The Golden Compass

Despite the mere average visuals and sound presentation (music not withstanding), The Golden Compass was a fun adventure and a fantastic gameplay experience that took me the better part of two days to complete. Having not read the books nor seen the movie, I cannot say how well the game stacks up with or complements those other works, but on its own merits, any gamer of any age would really have to try hard to not have a great time playing The Golden Compass.

I have to stress again that the game isn't perfect. However, it does a surprisingly adequate job recapturing some of the magic of the source material. Despite some glaring flaws, the game is worth a look if you loved the novels and the movie.

Jeśli mam być szczera, to nie przemawiają do mnie ani bajki, ani książki typu Opowieści z Narni lub Władca Pierścieni, ale w gry na podstawie innych dzieł mogę pograć – zwłaszcza, jeśli mają one ładną grafikę, dobry dźwięk i wciągającą fabułę. W przypadku Złotego Kompasu zabawa jest naprawdę przednia. Gdy wykażemy się cierpliwością i przymkniemy oko na drażniące sterowanie i inne, mniej znaczące błędy, zauważymy, że czas spędzony z grą mija całkiem przyjemnie. Zwłaszcza, gdy gra się tym bombowym niedźwiedziem.

For adults, this title falls far short of the bar for a good game. The thing is, however, it is not a game for adults. This title is for children who would or have enjoyed Pullman's novels, and likewise the movie adapted from the first book of the trilogy. Based upon this reasonable criteria, The Golden Compass is a good game and deserves a score commensurate with that determination — the largest demerit here is that the game has only niche appeal, even for some kids without a taste for "His Dark Materials." I've warned away adults and older teens intending to play by themselves, and that should suffice as due diligence. I will further say, with the movie available this week on home video, and the novels available in paperbound editions, you can for the cost of the now-reduced price of the game, buy the movie and the first book in the series.

The Golden Compass promises to bring the beloved story to life through adventure and harrowing action sequences. As Lyra, players will evade dangers and traverse a magical landscape while uncovering the secret behind the disappearance of her friend and uncle. And as Iorek, the fearsome armored bear, players will smash through obstacles and enemies in order to protect Lyra along her way. Their travels will take them through a collection of unique locations, such as the port town Trollesund and a dark and foreboding research station in Bolvangar as well as areas not seen in the film. Together Lyra, Pan and Iorek embark on an epic journey of action, exploration, collaboration and discovery.

Voor liefhebbers van de film, in de leeftijd van grofweg twaalf tot veertien, is het best leuk om de locaties van The Golden Compass te bezoeken en de avonturen van Lyra na te spelen. Door de ontbrekende camera-controls, de slechte beschrijving van de mini-games en de ontbrekende stukken verhaal is het echter geen aanrader voor niet-fans. Het is namelijk nogal frustrerend om keer op keer opnieuw te moeten beginnen omdat je geen idee hebt waar je heen moet en niet kan zien waar je heen kan.

Jak więc można podsumować grę SEGI? Jest to solidna zręcznościówka, z wrodzoną w gatunek wadą w postaci pracy kamery. Grafika nie zachwyca, ale też nie przeraża. Nie sposób jednak oprzeć się wrażeniu, że gdzieś przy produkcji się pośpieszono. Nie zapięto na ostatni guzik fabuły, gdzieś zapodziały się ważne fragmenty. Mimo wszystkich tych zarzutów grę mogę szczerze polecić, o ile grający znajduje się wiekowo gdzieś w okolicach kategorii PEGI, a ta w przypadku Złotego Kompasu wynosi dwanaście lat.

Quelques petits défauts et une réalisation moyenne viennent un peu ternir l'ensemble d'un jeu qui fourmille de bonnes idées. Ces aventures en compagnie de Lyra, Pan ou Iorek n'en restent pas moins fraîches et sincèrement distrayantes pour autant que l'on soit amateur de fantasy ou de programmes jeunesse.

De nombreux petits défauts, notamment au niveau de la réalisation, viennent un peu ternir l'ensemble d'un jeu qui fourmille de bonnes idées. Ces aventures en compagnie de Lyra, Pan ou Iorek n'en restent pas moins fraîches et sincèrement distrayantes pour autant que l'on soit amateur de fantasy ou de programmes jeunesse.

Quelques petits défauts et une réalisation moyenne viennent un peu ternir l'ensemble d'un jeu qui fourmille de bonnes idées. Ces aventures en compagnie de Lyra, Pan ou Iorek n'en restent pas moins fraîches et sincèrement distrayantes pour autant que l'on soit amateur de fantasy ou de programmes jeunesse.

Quelques petits défauts et une réalisation moyenne viennent un peu ternir l'ensemble d'un jeu qui fourmille de bonnes idées. Ces aventures en compagnie de Lyra, Pan ou Iorek n'en restent pas moins fraîches et sincèrement distrayantes pour autant que l'on soit amateur de fantasy ou de programmes jeunesse.

De nombreux petits défauts, notamment au niveau de la réalisation, viennent un peu ternir l'ensemble d'un jeu qui fourmille de bonnes idées. Ces aventures en compagnie de Lyra, Pan ou Iorek n'en restent pas moins fraîches et sincèrement distrayantes pour autant que l'on soit amateur de fantasy ou de programmes jeunesse.

Złoty Kompas to gra oparta na filmie o tym samym tytule. Niestety wirtualny odpowiednik edycji ze srebrnego ekranu robi wrażenie wypchniętego na siłę, tylko po to by zdążyć na światową premierę kinowego obrazu. Choć studio Shiny wydało w swojej karierze kilka ciekawych tytułów, najnowszy bez wątpienia nie należy do tej grupy. Praktycznie wszystkie jego elementy są niedopracowane i irytujące. Najbardziej szkoda jednak zmarnowanego potencjału.

En resumen, La brújula dorada no es un mal juego, pero se ha quedado a medias en muchos aspectos, sobre todo el apartado gráfico y la jugabilidad. En el plano visual no parece un juego de PS3, pero lo más grave es que es excesivamente lineal, fácil y repetitivo, lo que no lo hace apto para jugadores experimentados. Los niños pequeños son los únicos que le sacarán partido. Lo que está cada vez más claro es que la maldición de los juegos basados en películas es infalible.

Fun mostly for devotees of the book or move, the game suffers from touchy controls; an inability to maneuver the camera; and twitch mini-games that encumber more than they enhance. There's no reason to play The Golden Compass unless the movie or book absolutely monopolizes your imagination.

Developed by Shiny Entertainment, this Sega published movie tie-in attempts to envelop you in the world of the highly successful books. But can the game escape the usual brush movie tie-ins are tarred with?

Predictably, the game offers little to hook experienced gamers, who’ll doubtless feel frustrated by being pushed down a narrow, predefined path, and how the retro-styled mini-games repeat themselves ad nauseum. But if you want to keep the young ’uns quiet while you sleep off the sherry, it’s a reliable babysitter.

Despite its uninspired gameplay, the simple tasks and challenges may appeal to a younger audience, especially those that've seen the film. But if you're part of the "+" demographic in The Golden Compass' "E10+" rating, then you'll likely be bored soon after Iorek's opening wolf-whuppin' battle sequence. To the game's credit, it does represent the movie pretty well through it's visual presentation, cinematic score, and likenesses and voice work provided by many of the film's stars. The movie clips are also a nice touch. The film's and book's youngest fans may be entertained by this one for several hours, but everyone else probably won't.

Despite its uninspired gameplay, the simple tasks and challenges may appeal to a younger audience, especially those that've seen the film. But if you're part of the "+" demographic in The Golden Compass' "E10+" rating, then you'll likely be bored soon after Iorek's opening wolf-whuppin' battle sequence. To the game's credit, it does represent the movie pretty well through it's visual presentation, cinematic score, and likenesses and voice work provided by many of the film's stars. The movie clips are also a nice touch. The film's and book's youngest fans may be entertained by this one for several hours, but most Xbox 360 owners will only see The Golden Compass as a chance to score and easy 700 or so Achievement Points--a "Golden" opportunity for greedy game-point-hungering gamers.

Gdyby nie nadmierny pośpiech związany z koniecznością wydania gry w czasie zbiegającym się z premierą filmowego Złotego kompasu, mielibyśmy do czynienia z produktem znaczenie lepszym i znacznie bardziej dopracowanym. To, co pozostało, to bardzo intensywna gra zręcznościowo-przygodowa z dużym potencjałem, który jednak nie został w pełni wykorzystany, dość irytującym sterowaniem i chwilami beznadziejną grafiką. Mimo to cyfrowy Złoty Kompas wciąga i daje dużo dobrej, bardzo zróżnicowanej zabawy. Aby wyjść ponad przeciętność i w pełni zrealizować drzemiący w grze potencjał, wystarczyło tylko trochę całość dopieścić. Niestety, z efektami pośpiechu developerów z Shiny będą musieli borykać się już tylko gracze.

Podsumowując, The Golden Compass nie zbacza ze ścieżki wydeptanej przez poprzednie growe wersje filmowych przebojów. Gra jest niedopracowana, wygląda na robioną na siłę (byleby tylko wyszła i odpowiednio zarobiła – oto pobudki autorów), nie kryje się też ze swoim konsolowym rodowodem, ale przede wszystkim – jest do bólu przeciętną platformówką. Dlatego, jeśli nie jesteś zapalonym fanem filmu (ale nie książki, bo ta ma z grą w gruncie rzeczy niewiele wspólnego, prezentuje o wiele wyższy poziom), możesz spróbować zmierzyć się z interaktywnymi przygodami dzielnej Lyry. W każdym innym przypadku – najnormalniej szkoda tych 8 dych, których żąda wydawca. Zresztą na dobrą sprawę dużą zagadką pozostaje grupa docelowa produkcji – najmłodsi w nią nie zagrają (na pudełku widnieje nieubłagane „Od 12 lat”), zaś na starszych czeka cała plejada lepszych – i tańszych! – pozycji. Ot, magia filmowych licencji…

Die Erwartungen waren groß und wurden leider nicht erfüllt: "Der Goldene Kompass" reiht sich als Spiel in die Riege der typischen Lizenzumsetzungen ein, die nicht an die Vorlage heranreichen. Die Last schien einfach zu groß: In dem Bemühen, möglichst alle Aspekte aus Film und Buch unterzubringen, gelang nichts davon sonderlich gut. So sind weder die Actioneinlagen noch die Kompassfragen unterhaltsam geworden - und oftmals sind die Spielstufen auch sehr unterschiedlich in Sachen Schwierigkeitsgrad und Logik. So können Sie zwar bei Fragen an den Kompass durchaus richtige Symbole erraten, die Ihnen eigentlich noch fehlen, aber obwohl das Spiel sie als richtig anzeigt, merkt es sich nicht, dass Sie die Bedeutung kennen und führt sie nach wie vor als unbekannt - nur einer von vielen kleine Fehlern und Merkwürdigkeiten.

Die Erwartungen waren groß und wurden leider nicht erfüllt: "Der Goldene Kompass" reiht sich als Spiel in die Riege der typischen Lizenzumsetzungen ein, die nicht an die Vorlage heranreichen. Die Last schien einfach zu groß: In dem Bemühen, möglichst alle Aspekte aus Film und Buch unterzubringen, gelang nichts davon sonderlich gut. So sind weder die Actioneinlagen noch die Kompassfragen unterhaltsam geworden - und oftmals sind die Spielstufen auch sehr unterschiedlich in Sachen Schwierigkeitsgrad und Logik. So können Sie zwar bei Fragen an den Kompass durchaus richtige Symbole erraten, die Ihnen eigentlich noch fehlen, aber obwohl das Spiel sie als richtig anzeigt, merkt es sich nicht, dass Sie die Bedeutung kennen und führt sie nach wie vor als unbekannt - nur einer von vielen kleine Fehlern und Merkwürdigkeiten.

Die Erwartungen waren groß und wurden leider nicht erfüllt: "Der Goldene Kompass" reiht sich als Spiel in die Riege der typischen Lizenzumsetzungen ein, die nicht an die Vorlage heranreichen. Die Last schien einfach zu groß: In dem Bemühen, möglichst alle Aspekte aus Film und Buch unterzubringen, gelang nichts davon sonderlich gut. So sind weder die Actioneinlagen noch die Kompassfragen unterhaltsam geworden - und oftmals sind die Spielstufen auch sehr unterschiedlich in Sachen Schwierigkeitsgrad und Logik. So können Sie zwar bei Fragen an den Kompass durchaus richtige Symbole erraten, die Ihnen eigentlich noch fehlen, aber obwohl das Spiel sie als richtig anzeigt, merkt es sich nicht, dass Sie die Bedeutung kennen und führt sie nach wie vor als unbekannt - nur einer von vielen kleine Fehlern und Merkwürdigkeiten.

Der Entwickler Shiny, einst verantwortlich für Klassiker wie MDK, liefert mit dem Actionspiel zum Fantasyfilm Der goldene Kompass eine mäßige Lizenzgurke ab. Vor allem die Technik, störrische Kamera, die ewig gleichen Minispiele und der höchstens kleinkindgerechte Anspruch nerven. Immerhin gibt's Filmausschnitte - schlecht synchronisiert.

Die Erwartungen waren groß und wurden leider nicht erfüllt: "Der Goldene Kompass" reiht sich als Spiel in die Riege der typischen Lizenzumsetzungen ein, die nicht an die Vorlage heranreichen. Die Last schien einfach zu groß: In dem Bemühen, möglichst alle Aspekte aus Film und Buch unterzubringen, gelang nichts davon sonderlich gut. So sind weder die Actioneinlagen noch die Kompassfragen unterhaltsam geworden - und oftmals sind die Spielstufen auch sehr unterschiedlich in Sachen Schwierigkeitsgrad und Logik. So können Sie zwar bei Fragen an den Kompass durchaus richtige Symbole erraten, die Ihnen eigentlich noch fehlen, aber obwohl das Spiel sie als richtig anzeigt, merkt es sich nicht, dass Sie die Bedeutung kennen und führt sie nach wie vor als unbekannt - nur einer von vielen kleine Fehlern und Merkwürdigkeiten.

It doesn't take an amber spyglass to see that this shameless cash-in is composed of the darkest materials in gaming.

It doesn't take an amber spyglass to see that this shameless cash-in is composed of the darkest materials in gaming.

It doesn't take an amber spyglass to see that this shameless cash-in is composed of the darkest materials in gaming.

With repetitive, tedious gameplay, poor graphics and generic level designs, The Golden Compass is a mildly enjoyable fantasy videogame for younger audiences only; anyone above their formative years will not find the depth or enjoyment of the books in what boils down to yet another uninspired action adventure translation of a great movie license that could'nt be more by the numbers if it tried.

Jak powszechnie wiadomo, zarówno w przygodówkach jak i platformówkach fabuła odgrywa dosyć ważną rolę i warto, by jej obecność była w jakiś widoczny sposób zaznaczona. Tymczasem w Złotym Kompasie, gracz nie wiadomo, z której beczki zostaje rzucony na jakieś lodowe pustkowie – Skandynawię czy inną Antarktydę... Nie byłoby w tym nic dziwnego, gdyby nie fakt, że intro właściwie nie mówi, dlaczego. I tak przez cały pierwszy poziom, skądinąd całkiem obszerny, przemierza się śnieżne pustynie, gromiąc stada dzikich bestii, walcząc z żywiołami i dokonując kolejnych bohaterskich czynów, wciąż zadając sobie pytanie: „po co?”.

La Brújula Dorada agranda la creencia popular de que los títulos basados en películas no dan la talla, no ya como videojuego sino como producto licenciado. A ver si con las futuras entregas de la serie hay más suerte.

Shiny Entertainment really needs to get a dictionary and look up the word quality. In the past they delivered beautiful games, but now they develop third rate titles who don’t even deserve the word budget. For the readers who still don’t know what to do, avoid this game completely.

Agradará a los más pequeños, el público al que va dirigido a la película, y por tanto este videojuego. También influye en ésto su facilidad, por lo que es un título perfecto para iniciarse en el mundillo. Para los más expertos no tiene ningún aliciente y salvo para los aficionados a la película, no merece realmente la pena.

Initially, the wide variety of gameplay elements make it seem like there's going to be a lot to do in The Golden Compass. Unfortunately, most of these facets are too repetitive, too frustrating, or too boring to keep anyone's interest, young or old. So, perhaps unsurprisingly, the game is just the latest in a string of movie tie-ins that sacrifice good gameplay for the sake of a quick buck.

The sad inevitability of The Golden Compass is that no amount of shoddy design will halt its rise to the upper end of the charts this Christmas. The lazy mix of disparate genres, as well as the clearly rushed execution, earn it a place alongside a long list of movie tie-ins that have a distinct lack of quality. Just spare a thought for the poor children who wake to this limp imitation of a game come December 25th.

Initially, the wide variety of gameplay elements make it seem like there's going to be a lot to do in The Golden Compass. Unfortunately, most of these facets are too repetitive, too frustrating, or too boring to keep anyone's interest, young or old. So, perhaps unsurprisingly, the game is just the latest in a string of movie tie-ins that sacrifice good gameplay for the sake of a quick buck.

Initially, the wide variety of gameplay elements make it seem like there's going to be a lot to do in The Golden Compass. Unfortunately, most of these facets are too repetitive, too frustrating, or too boring to keep anyone's interest, young or old. So, perhaps unsurprisingly, the game is just the latest in a string of movie tie-ins that sacrifice good gameplay for the sake of a quick buck.

Podsumowując, jeśli jesteś fanem Philipa Pullmana i jego twórczości, możesz skusić się na zakup Złotego Kompasu w wersji PC-DVD. Ja jednak będę się upierał, że to gra niewarta świeczki, a przede wszystkim cennego czasu czytelników. Te kilka godzin spędzonych na graniu chętnie spożytkowałbym na co innego, no ale cóż, taki zawód :).

There’s not really much more to say about the game other than just ranting about our horrible experience with it. Surely, that would bore you, our respected readers. We’re actually somewhat sorry that you’re being exposed to this game in the first place. Please, look elsewhere for gaming if you want to do yourselves a favor.

There’s not really much more to say about the game other than just ranting about our horrible experience with it. Surely, that would bore you, our respected readers. We’re actually somewhat sorry that you’re being exposed to this game in the first place. Please, look elsewhere for gaming if you want to do yourselves a favor.

There’s not really much more to say about the game other than just ranting about our horrible experience with it. Surely, that would bore you, our respected readers. We’re actually somewhat sorry that you’re being exposed to this game in the first place. Please, look elsewhere for gaming if you want to do yourselves a favor.

There’s not really much more to say about the game other than just ranting about our horrible experience with it. Surely, that would bore you, our respected readers. We’re actually somewhat sorry that you’re being exposed to this game in the first place. Please, look elsewhere for gaming if you want to do yourselves a favor.

There’s not really much more to say about the game other than just ranting about our horrible experience with it. Surely, that would bore you, our respected readers. We’re actually somewhat sorry that you’re being exposed to this game in the first place. Please, look elsewhere for gaming if you want to do yourselves a favor.

As we said before, the only good part of the movie that found its way into the game is the music, and beyond that, we've got a poorly constructed game. We can't make it any simpler than that. You'll probably be able to make it through the first few hours, but when you realize not much is going to change, you'll stop playing. And we're only talking about big fans of the movie; anybody else will stop playing even sooner due to the crucially flawed gameplay, bad graphics and depth that never comes to fruition. The Golden Compass really isn't anything more than yet another game based on a movie that falls well shy of "quality." ‘sigh' The trend may never die.

Difficile de juger A la Croisée des Mondes : La Boussole d’Or sur son seul gameplay, bien trop pauvre pour susciter un vif intérêt. Il ne faut pas non plus se tourner du côté de la réalisation du titre qui fait pâle figure sur une console décidemment sous-estimée. Toujours est-il que l’aventure proposée par le jeu de Shiny Entertainment reste digne d’intérêt, prenante pour peu que l’on ne s’attarde pas sur les détails précédents et donc agréable à vivre. Lyra et Iorek auraient mérité un meilleur sort pour leur première sortie vidéoludique mais ils sont quand même loin de la catastrophe.

If i am being lenient, The Golden Compass may hold a passing interest for the least demanding of gamers. Children under ten might find a modicum of fun amongst the varying game modes and will probably enjoy any time spent controlling Iorek - he is a giant armoured polar bear after all. Remove leniency however and the game is simply shocking; it is a poorly put together mishmash of ideas that never gels. Ugly, repetitive and painfully boring, its mercifully short length and rousing orchestral score are its only redeeming qualities. Needless to say, regardless of whether you are a fan of the series, young or old, this game simply isn't worth your time or your money.

Initially, the wide variety of gameplay elements make it seem like there's going to be a lot to do in The Golden Compass. Unfortunately, most of these facets are too repetitive, too frustrating, or too boring to keep anyone's interest, young or old. So, perhaps unsurprisingly, the game is just the latest in a string of movie tie-ins that sacrifice good gameplay for the sake of a quick buck.

The Golden Compass, the book, has received more critical praise than it can count. Unfortunately, the same doesn't hold true for the movie or the video game. The reason why the game didn't come out well is simple, movie-games usually forced to agree to an impossible deadline. Corners were cut everywhere and it shows. With a book so full of imagination, it is disappointing to see the game turn out the way it did. Youngsters are sure to thoroughly enjoy the game and not care or notice the negative aspects all that much. All they will care about is when can they beat up more wolves as Iorek.

If I am being lenient, The Golden Compass may hold a passing interest for the least demanding of gamers. Children under ten might fin a modicum of fun amongst the varying game modes and will probably enjoy any time spent controlling Iorek - he is a giant armoured polar bear after all. Remove leniency however and the game is simply shocking; it is a poorly put together mishmash of ideas that never gels. Ugly, repetitive and painfully boring, its mercifully short length and rousing orchestral score are its only redeeming qualitites. Needless to say, regardless of wheter you are a fan of the series, young or old, this game simply isn't worth your time or your money.

If I am being lenient, The Golden Compass may hold a passing interest for the least demanding of gamers. Children under ten might find a modicum of fun amongst the varying game modes and will probably enjoy any time spent controlling Iorek - he is a giant armoured polar bear after all. Remove leniency however and the game is simply shocking; it is a poorly put together mishmash of ideas that never gels. Ugly, repetitive, and painfully boring, its mercifully short length of whether you are a fan of the series, young or old, this game simply isn't worth your time or your money.

Even if you were completely charmed by Philip Pullman's work or enjoyed the movie adaptation, there's absolutely no reason to give this game a try. Even the music, as pretty as it is, can't redeem such poor gameplay and atrocious presentation. There have been a ton of great game releases recently, so just give one of those a try instead. We assure you that you're not missing anything by sitting this one out.

Even if you were completely charmed by Philip Pullman's work or enjoyed the movie adaptation, there's absolutely no reason to give this game a try. Even the music, as pretty as it is, can't redeem such poor gameplay and atrocious presentation. There have been a ton of great game releases recently, so just give one of those a try instead. We assure you that you're not missing anything by sitting this one out.

Even if you were completely charmed by Philip Pullman's work or enjoyed the movie adaptation, there's absolutely no reason to give this game a try. Even the music, as pretty as it is, can't redeem such poor gameplay and atrocious presentation. There have been a ton of great game releases recently, so just give one of those a try instead. We assure you that you're not missing anything by sitting this one out.

Even if you were completely charmed by Philip Pullman's work or enjoyed the movie adaptation, there's absolutely no reason to give this game a try. Even the music, as pretty as it is, can't redeem such poor gameplay and atrocious presentation. There have been a ton of great game releases recently, so just give one of those a try instead. We assure you that you're not missing anything by sitting this one out.

Even if you were completely charmed by Philip Pullman's work or enjoyed the movie adaptation, there's absolutely no reason to give this game a try. Even the music, as pretty as it is, can't redeem such poor gameplay and atrocious presentation. There have been a ton of great game releases recently, so just give one of those a try instead. We assure you that you're not missing anything by sitting this one out.

Even if you were completely charmed by Philip Pullman's work or enjoyed the movie adaptation, there's absolutely no reason to give this game a try. Even the music, as pretty as it is, can't redeem such poor gameplay and atrocious presentation. There have been a ton of great game releases recently, so just give one of those a try instead. We assure you that you're not missing anything by sitting this one out.

This game is clearly a rushed mess, and perhaps should have taken a nod from the Superman Returns video game and not been released until The Golden Compass inevitable DVD release. If Shiny had been given more time to work on this game, I really think that it could have been at least a somewhat enjoyable experience. In the game's current form though, I would strongly urge anyone interested in playing it to reconsider. While the movie may end up being great, the game should probably just be laid to rest atop the thousands of copies of E.T. that are rumored to be buried in a New Mexico landfill.

The most compelling part of The Golden Compass is its setting. That's not a surprise, given that the game is based on the film adaptation of Philip Pullman's popular novel of the same name. Certainly, fans of the His Dark Materials series will see the charm in exploring the rooftops of Jordan College, bounding over the ice atop warrior bear Iorek Byrnison, and saving the kidnapped children from Bolvangar. Unfortunately, it's a shallow sort of charm, afforded by the book's legacy rather than gameplay, which for the most part serves as interactive space-filler between the animated cut-scenes and short clips from the film.

If you were hoping to be swept up in the narrative, this game also ignores critical plot points from Philip Pllman's brilliant story, leaving much guesswork to the gamer. It pains me to say this, but turn off your TV and just read the book or head to your local theater. This is a story everyone must experience, just don't try interacting with it.

If you were hoping to be swept up in the narrative, this game also ignores critical plot points from Philip Pllman's brilliant story, leaving much guesswork to the gamer. It pains me to say this, but turn off your TV and just read the book or head to your local theater. This is a story everyone must experience, just don't try interacting with it.

If you were hoping to be swept up in the narrative, this game also ignores critical plot points from Philip Pullman’s brilliant story, leaving much guesswork to the gamer. It pains me to say this, but turn off your TV and just read the book or head to your local theater. This is a story everyone must experience, just don’t try interacting with it.

Whether you’re a fan of the book, the movie or both, it would be unwise to invest any amount of money (even the cost of a rental) in The Golden Compass. Above the annoyances and lack of originality is the absence of something every game needs to survive: fun gameplay.

DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. I can’t say it any plainer than that, if you are after points then that’s one thing but otherwise don’t waste your cash. The fact that this was the tenth best selling game (over all formats) of 2007 makes me die a little inside.

The Golden Compass isn't the worst game based on a movie, but it's close. It's a combination of uninspired platforming, poorly implemented mini-games and slow and broken storytelling. Some sections require forced replays in order for players to understand what to do next, because the game does a poor job of explaining what's going on. It's not even worth collecting the Achievement Points on Xbox 360, as they are distributed in a way that forces players to endure the most tedious elements of the game. People will have even less to show for the time spent on other versions. Regardless of platform, there are far better titles young gamers can play.

The Golden Compass isn't the worst game based on a movie, but it's close. It's a combination of uninspired platforming, poorly implemented mini-games and slow and broken storytelling. Some sections require forced replays in order for players to understand what to do next, because the game does a poor job of explaining what's going on. It's not even worth collecting the Achievement Points on Xbox 360, as they are distributed in a way that forces players to endure the most tedious elements of the game. People will have even less to show for the time spent on other versions. Regardless of platform, there are far better titles young gamers can play.

The ideas aren't all bad and on paper this must have sounded like a rich and promising game. However, the game far overreaches itself and the coding, visuals and execution of those ideas is comprehensively unpolished. The problems with The Golden Compass are, of course, symptomatic of wider problems with the cancerous videogame tie-in genre. Trying to turn each narrative scene from a film into an interactive game is an exercise in wrong-headed futility. While movie studios continue to want a tie-in videogame hitting shop shelves on the same day that the movie itself hits cinemas, the quality of these games will never improve. Had the game had another six months to a year of development time, many of its problems and rough edges might have been smoothed and the score below perhaps doubled, a fact that will bring little comfort to either the development team or little Timmy this Christmas.

There are a lot of reasons that can be given for why most movie-based video games fall short of expectations. There’s a shorter development time…too much (or too little) influence from the studios…the list goes on. Still, there’s no excuse for just how bad and unfinished The Golden Compass turned out to be. This is one experience that should have been left in the theatres.

With a disjointed storyline, lack of reliable controls and faulted presentation, The Golden Compass is yet another example of how not to produce a movie-licensed video game. It'll only lead you into a world of trouble.

The Golden Compass isn't the worst game based on a movie, but it's close. It's a combination of uninspired platforming, poorly implemented mini-games and slow and broken storytelling. Some sections require forced replays in order for players to understand what to do next, because the game does a poor job of explaining what's going on. It's not even worth collecting the Achievement Points on Xbox 360, as they are distributed in a way that forces players to endure the most tedious elements of the game. People will have even less to show for the time spent on other versions. Regardless of platform, there are far better titles young gamers can play.

We can almost forgive the developers for creating a title with such awful gameplay and controls though. Actually no we can't, that's a lie. But what is even more infuriating and insulting is just how bad this game looks. The animation is terrible, the environments suffer terribly from pop-up and 'ruddy hell, where did that tree suddenly come from?' syndrome and the characters look like the strange love child of Michael Jackson and a bag full of rocks covered in dog crap. We'd have complained about the slack visuals if this were a PS2 title from back in 2002. Now its nearly 2008 and somehow it looks worse. Confusing stuff. The voice acting is irritating and very badly implemented too, making the story slow and boring, which is odd seeing as it's based on a very good book and quite well scripted film. The music is super though, so that's one tick in the 'good' column against a whole shed-load in the 'mummy, why does this game make my soul cry' column.

Overall, this game feels like it was cobbled together in about 20 minutes by three rummed-up one-eyed monkeys.

Overall, this game feels like it was cobbled together in about 20 minutes by three rummed-up one-eyed monkeys.

Overall, this game feels like it was cobbled together in about 20 minutes by three rummed-up one-eyed monkeys

Overall, this game feels like it was cobbled together in about 20 minutes by three rummed-up one-eyed monkeys.

Initially, the wide variety of gameplay elements make it seem like there's going to be a lot to do in The Golden Compass. Unfortunately, most of these facets are too repetitive, too frustrating, or too boring to keep anyone's interest--young or old. The fact that the PSP version suffers from a string of unimaginable technical problems makes it even more embarrassing. So, perhaps unsurprisingly, the game is just the latest in a string of movie tie-ins that sacrifice good gameplay and proper quality assurance for the sake of a quick buck.

Ultimately, and regrettably, all you'll ever remember from playing The Golden Compass PSP is the shockingly broken movie licensed experience it offers.

Overall, this game feels like it was cobbled together in about 20 minutes by three rummed-up one-eyed monkeys.

This isn't just a severe case of nerd outrage though; this is a distinctly broken game - iffy controls, rubbish bear fights, dull levels and gameplay obsessed with balancing, jumping and the most inane rhythm action ever devised. Why do kiddie games have to be this bad? It's a waste of space. We’re sad we even had to write about it.

If you haven’t read the book (or watched the movie, I suppose) you definitely can’t understand the story. Without a mountain of patience the gameplay will just upset you. Absent music on your 360, the game’s tunes will just bore you. The voice acting will confuse and infuriate you no matter what. It’s the sort of game you should be payed to play, not the other way around - there’s simply no tangible reason to buy The Golden Compass.

If you haven’t read the book (or watched the movie, I suppose) you definitely can’t understand the story. Without a mountain of patience the gameplay will just upset you. Absent music on your 360, the game’s tunes will just bore you. The voice acting will confuse and infuriate you no matter what. It’s the sort of game you should be payed to play, not the other way around - there’s simply no tangible reason to buy The Golden Compass.

If you haven’t read the book (or watched the movie, I suppose) you definitely can’t understand the story. Without a mountain of patience the gameplay will just upset you. Absent music on your 360, the game’s tunes will just bore you. The voice acting will confuse and infuriate you no matter what. It’s the sort of game you should be payed to play, not the other way around - there’s simply no tangible reason to buy The Golden Compass.

If you haven’t read the book (or watched the movie, I suppose) you definitely can’t understand the story. Without a mountain of patience the gameplay will just upset you. Absent music on your 360, the game’s tunes will just bore you. The voice acting will confuse and infuriate you no matter what. It’s the sort of game you should be payed to play, not the other way around - there’s simply no tangible reason to buy The Golden Compass.