GamesRadar+ Verdict
Pros
- +
Evokes the film nicely
- +
Compass minigame works
- +
Good character models
Cons
- -
Liberties taken with the license
- -
Annoying and boring gameplay
- -
Terrible voice acting
Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.
Dec 7, 2007
The Golden Compass gives new meaning to the all-too-common phrase ‘disappointing movie tie-in’. Perhaps if the film wasn’t quite as epic, or the Philip Pullman book it’s based on quite so engaging, we wouldn’t have been so crushed to find the game is such guff.
The opening level is hugely disappointing, and that sets the tone for the rest of the game. Confusingly, the game starts at the end of the story, with heroine Lyra racing round the Arctic searching for her pal Roger on the back of Iorek the polar bear. Unless you know the story, it all seems a bit mad and the game never really explains why you’re there and who everyone is. Still, it’s a forgivable oversight because - after all - this is the game of the film.
More info
| Genre | Adventure |
| Description | The game sucks for many reasons - mostly because it's broken and pug fugly. But what did you expect from a movie tie-in? |
| Platform | "DS","PS2","Xbox 360","PS3","PC","Wii","PSP" |
| US censor rating | "Everyone 10+","Everyone 10+","Everyone 10+","Everyone 10+","Everyone 10+","Everyone 10+","Everyone 10+" |
| UK censor rating | "12+","12+","12+","12+","12+","12+","12+" |
| Release date | 1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK) |
This slick Hades-style action roguelike with 92% positive reviews mysteriously vanished from Steam and the devs say they don't know why
Fallout creator Tim Cain reveals two playthroughs key to the RPG's history: his low-Int hero named Potato, and a mass-murderer who made them check "the entire game" again
Borderlands 4 studio Gearbox gave the devs custom cast iron skillets for Christmas because "we f***ing cooked"
