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E3 06: Eragon to take flight in November

By Tor Thorsen, Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Apr 18, 2006 12:31 pm PT

VU Games is readying several games based on the forthcoming 20th Century Fox fantasy epic.

Eragon

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Games based on movies based on fantasy novels are all the rage these days. Blockbuster big-screen adaptations of The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Chronicles of Narnia have yielded popular game tie-ins for Electronic Arts and Buena Vista Games.

VU Games is hoping to hop on the fantasy-book-film-game bandwagon this year. Today, the publisher announced that it is developing games based on Eragon, the forthcoming 20th Century Fox epic. The film itself is based on the first of the popular Inheritance fantasy novels by author Christopher Paolini.

Like the film and the book, Eragon the game follows a teenager who discovers a strange rock while out playing one day. As it turns out, the rock is actually an egg, which hatches, producing a magical blue dragon. Eragon soon bonds with the beast, eventually becoming the last of the Dragon Riders, an order of knights that bestride the winged reptiles.

Stormfront Studios (Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers) will be handling development on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, and PC versions of Eragon. That game will follow the plot of the film and will sport a melee-combination and magic-based combat system that will include "finishing moves, multiple grapples, and degradable blocks with unique counter attacks," according to VU. It will also feature dragon-based airborne combat and two-player co-op play.

The handheld editions of Eragon will be developed by Amaze Entertainment (The Lord of the Rings: Tactics for the PSP, The Chronicles of Narnia on the GBA). The DS version will be an action role-playing game that will allow for a dual-screen combat system, including spellcasting via the touch screen.

The GBA Eragon will also be an RPG, although it will be turn-based instead of real time. The story-driven game will feature nine playable characters, and gameplay will include brewing potions and crafting weapons.

The PSP game, called Eragon and Saphira, will be drastically different from its portable siblings. Its "extensive" single-player campaign will show the Eragon story from the perspective of the young hero's dragon and will feature much airborne action. The game will also support up to four players in dragon-combat multiplayer bouts via 12 different arena-game types.

The Eragon games are slated to ship in November, several weeks before the Eragon film hits theaters December 12. The film stars Ed Speleers, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Djimon Hounsou, Robert Carlyle, and Resident Evil: Extinction's Sienna Guillory. Newcomer Ed Speleers will play the role of the titular hero.

69 Comments

  • Vasucci

    Posted Jul 4, 2006 7:16 am PT

    I know we're all hoping the movie is going to be Great. The series has potential to be a great movie trilogy and I can see it being up there with other great trilogies if it's done right. I'm excited!! Games never seem to adapt right just because we all have our own views on how the action in the books pan out. But if it's done like the LoTR series then it will at least be commendable to say the least.

  • griffo1_8_3

    Posted Jun 25, 2006 5:01 am PT

    "Eragon the game follows a teenager who discovers a strange rock while out playing one day."
    Wtf? are playing and hunting the same thing now?
    The book was amazing. IMO the game will be nothing compared to the book.

  • 321724882

    Posted May 26, 2006 6:22 pm PT

    Eragon and Eldest were amazing novels. I expect the movie to also be amazing. And now, this game is getting me excited! Cant wait for the third book, the movie, and the game!

  • sabru8

    Posted May 17, 2006 3:09 pm PT

    great book, can't wait for the movie and the game to come out later this year.

  • kurt12343

    Posted May 15, 2006 1:25 pm PT

    Well, Thanks VU for ruining one of my favorite books

  • Bluestorm-Kalas

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 1:04 pm PT

    OH found a type he found the rock hunting not playing!

  • Bluestorm-Kalas

    Posted Apr 21, 2006 1:02 pm PT

    Eragon is a great book but once again movies and books suck as video games!

  • adamrig2000

    Posted Apr 20, 2006 8:46 am PT

    Oh my god

  • Skelitor

    Posted Apr 19, 2006 6:27 pm PT

    I hope it is as good as it sounds

  • GoldenSilence87

    Posted Apr 19, 2006 2:50 pm PT

    Great another poor book being turned into a poorer movie which will translate into a horrible game. Anyone else see a pattern?

  • ff7fan2

    Posted Apr 19, 2006 2:31 pm PT

    I LOVED the book, hopefully the game will be just as good.

  • DarkJedi8_basic

    Posted Apr 19, 2006 10:26 am PT

    Stormfront did a good job with LOTR:TTT and OK with FRS...we'll see!

  • laxgoalie416

    Posted Apr 19, 2006 7:44 am PT

    "he discovers a rock while out playing one day"...he wasnt playing! he was hunting a deer in the spine...haha sorry =p

  • jonnyjd

    Posted Apr 19, 2006 6:59 am PT

    Reserving judgement until I either read the book, see the movie, or see what the game looks like. Can you tell I haven't heard of this story?

  • Bunnyslippers

    Posted Apr 19, 2006 6:56 am PT

    I have read 'Eragon'. And after finishing sci-fi novel "Anvil of Stars" I will read the sequal to 'Eragon': 'Eldest'.
    I didn't know the novel was big enough to be noticed by game developers. I wonder how these 'Eragon' games will turn out. I love the novel so I am really looking forward to these games.

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Apr 19, 2006 5:01 am PT

    hmmmmm....

  • Lasafrog

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 10:17 pm PT

    Read the 1st book, bought the 2nd and maybe it's time to jump in. Excited about the movie, could care less about the game(s). For christs sake, finishing moves and combos... I'm soooo sick of finishing moves and muliti hit combos.... can we have a little originality please? 2 player co-op is about all that may save this.

  • gamepunk86

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 9:55 pm PT

    the books are awesome especially eldest but i dont about it all becoming a movie and a game. i liked how i was following a trilogy that no one knew about. the movie better not ruin the books.

  • SavoyPrime

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 7:48 pm PT

    Ugh, I'll pass.

  • Distinctive_Fin

    Posted Apr 18, 2006 6:37 pm PT

    If the game and movie is as good as the book, then 20th fox and gaming producers will roll in a lot of bank! If you thought Eragon was good then read Eldest! (no I dont' know what's below the Menoa Tree!)

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