Eragon Brought to Life

The Eragon novels continue to be a pop culture phenomenon, and they have tapped into the same magical success enjoyed by the Harry Potter franchise, where children and adults alike experience the same sense of wonder at their hero's journey. Christopher Paolini created a vibrant living world of dragons, sorcery, and heroism that has been completely envisioned with a feature film and a videogame adaptation.

Mentor and protégé.

The Living World
The land of Alagaesia lives under the oppressive rule of the malevolent Galbatorix, and as the world suffers under his tyranny, the people live in hope. This hope is embodied in a young farm boy named Eragon, and it is brought to life by Saphira, his dragon companion.

Grounded Gameplay
Eragon's adventures are split between action on the ground and dragon-riding exploits in the air. When you battle Galbatorix's armies on foot, you will have a full complement of attacks:

• Deep Combo System: Dish out punishment with your sword using a button combo attack system. From slashing out with a flurry of blows, knock-back attacks, stuns, and grapples, you can make precisely the attack you need for any situation.
• Evasion: You can block with the X button, and when you're blocking, press in any direction to dive and roll away from incoming attacks.
• Bow and Arrow: Pick off enemies from a distance with an auto-targeting system. Hold down A when preparing a shot to perfect your aim and line up a perfect headshot from a distance.
• Magic: As Eragon begins to develop the magic powers native to all dragon riders, you will be able to grab items from a distance, use fire attacks, shield yourself, and even call down dragon attacks.

Discovering the lands of Alagaesia.

Dragon Riding
As a dragon rider you will periodically get the chance to take to the skies on the back of your mighty dragon Saphira, and as you glide through the air laying waste to Galbatorix's minions, Eragon brings the epic scope of both the book and the movie to life.

Send enemies to their doom with Saphira's fire breath, destroy them with her tail, fire arrows at your enemies, and much more. Not only does this game faithfully recreate the most thrilling moments of the movie, but it provides a unique and refreshing change of pace from the battles on foot.

Gothic Presentation
Peruse a few Eragon screenshots, and you get the sense that the environments are "painted," and that fantastic, gothic look is even more apparent when the game is in motion. More importantly, the game's animation gives life to your athletic attacks and combinations as you spin, thrust, leap, and grapple with your enemies.

Prepare for battle.

Unlockables
Secret dragon eggs are hidden through each level in Eragon. Track them down to unlock various behind-the-scenes shorts. Even casual fans will find these fascinating, but for the die-hard Eragon fan, these will be particularly rewarding.

The game has a lot to live up to with a successful movie and book, but the ability to control such a beloved and powerful duo of heroes is a next-gen reward worth experiencing.

Article by Ryan Treit