Based on the second and third movies of the popular "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, players step into the roles of Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, as they continue their adventures on the high seas. The game is set up as a 3D action-adventure in a free-roaming world that allows players to explores the islands and seas of the Caribbean.

Players will have to face off again Davy Jones, his Flying Dutchman crew and the villainous kraken in addition to the Chinese pirate Sao Feng, cannibals, other pirates, and the East India Trading Company.

Players must battle their way through the events of "Dead Man's Chest" and "At World's End" using a variety of sword and item attacks, in addition to a system called "Black Pearls", which only allows players to block for so long until the Black Pearls are drained and no longer able to block until it recharges. Each character has their own special attack, and other weapons, such as pistols and daggers, can be found for use in combat.

The console and PC versions uses regular controls, whereas the Wii version makes use of the Wiimote for motion based attacks. The game makes use of quick time events called "Jackanisms", which allow players to handle themselves through certain events in a manner that Captain Jack Sparrow would.