Eragon (gamezone)

- gamezone -

PlayStation Portable has given birth to a world of new opportunities for developers. The assumption was that it would be just as the title stated – a handheld PlayStation – and offer the same content as its console predecessors. For the most part that has been the case. Games from PSone's library, including MediEvil and Wipeout, have seen ports or sequels on PSP.

Gamers love having a portable this powerful, but the best thing about the system is not its ports. PSP is most wonderful when developers use it as a way to create gameplay that is different from what you can get at home.

Enter Eragon, a game that is 100% different from the console games. On PlayStation 2 Eragon is a dark (but visually appealing) hack-n-slash adventure. It's a lot like EA's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. On PSP, Eragon is a cross between flight/combat games and action/adventures with aerial combat elements. There's a little bit of Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron in there, exuding bits and pieces of Namco Bandai's lighthearted affair but from a more grown up perspective.

Obviously a dragon can breathe fire. This one will also form fireballs that have a greater distance advantage. In close combat, breathing down an enemy's neck will turn his skin into something extra crispy. But you won't reach an opposing dragon, who's constantly on the move, with such a limited attack. Hence the need for fireballs.

Eragon tells the story of a boy named – come 'on, do you really not know? – Eragon. He stumbles upon an egg, as all potential dragon riders do. It hatches, the two become best friends, and within a couple of seconds the story advances to adulthood. Saphira (the dragon) grows up to be quite the aerial warrior. Eragon is strong himself, and wishes to be the deciding factor in what will surely be a world-threatening war.

Fire is not the only weapon in your dragon's arsenal, nor is that the only way for Eragon to prove his strength. Saphira will also wield the power of more than six spells. Brisingr, a better version of the fireball attack, is guided by the player using the analog stick. It flies fast toward its final resting place, requiring quick reflexes to guarantee an arrival at the desired location.

Ice Storm is another spell with targeting options, but this one is directed more easily than Brisingr. An Ice Storm hit is landed by holding the spell button, L, until two halves of a circle clasp down on the target. Then, assuming your dragon was within the vicinity of the target, the blast will be shot right at the enemy – regardless of how Saphira was angled when the attempt was made.

Call Lightning strikes with a deadly bolt, but there are other, more subtle ways of dealing with enemies. Confusion reverses an enemy's controls. Disease sucks the energy from all who receive it. Locusts initiate the summoning of insects to chase and nibble on enemies' bodies, leading to their deaths.

This game is primarily about the dragon, but that doesn't mean Eragon can't have a little fun, too. He's good with a bow, and will use arrows with fire and special magic powers attached. The former is harder to aim, whereas the special arrows are the most powerful but no more difficult to use.

Though there are instant similarities between Eragon and Snoopy, this game is much darker than the kid-targeted Red Baron. No one has a parachute to save them from an attack. Harmless creatures are not safe either. Sheep may be picked up and carried through the air until you need to replenish some energy. Once the health bar doesn't look that healthy anymore, Saphira can reach down and eat the sheep to regain some life. The same can be done to your human adversaries. Gruesome and nutritious!

Meanwhile, wolves and other deadly creatures may block Saphira's success. They're nothing for a dragon to worry about, at least in terms of defense. Few vicious, wing-less beasts could compete with a fire-breathing legend. But wolves can cut down on the animal supply. You'd better slaughter them before they slaughter your meal.

The story is told with very little enthusiasm, degrading what could be key moments in the movie to trivial displays of text. Here's an example from the story's intro. This occurs just after you've used Saphira to protect Eragon from a potential massacre. You return home with Eragon and discover that his farm is on fire.

"It looks like they got to the farm first! At least you kept Eragon safe."

I know movie games are often rushed, but Eragon is better than most. Even the lowest common denominator contains CG or anime sequences to instill a deeper emotion. Words can say a lot, but this game's story doesn't say much at all.

Review Scoring Details for Eragon

Gameplay: 7.0
Eragon is a fun aerial adventure that’s a little darker than Ace Combat, and much darker than Snoopy. It’s repetitive – nearly everything that’s been described in my review is repeated at least once. Most are repeated several times. You’ll enjoy the battles; the destruction of other dragons and the release of boulders onto enemies that thought they were impervious. But there isn’t a big reason to come back, other than for the enjoyment of playing through the game all over again.

Graphics: 7.9
A collection of crisp characters, objects, and backgrounds.

Sound: 8.0
Eragon’s score approaches the place that few games and movies have arrived at – a place educated listeners refer to as “epic.” The sound effects are just above worthless, but keep the speakers up anyway. The music is great.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Eragon may be designed for older players, but its challenge is no more enduring than Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron.

Concept: 7.0
Whereas the console games follow the movie’s storyline via The Lord of the Rings-style gameplay and presentation, Eragon for PSP scraps the story and focuses on aerial combat between dragons.

Multiplayer: 7.0
Fire-blast your friends in Eragon’s ad hoc multiplayer mode (up to four).

Overall: 7.0
Eragon is for series fans who love the flight/combat genre. It’s not going to replace Ace Combat or Star Fox on anyone’s wish list. But you will get some enjoyment out of it. The ability to control a dragon so freely, and with so much power, has not been had from a previous handheld release.