The Golden Compass

by Sega Of America, Inc.

Product Features

• The Golden Compass game and upcoming movie are based on the first novel of Phillip Pullman’s New York Times best-selling trilogy which has sold over 5.5 million units in the U.S. to date.
• Play as both heroes from the film – Lyra and a giant armored polar bear, Iorek - and combine the strengths of each to progress.
• Following the storyline of the movie, players traverse, evade and deceive their way through action-filled levels.
• Explore 13 vast locations from the movie including two areas that are unique to the game.
• Experience the collaborative bond between Lyra and Pan through the unique ‘Dæmon’ (animal spirit) gameplay mechanic.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000R0SRY4
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches ; 4.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: December 4, 2007
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,670 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Platform: Xbox 360

The Golden Compass is an epic action adventure game that immerses you in the magical parallel world of the $150 million budgeted film from New Line Cinema, the studio behind The Lord of the Rings trilogy. With its AAA cast, including Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig (the new James Bond), the story follows Lyra’s heroic journey from the safety of her home to the dangerous wonders of the North. Armed only with a truth-telling compass, and accompanied by a giant armored polar bear named Iorek, the game takes you on a journey of adventure, exploration, collaboration and discovery.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars horrendous gameplay makes this one to avoid, regardless of what you think about the movie, December 20, 2007

By 

bixodoido (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:1.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: The Golden Compass (Video Game)

I don't expect much when it comes to video games based on movies. Quite often they feature mediocre gameplay, a boring storyline that sort of, but doesn't really follow the plot of the film, and pointless objectives that make you feel the developers were banking on the franchise itself to sell copies of the game and didn't care about making it something actually worth playing. But The Golden Compass is bad, really bad, even for a movie based game.

I gave the game a chance--I played through the whole thing--but I just couldn't get over how poorly made it was. For starters, the gameplay is dull and the difficulty varies far too much for a game intended for younger children. At times you're pushing the button flashing up on the screen (which is fine), and at other times you're trying to keep Iorik alive while he's fighting the witch queen or a guy with a flamethrower. This game is rated for kids 10+, but I imagine a child that age would be bored stiff with the button matching mini-games and frustrated beyond belief with the more difficult parts of the game.

The controls are fairly straightforward but the camera angle is absolutely awful. In fact I spent as much time trying to overcome the terrible angle, when I couldn't see what I was fighting or the ledge to which I was supposed to be jumping, as I did trying doing anything else. If the camera worked right the game would still be dull and rather pointless, but the camera angle makes this game nearly unplayable.

Part of the potential appeal for this game comes from the prospect of playing as Iorik, the polar bear who accompanies the girl Lyra on her adventures. Playing Iorik is the best part of the game, but unfortunately the majority of the game is spent playing as Lyra, thus stifling what could, possibly, have been the game's only redeeming quality.

There are many, many better games available for the price. Don't be fooled into buying it just because it accompanies the movie--this title is bound to bring frustration and annoyance to anyone who plays it. And even if, somehow, someone were to enjoy the game, the entire storyline is good for about 5 hours of play--definitely not worth it.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Found no bugs, no glitches, January 1, 2010

By 

Ivy "avid reader" (Colorado Springs, CO USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: The Golden Compass (Video Game)

I bought this one for my daughter (13) for xmas to go with the new 360 system. She and I had a lot of fun playing through the game. Took us collectively about 18 hours to complete. From reading the other reviews, I guess we were very fortunate that we didn't run into any bugs or glitches. The game was just challenging enough to keep our interest. I especially enjoyed the cut scenes that were (literally) cut from the original movie. I have not read the books but I am guessing that based on the cut scenes, the story goes a bit differently than was portrayed.

We've moved onto Lara Croft (much more challenging) but for us, starting off with The Golden Compass was a good choice to get our feet wet.

For the price, I'd definitely give this game a shot.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Bad, March 29, 2011

By 

BlackIrish4094 - See all my reviews

= Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Golden Compass (Video Game)

The movie to game adaptation of the Golden Compass is a fairly enjoyable experience. Graphics are decent, gameplay is solid but I would most recommend it for fans of the film. Had I not seen the film first, some of the concepts would not be clearly explained within the game itself (which is understandable as the game is not the right place to get into deep philosophical discussions on religion). For achievement hunters, achievements are fairly attainable although you will need a symbol guide to avoid lengthy trial and error during gameplay. Solid if not spectacular game.

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