The Golden Compass for The PS3 Game Review      

December 13th, 2007

This game is based on a film that in turn was based on a fantasy novel. This is why to fully enjoy this game, you need to be familiar with The Golden Compass, the film or the novel by Philip Pullman.

You get to play Lyra Balacqua. She makes an effort to save Roger, her friend from evil kidnappers. Lyra’s companions include Pan her Daemon – the physical embodiment of her soul as well as a huge polar bear called Iorek.

The Golden Compass is something owned by Lyra, it can answer all her questions. The gameplay is a little mixed up and can leave you with a lot of questions.

You get to explore a lot in this game, but much of it is downright boring. There are some good ideas in platforming, but parts of it are boring as well. I did not like how the controls are so difficult to use, it is difficult to maneuver Lyra.

There are many timed button sequences in this game. Iorek has three enemies – witches, wolves and Tartans. He uses standard melee attacks and pounds the ground as well. Most of the foes are beaten using a single button.

There are other gameplay elements. Lyra attempts to fool her enemies by performing some minigames.

All in all the fantasy of the film has not been properly captured by this game. There are many elements in the gameplay and they are not well coordinated. Spend your money on a better game.

Entry Filed under: Game Reviews