The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Impressions

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe makes its debut on the silver screen at the end of this year, but Nintendo DS fans will be able to get their hands on the adventure a little earlier with the video game adaptation. The Chronicles of Narnia is an adventure game with some role-playing game elements, and we were intrigued by what we saw when Buena Vista Games brought the game by.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe game is based on the film version of C.S. Lewis' classic book of the same name, which follows the adventures of the four Pevensie siblings--Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy--who discover a path in the back of a great wardrobe that leads to a fantasy world. The land of Narnia is locked in eternal winter (always winter, never Christmas) by the evil White Witch, who is intent on controlling the world as her own. The children are pulled to Narnia by the great lion Aslan, who is lord of Narnia and its keeper, to fight against the witch and free the land so it can be returned to spring.

All the action will take place on the top screen of the DS. The touch screen will be used to manage inventory, to bring up an area map, or to select dialogue responses. You'll be able to talk to numerous characters in the game, and one of your tasks will be to rally them all to fight alongside the Pevensies and Aslan. Depending on how you converse with creatures, you'll be able to get them to aid you or to respond to you differently, and you'll be able to go on different quests. You'll also be able to switch characters on the fly while playing. In addition, you and a friend will be able to play through the game cooperatively.

Each playable character in the game can learn up to four special moves to boost their combat skills. They'll be able to earn reward points in attributes like valor, magnificence, gentleness, and justice. As you battle various monsters like ankle biters, centaurs, werewolves, and more, you'll earn experience points to raise a character's level and boost his or her respective stats. The game's graphics look detailed and sharp, taking advantage of the DS's power to produce some really nice-looking environments. The animation looks smooth as well. The touch screen features appear to be integrated into the game nicely, with bright, vibrant displays and easy shifting between the various options.

As an adventure, the DS Chronicles of Narnia looks to be coming along quite well, and the addition of RPG elements seems like a perfect fit for the world of the game. Narnia is inhabited by a multitude of memorable characters, so the promise of being able to converse with them, as well as the idea of some branching options, sounds like it'll add up to a nice experience for fans of the world of the books. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe will make its appearance this November, and we'll be sure to keep this gamespace stocked with the latest news and media from the land of eternal winter.