DAVY x JONES Is the Pirates of the Caribbean Game I’ve Always Wanted

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl is perhaps my most watched film of all-time, so you can understand why I’ve always wanted to step inside its swashbuckling world. Certainly, there have been a number of Pirates of the Caribbean video games over the years, none of which I feel have ever tapped into the intensity of this franchise’s world; they’ve all, largely, been family-friendly fodder. I’ve always yearned for something a tad more gritty and mature - perhaps something akin to Assassin’s Creed Black Flag but with Pirates of the Caribbean’s most fantastical side. Well, my dream game may have arrived in the form of DAVY x JONES.

I should make it clear that DAVY x JONES isn’t in any way affiliated with Disney nor Pirates of the Caribbean but is instead inspired by the same legendary figures. Developed by PARASIGHT, DAVY x JONES is a first-person action-adventure title that sees you take on the role of the titular pirate as you set about climbing the ranks of the pirate world after returning from The Locker. At this year’s Gamescom, I had the opportunity to go hands-on with the game ahead of its early access release which has now come to pass. It’s for this reason that I’m not framing this as a preview given that reviews do now exist. The truth is, though, that I was so enamoured and impressed by what I sampled that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to convey that to you.

During my preview, I played through the opening of the title which perfectly sets up this iteration of Davy Jones. While DAVY x JONES is billed to be an action-adventure game, it plays more like a first-person shooter, at least in its opening. If I recall, it was Blackbeard laying siege to Jones’ ship, prompting me to fend off both him and his crew. The opening was so perfectly paced and crafted, acting as an ample tutorial whilst throwing you into the heat of the action. I effortlessly switched between slicing my enemies and firing my gun, the combat feeling intuitive and built with a wonderful sense of flow.

DAVY x JONES, Credit / PARASIGHT

As the segment progressed, I acquired the ability to carry out more powerful attacks - eliminating enemies from range, for example, or doing a ground pound that devastated all of those in my wake. The combat built up steadily, allowing me to come to understand every trick at my disposal which made walking onto a deck full of enemies all the more joyful. Before long, I came face to face with Blackbeard himself who, sadly, sent me straight to The Locker. To my relief, this was scripted and not a lack of skill on my behalf.

You see, this is how DAVY x JONES sets up its titular character. In this version of the legend, the ocean brings back Jones as two entities. There’s his silent animated body, which you’ll play as, who goes by the name of Jones and his very un-silent head which’ll travel alongside you, goading you and providing some welcomed comic relief, unsurprisingly named Davy. It all just oozes personality.

After escaping the depths of the ocean and reclaiming my weapons, the game saw me play through the same battle as before, this time imbued by the fact that I was now a god-like legend, raised by an unknown mystical force. With the game’s controls now firmly under my grasp, I tore through undead foes dragged down to the ocean’s depths as Davy egged me on.

DAVY x JONES, Credit / PARASIGHT

By the time I reached Blackbeard again, my now eternal enemy, the demo drew to a close - and I don’t think during my entire time at Gamescom I was more sad to see ‘Thanks for playing’ on my screen. I just didn’t want the experience to end. There’s something so incredibly moreish about the gameplay loop that PARASIGHT has cooked up here, with the tone perfectly striking that balance of gritty yet packed with humour.

Within the full release, you’ll travel through the ocean’s underworld, reclaiming stolen artifacts as you land on various floating islands, seeing off foes and legendary beasts - including the kraken. I haven’t stopped thinking about DAVY x JONES at all since I played it and as a console girl, those fond memories are going to have to tide me over a tad longer as we await PlayStation and Xbox release details. If you are a PC user who's always itched to delve into the darker side of the pirate world though, you can’t go far wrong with this swashbuckling new release.

DAVY x JONES is available now in early access on PC, with a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S due in the future.