Another week. Another box office blockbuster. Another videogame translation. If you read my review of Aliens vs Predator: Requiem you'll know that even the right development team and a legacy of great games couldn't stop this movie cash-in from being a stinker. It's a stigma that tends to stick with movie based videogames, but surely this Shiny-developed translation of the controversial novel-come-movie wouldn't be destined to follow the same fate now would it?

A game based on a movie based on a book can only spell trouble, just at the mere mention, but there's still hope. The story of young Lyra Belacqua, bestowed with the quest to protect the Golden Compass as she tries to fend off the evil Magisterium as they threaten to take over the world, the game generally follows the flow of the movie which follows the general flow of the book.

Now I could beat around the bush, ultimately reaching the conclusion that yes, The Golden Compass is a poor title and not worth your money, but I may as well state it straight out. This is another pathetic movie adaptation and a bad one even by those standards.

The closest similarities I can draw to describe the gameplay is that it plays like a cross between God of War, Canis Canem Edit and any run of the mill child's platformer, yet that would mislead you to believing it makes for a good mix. Yes, there's a multitude of timed event sequences, beat 'em up action and mini games galore, but the majority of the gameplay is slow paced, simplistic and ultimately boring. The majority of the game sees you traversing around basic platforming mechanics, with the occasional use of Lyra's form-changing "dæmon" as you deceive adultsto further your progress (by completing basic minigames), all the while dodging trouble as it finds you through timed events. It could work well, but it's just such a dull and monotonous adventure. Shocking fixed camera angles don't help the problem.

The game follows the structure of the movie, broken up with clips from the summer blockbuster, so there's the obvious benefit to keep fans of the film going. Even as such, clips feel roughly cut together with major parts missing all together. In the key scene where Lyra warns her Uncle at Jordan College the actual message was removed all together so I had no idea what happened until I asked my partner, the diehard fan that she is.

Through the simplicity of the game it's fair enough to brush it off as a mere kid's title, there are far better games out there worth your child's time. If it offers any indication, it's probably best to provide an opinion from the target audience. My partner who is a huge fan of the book and who mainly plays platformers when she has the chance, such as Crash Bandicoot and Psychonauts, couldn't stand to play the game for more than 5 minutes before turning it off. Even the promise of a sneak peak at the film translation couldn't keep her playing.

Not to add salt to the wound, but The Golden Compass is hardly the title you'd use to show the might of your PS3. A cross-platform release on everything from PSP to Xbox 360, it almost feels like each version is one and the same. This, being what should be the most graphically impressive version, sports visuals like that of a last generation title and not a pretty one at that. Motion controls are few and far between, offering more annoyance than they do intuitive gameplay - thankfully they can be turned off.



This review has come across as more of a rant than a review, but this game really isn't worth your time (or your child's) with such great platformers on the market as Super Mario Galaxy and Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. If you are an absolute die-hard fan of the licence then play it at your own risk, but more than likely it will tarnish your precious memories. Religious activists needn't worry; it's the gamers who should be running scared.

If it is any sign, the game has already started to hit the sale shelves, with huge reductions.