By Anthony Swinnich on November 24th, 2005

This is one of the better licensed games on the market, and maybe one of the best I’ve ever played, but that’s not saying much when you look at what the competition is-- even Harry Potter games aren’t made very well. Regardless, fans of the movie, lovers of fantasy, and action game aficionados will find something worth their time in Chronicles of Narnia-- just be ready for some uneven pacing and fairly basic gameplay. Basic gameplay isn’t always a bad thing-- it’s good that the developer wasn’t overly ambitious with the project. However, gamers looking for something truly substantial will be left in the cold, snowy forests of Narnia without a jacket from the fabled wardrobe.

While most games put the player in control of one character, Chronicles of Narnia gives the player control over four characters at the same time, each with their own unique abilities. It sounds like it might be tough to handle four separate characters at once, but the computer handles the other three while you’re playing. They pretty much follow you around when exploring, and during combat they lend a hand, though it’s a lazy, "I-really-don’t-want-to-be-here" type of hand.

It’s during combat where the game is at it’s most basic, which is ironic since it makes up most of the game. Though you’re in control of four characters, melee combat pretty much consists of two buttons. You have access to a quicker, lighter attack, and access to a slower, more damaging attack. Peter, the older boy has access to a sword, which is operated the same as punching, and Edmund, the younger boy can wield the almighty tree branch. The girls cannot operate melee weapons, but the older sister Susan can throw snowballs, tennis balls, and shoot a bow and arrow. Poor little Lucy has no special attacks, but can heal the group so long as her meter is full.

Each of the siblings have their own specific skills to use for puzzle solving as well. Peter, the oldest and biggest, is obviously the strongest. Susan can play music, which uncovers secrets and puts enemies to sleep. Edmund can climb trees, gutters, and other assorted vertical items, and Lucy is small enough to crawl through spaces to reach hidden areas. The kids can also team up for special attacks, but they’re largely silly and too hard to operate quickly enough to be useful except when they’re required. Enemy specific combos can also be learned, but aren’t that useful and tough to remember.

The levels are fairly well designed, but are extremely straight-forward and linear. There are few nooks and crannies that hide special items, and most are easily found by anyone with a pair of eyes in their head. Most of the time a level is a straight path through with no looking back, so if you miss a secret, it’s up to you to replay the level to find it. You likely won’t complain, as the scenery is usually pleasurable to look at, but the fixed camera will have you wishing you could have a better look around. Fifteen levels chronicle the journey of the kids, though each level is quite short. The game has some unlockable content, but not enough to truly keep you interested after completion.

Even though all of the elements come together quite nicely, it’s not a perfect project. Strangely, combat doesn’t get too repetitive, and the puzzles require just enough thought that you’ll be happy to have solved them, but not feel stupid if you can’t figure it out right away. The difficulty level, however, bounces wildly from level to level-- sometimes you’ll wonder if any thought went into creating a challenge, and at others you’ll wonder if anybody even play-tested the game to see if you actually can complete a challenge. Fighting an ogre for the first time is one event that comes to mind. There comes a point where you’re reduced to using one character to hit the ogre, but four enemies surround you when you’re trying to do so. Being hit freezes your character for a second, so it’s not an easy task to fire a bow (a task which requires you to be standing still) while running from a gang of goblins at the same time.

It’s reasons like this you’ll be happy the option for cooperative play is included. Plug in a second controller and a friend can join in with you. There are plenty of overwhelming moments where you’ll thank your lucky stars a friend can help you out because the computer can’t do anything except stay out of the way. The game doesn’t change when playing cooperatively, but it definitely makes for a more enjoyable time.

If Chronicles of Narnia has any one true fault and it’s that it doesn’t take itself seriously enough. The group attacks are kind of amusing at first, but are for the most part useless, goofy, and plain just don’t fit the style of gameplay. The environments look nice enough, but the lack of a free-camera, or the ability to explore lowers the amount of value players will find in the game. The difficulty swinging around is a deterrent as well, though I have to admit I’m impressed with the cut-scenes; they add a nice feel to the game and move the story along. It’s just that the way they meld into the gameplay graphics leaves something to be desired. The Lord of the Rings games tried that as well, and it didn’t look good then, either. Going from actual video, to flat, polygonal game graphics does not make for a smooth transition.

If you can look past these minor faults and enjoy the game for what it is, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe provides a decent adventure, though it’s suited best to younger, or less experienced gamers. Even with an uneven difficulty, and mostly basic gameplay, there isn’t a whole lot to dislike here, and even older, more experienced gamers might find themselves enjoying their time lost in the back of the wardrobe.