Chronicles of Narnia Game Reviewed for XBox/Playstation 2/Gamecube
12/29/05
Here's an excerpt from a good review of video game for The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Seems fair, and generally even-handed. In fact, the magazine that published it is a favorite of mine on the 'net (InfuzeMag.com)
Susan draws her bow in the XBox version of the gameThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe - The Game follows the storyline of the movie, playing as the four Pevensie children, but interjects extra scenes that give the kids obstacles to overcome. The actors are recreated in pixelated glory, along with many of the Narnian locations that they visit in the film. Though there's not a great deal of variation in the appearance of these outdoor scenes, the game provides enough fun to keep you coming back.
Each of the four kids has his or her own unique abilities. Peter is the great swordsman and fighter, with Edmund nearly his equal. Susan can use her bow and arrow, as well as Mr. Tumnus' panpipes, which allow her to put various beasts to sleep at key moments. And Lucy can heal all of the children, as well as "tame" various creatures -- allowing her to ride on them and control their movements, including their attacks. At various times, you'll have to team up two of the children to overcome gigantic obstacles, and in a nice touch, the game allows you to choose which of the four children you want to play at any time -- and you can switch between them freely.
The levels range from challenging to almost impossible, with very little balance between the two. In one gaming session while trying to finish the game, I went from one level where I only had to play it once to defeat it, to another that had to be played at least ten times before I could get the hang of it.
The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe bears hallmarks of Travelers Tales' last game, Lego Star Wars: loads of unlockable content via replay. Collecting coins and other special objects unlocks additional levels and "making of" featurettes. On the downside, also like Lego Star Wars, there are many cut-scenes that cannot be skipped, no matter how many times you play through them. It's a small qualm, but endlessly irksome.
You can also purchase the game for the XBox, Playstation 2, and Nintendo Gamecube from Amazon.com
