Where does the action start?
This is the all-important question – should the computer game start in the same place as the book and film, or with being such a unique platform should it be treated differently?
As Game Director David Msika explains, “The pacing of the story in the movie and in the book is somewhat slow at the beginning, to allow for the viewer/reader to absorb information about the universe and get familiar with the main characters. But an action game must draw the player’s attention right away, making the experience as enjoyable as possible from the very beginning
Lead Designer Ken Lee adds, “That’s why we decided to start off the game at a point further ahead in time in the story, to allow for the player to ride Iorek, a huge armoured bear, right away and get a taste for Lyra’s (our heroine’s) traversal abilities.”
The game goes one up on the film with two new realms
The two realms we speak of are “The North” and “Zeppelin.”
The North
As Ken divulges, “The North levels feature a nice balance between Iorek and Lyra game play. During The North levels, players will come across enemy Witches, as well as an intricate series of ice ravines, secret tunnels and caves, and much more. The caves and tunnels are too small for Iorek to fit through, but Lyra and Pan can dismount and explore them as the player sees fit.”
“Following that,” adds Ken, “they will come across a Witch Queen, and encounter an army of angry Samoyeds chasing them down.”
“The North areas were added when we were originally planning the game, unfolds David, “we were laying out where Lyra journeyed throughout the book and film, and there was one section that had the perfect opportunity to do something original that complemented Lyra’s journey in the book and film (between them leaving Trollesund and arriving at Bolvangar), and that was how The North came to be.”
Zeppelin
As David explains “Zeppelin was inspired by the brilliant event described by Philip Pullman in the original book. Before we read the film script we knew that the epic Zeppelin battle towards the end was a showpiece, and perfect for a videogame level.”
Ken continues, “The Zeppelin realm has been an amazing area to play, with Tartar soldiers, enemy Witches, and some breathtaking moment-to-moment game play that keeps players challenged throughout. The final standoff is a must-play event, and wonderfully complemented by arguably one of the best musical pieces in the entire game!”
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