like jolly rogers army like.. undead pirate and undead bandit. the only time players fight each other is in pvp ( pirate vs. pirate ) and you only go in pvp if you choose to do so. and your not really a bad guy. your a pirate who's trying to perserve the pirates way of life while the navy and eitc ( east india trading co.) try to eny it and bring the new world to the caribbean. witch by the way the have replaced port royal and tortuga. but your main goal in the game is to get the crew of the black pearl back together so you can get it back from the navy. and you dont sink other players ships only navy and eitc ship's. the only time you sink another players ships are in ship pvp or pirateering. and players can report people if they are being rude or something and disney does do something cuz i know some people who have had their account closed by disney. not me but people. so the game is very safe as long as you watch out for the people you are around. other then that the game is very very fun im on all the time and its safe. they also have their GM's ( game masters ) who are people that work for disney come on for partys holidays tavern take overs. all kinds of stuff. like i said im on all the time its very fun. so try it.

  17. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 5.0

    cool

    this game is fine but you have to kill a lot. on one level you are in a ship and you have to blow up other ships but when you are on land and you have to kill other captains of the good team i cant remember but i think there is blood. and what parents need to know is that you are a bad guy in the game so you have to do bad stuff.

  18. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on and give it 5.0

    this is a fun game you shoud try it

    i love this game i play it all the time.you should try it it is really fun. better then toontown! i love this game.

  19. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on and give it 3.0

  20. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on and give it 4.0

    great game

    i like this game it should be rated 5-up!!!!!

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