With the premature end of current-gen consoles (a wee bit before their time I'd say), it's easy for the more jaded gamers out there to look at a game like Eragon and pick it apart for what it isn't. On its own merits and as a fantasy-themed game, it does what it does quite well, in bringing players solid single and co-op action, great film-quality audio and imaginative storytelling sequences that don't use a single bit of film footage. You also get a bunch of unlockable extras in the form of 'making of' segments that show the dedication of team at Stormfront Studios. If you're someone who enjoys fast-paced fantasy-based action, are a fan of Christopher Paolini's book series or want a fun tie-in to the upcoming Twentieth Century Fox movie, you'll enjoy what's here. Yes, both the movie and game take liberties with the book's version of events, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that's the way it goes in any translation when you're condensing an entire novel into about eight or so interactive (or two cinematic) hours.

While most movie games are made with people who don't play (or aren't very good at) videogames in mind, you're in for a world of pain if you're playing on Normal or Hard and try to rush through some of the tougher areas. Easy mode is just that, although there are a few spots where you'll still be soaking your thumbs in warm glasses of water afterward. The game starts out with a simple tutorial that shows you the basics of movement and combat, while showing off a lush forest setting. After the enemy-free opening stage and some wonderfully stylized cut scenes, you're dropped into battle shortly after a character named Brom is introduced. He's an old hermit who is surprisingly adept with a sword or bow and he takes a special interest in training Eragon in the ways of a Dragon Rider. The blue dragon Saphira plays a small part in the game initially, but around the middle you get to ride her in some fun on-rails flying levels that can be tackled by one or two players. In single player your ally AI is very good overall, but if you play through the game a few times by yourself and with a friend you can compare kills at the end of missions.

Like Stormfront's last two games (Demon Stone and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers), the non-stop action here focuses on dispatching hordes of enemies with straightforward button combos. Simple moves (A,B,A or B,A,A, for example) are fine against most normal-sized enemies, but when the tougher and burlier baddies show up, you need to mix things up a bit by blocking with X and adding some jumping attacks by hitting Y, then A or B. If you time your moves right, the camera zooms in on the action as you deliver one of a few different killing strikes, a cool touch that makes the action all the more dynamic. You can also take out enemies with your bow, and later on you can use magic-laced arrows to blast packs of enemies. Speaking of magic, eventually you get to use telekinesis and fire magic, both which rely on a recharging mana bar underneath your health bar. As you and your partner take out enemies you collect green orbs and two colored bars fill the bottom of the screen. When the bars meet up and start shining, you can press in both analog sticks to unleash a timed power attack that's great for cutting down the harder enemies and a boss or two.

There are also cleverly placed magic-activated elements in most levels that you need to activate in order to progress. You might need to drop some weights onto a decrepit floating pier to get rid of some hard enemies lying in wait, or need to use magic to form a walkway from shattered wood. There are other objects such as barrels filled with spears that you can shoot at guards, or you can bypass these in favor of more combat, but you'll find things much less punishing if you use every opportunity the game gives you to get rid of the opposition quickly. There are some nice partially destructible environments too; it's good fun when you send someone tumbling to their doom where there was a sturdy railing a few seconds before. While you're trying to survive the levels, be prepared to locate the Secret Egg hidden in each stage - some are easy to get to, but a few can be royal pains in the neck to find. Fortunately you can replay stages after you've cleared them.

Either the game camera is locked down at predetermined angles or following you cinematically, so you're at the whim of the occasional viewpoint switch when entering some doorways. It's not too bad except for in a couple of spots where you're trying to make your way across narrow beams and any misstep has you backtracking to try all over again. I really wish some sort of no-fall 'walk' button had been included (like in the Tomb Raider games), particularly after retrying one late sequence about a dozen times until I made it across. As for targeting enemies off screen, each player has a reticule that lets you shoot arrows at unseen enemies, which goes a long way in some of the harder sections. If you draw your bow and hold the A button until the controller rumbles, you can unleash a headshot that takes out weaker enemies or faraway archers that annoy you with their flaming arrows. Larger enemies might get stunned or knocked over a bridge this way, but it would have been nice to fire off a volley of shots to take down groups while your magic is recharging. In most sections of the game, prepare to make good use of any running room when faced with multiple foes. There are checkpoints placed through the missions, so if you or your partner dies during a stage, you'll want it to happen after you reach one rather than before.

In terms of mission variety, you get the standard 'kill all the enemies' levels, but the game shakes things up with swarms of fierce troops and what could be considered mid-boss battles to keep things interesting. A slower-paced 'stealth' mission set in an occupied village changes the pace for a short time and there's more fun a bit later as Brom dons the uniform of an enemy officer and distracts groups of enemies while you sneak past in the shadows. Although each level has something interesting happening, two of the best missions are a lengthy jaunt up an enemy-packed tower and a deadly crossing in near zero visibility fog. In the latter, you need to creep carefully out of the thick soup, as linebacker-sized enemies rush you from different angles. You can use fire magic to blast them (recommended) or try to anticipate where they're coming from and roll out of harm's way. The funny thing is, just when you make it past this section you find out that it's only the beginning of the stage. You're finally away from the foggy shoreline, but there's a hell of a fight waiting for you before you reach the end. Speaking of hellish fights, one later mission has you eliminating a few hundred enemies with Saphira's assistance, as you chop your way through a city under siege. It's pretty awesome stuff to see your dragon setting troops ablaze as they're charging through high grass towards you, leaving you to take care of business elsewhere.

The flying stages are quite dynamic and thrilling, although you're not allowed to fly freely through these levels. Two of the three areas have you basically flying in a huge circular pattern through and around some beautiful scenery, as Saphira roasts or tail whips enemies. You can shoot magic arrows while riding her and, if you're playing with a friend, one of you can control the dragon's moves while the other shoots magic arrows. These sequences are a bit easier with a friend, particularly one where you need to protect five towers from being burned to the ground by enemy forces; you need to pay attention to timing Saphira's fire breath and try not to get overwhelmed at the pacing or length of the stage, as just when you think it's over, you need to do one more pass. I'd have to admit that the final flight sequence is a wee bit too short and easy (at least on Easy and Normal), but then again, it's great to see a final boss that doesn't have three forms that take half an hour each to kill.

Graphically, Stormfront has gone with a unique look for the game that resembles fantasy artwork in motion, using a more painterly realism in the environments and character models. If you're going to foolishly stack what's here up against other games rather than appreciate the art style then you're missing the point; the game world works perfectly when you immerse yourself in its overall scale and let your fingers and brain take over for a spell. If you've got a good HD setup then you'll almost feel as if you're in some of the more massive levels. Yes, the character models could be a bit less angular, but the main characters look enough like their real life counterparts (Edward Speleers and Jeremy Irons) to forgive this. The choice of colors and lighting is solid throughout the different stages, particularly in how light and dark areas are used to create mood throughout the game. The art direction in general is excellent, particularly in the Blendo-animated narrative cut scenes that tell the story. These scenes mix two and three-dimensional elements with different film stock effects for some striking imagery that simply has to be seen in motion.

The audio, particularly the sound design by Andrew Boyd and music by Robb Mills, is outstanding, with plenty of convincing movie-quality effects leaping from your speakers. The stirring score does a great job of driving the action and cinematic sequences and I'd say is quite soundtrack-worthy. For the most part, the voice talent is solid, with Speleers and Sienna Guillory reprising their roles from the film as Eragon and Arya respectively. Jeremy Irons isn't here vocally, but the guy doing his voice does a good job overall. I was slightly disappointed that John Malkovich's character, Galbatorix, only shows up briefly in a cut scene. It would have been pretty darn cool to hear him (or a soundalike) voice a few lines or even show up in the digital flesh. Still, the game's main villain, Durza, gets the dark and evil treatment from actor Robert Carlyle, who does a great job with the character. With so many guards to slay, there is a bit of repetition in some of the commentary, but you'll usually be too busy dispatching them to worry about that too much. Playing through the game definitely made me a lot more interested in the film, so it looks like I'll be warming a seat for two hours in December.

As far as problematic stuff goes, for starters the ladies get the short shrift here. Despite her being an expert swordswoman (according to the narrative), Arya only shows up in a few cut scenes basically in trouble or being saved from it. Saphira is only used in three stages during the game (four in the Xbox 360 version), which feels a bit light considering all the work the developer put into these sections. There are portions of levels where you can summon her to swoop down and take out selected foes, but it would have been nicer to have a few more flying levels. Gameplay wise there's one Secret Egg that's a real pain to get to thanks to the locked down camera, but collecting them all makes for a nice payoff. In addition, while there are combat and health orbs hidden in chests and dropped by some enemies, you can't stack health for later usage. Therefore you'll find yourself at full health, opening chests and smashing barrels right before an area or checkpoint where you can't backtrack to get to them. Finally, I've a technical gripe on the video quality of some of the otherwise informative bonus materials. While the art galleries look great, the gameplay footage in the interview segments looks like it was blown up from a cell phone camera. I haven't seen footage that pixel-heavy since the days of Sega CD or 3DO full-motion video.

Eragon is an excellent treat for fans of the books and soon to be fans of the film. The game covers a lot of territory while doing a great job of bringing a decent amount of challenge and thrills to the masses. While it's not clear if we'll see more interactive works based on the series, the talented folks over at Stormfront have done the source material proud with yet another fine fantasy-based action game.

Reviewed by Greg Wilcox for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).