Last night Disney unveiled the line of toys and product partnerships surrounding the upcoming May release of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" as part of their 2011 Toy Fair preview. One of the items revealed was TT Games' "LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean," the trailer for which you can check out exclusively on MTV. Disney had a few demo stations set up with the game, so I sidled over to see how the developer's next LEGOfied franchise is shaping up.

Let's get the basics out of the way first: TT Games is not looking to reinvent the blocky, plastic wheel with "LEGO Pirates." This is a LEGO game, with all of the stud-collecting, red block-hunting, character-unlocking, mute charm you've come to expect from the multi-franchise series. It's looking very nice on Xbox 360, the only platform the game was demoed on, but you've seen these mechanics before for the most part.

The game will span all four "Pirates" movies, five chapters apiece along with the usual assortment of bonus missions. While sailing ships will of course factor into the game, TT Games' Head of Production Jonathan Smith confirmed that there won't be any vehicle-based chapters. There will be things for you to ride on however, like donkeys. Presumably horses too, but I only saw a donkey.

Since "Pirates" is set in a swashbuckling world with supernatural elements but no traditional "magic" to speak of, character abilities tend toward the mundane. Jack Sparrow has his compass of course -- using it in certain areas reveals a path on the ground which, if followed, leads to a diggable "X"-marked spot -- but sword-swinging, axe-throwing and the like are your more common puzzle-solving tools.

Certain areas feature LEGOfied walls, easy to spot against the non-LEGO backdrop, which can be climbed. Characters will also be able to explore underwater with the help of a barrel, something which ought to make sense for anyone familiar with the series. In addition, there's been a notable change to the game's hint system: items of interest in the environment are now marked by a floating LEGO skull and crossbones.

I got confirmation that online coop play will not be supported, as has been the standard for these LEGO games. The character creator will also return, and will likely be accessible in the game's hub areas. As you might expect, hubs in "LEGO Pirates" will be port towns.

No specific release date was revealed, but Smith told me that the game will be out in May. With "On Stranger Tides" arriving in theaters on May 20, it's safe to expect the release to fall right around there. It was a brief demo, but "LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean" is looking like yet another crowd-pleasing, family-friendly adventure from the good folks at TT Games.