Eragon
Something has been missing from the last few holiday seasons. There hasn't been an orc or elf sighted on the big screen since 2003's Return of the King! Fantasy fans shouldn't despair. This Christmas, Eragon will bring dragons, sword-fighting and magic not just to the big screen but will also bring all that action home on the Xbox 360.
Lord of the Rings Dance Dragons!
For the uninitiated, Eragon is the tail of a young farm boy who happens upon one of the last dragon eggs in existence and then finds that he is destined to be the first new dragon rider in more than 100 years.
However, the current King of Alagaesia—once a dragon rider himself but who later betrayed and murdered the other jedi dragon riders—demands Eragon's loyalty or his death and has sent his servant Durza, a powerful shade, to hunt down Eragon and his dragon Saphira.
Eragon's story is an amalgamation of many themes that run through some of our most revered pop culture treasures: good versus evil, the resurgence of an ancient order of protectors. While not a completely original story—you'll be hearing plenty of echoes from Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings in the familiar plotlines—author Christopher Paolini did create a convincing world for Eragon that remains mostly intact through the movie and video game adaptations, but expect the game to follow the events in the movie more closely than those in the book.
Similarities with the second holy trilogy—Lord of the Rings—don't end with the plot. The overall design of Eragon feels a lot like developer Stromfront Studios' previous book to movie to game translation; Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, considering the success of The Two Towers. The result is a very serviceable game with proven if not inventive hack and slash gameplay.
While Eragon may not be the most original title it does have a lot to offer fans of the book and soon to be released movie. Available on multiple platforms, Eragon may not take full advantage of the Xbox 360's raw horsepower, but it does deliver a nice crisp image in high definition and a fully orchestrated score to go along with the action. Eragon isn't going to wow you out of your seat on its technical merits but you won't be walking out of your home theater either.
You Can't Have Hacking Without the Slashing
As a hack and slash game, Eragon's controls toe the line between button mashing and precise combos.
Taking the time to learn the multiple combos melee combos makes combat much more enjoyable: power hits, grappling, and even cooperative attacks are all possible within Eragon's combat system and that's not even taking into account Eragon's ranged combat and magical abilities.
Eragon's bow can be used for multiple quick shots, which do fairly little damage, or Eragon can take his time and pull back the bow for a precision aimed headshot that will be the end of many of his foes.
Eragon's magical abilities range from adding magic to arrows for even greater damage, pushing or pulling enemies off balance—hopefully over the edge of a cliff—and in some situations Eragon can even control objects in the environment to do his bidding.
It's fairly standard fare, but it is fun and that's what counts.
Got a Co-Pilot?
Breaking up the monotony that eventually sets in after hacking and slashing your way through the game are several levels that set Eragon atop his dragon Saphira.
These flying levels should be the game's bread and butter but the frustrating controls for those playing solo will make dragon flying more tedious than rewarding.
However, throw in a friend for some co-op action and that all changes.
One person will control Saphira's flight while the other rains down fire and magic arrows on poor hapless Urgals.
Make sure you have that extra controller handy because the cooperative action extends throughout the entire game letting your friend control Eragon's pals Brom or Murtagh as the situation arises.
Whether you're on the ground or in the air, having a buddy at your side adds quite a bit to the game and is sure to be a hit in dorm rooms and living rooms.
Next Stop: Alagaesia
Even though Eragon may not reinvent any genres or make your head explode with the latest and greatest graphics, it is a solid game that ties in well with the soon-to-be-released movie. However, fans of the book will have to come to terms with the fact that the game will follow events from the movie.
The 360 version of the game does contain an exclusive level inspired by the book and is the only version where you'll be able to fight against the Kull.
Eragon will undoubtedly end up under a lot of trees this Christmas, and it'll be a nice way to hack and slash your way through the holiday vacation (or at least a few days of it).
- teal
