Through the Wardrobe

The Chronicles of Narnia promises to recreate the action of the upcoming fantasy film epic.

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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe promises to be one of this holiday season's most epic fantasy films, especially given the involvement of Weta, the special effects house that brought The Lord of the Rings to such stunning life on the silver screen. Here to tell us about the process of bringing Narnia's people and monsters to the game-based-on-the-film is associate producer Andy Burrows.

Developing the Characters

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe features some of the most loved characters in children's literature. We're not just talking about Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy here, but also Mr. Tumnus, the White Witch, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, the Professor, and, of course, Aslan. And who can forget Father Christmas?

In a world where these and all the other characters are as richly drawn as in the land of Narnia, clearly one of the great development challenges is to ensure these personalities come alive within the video game. The connections between player and game character are vital, and the entire game must enhance these relationships at every opportunity.

So when it came to defining the attributes of each character, this approach was foremost in our minds. Respecting such a well-loved story meant taking care to build technologies that would enable the individual strengths (and weaknesses) to shine. Each of the four Pevensie children was designed with differing abilities--a feature that would underpin the gaming experience and lead to some exciting possibilities farther down the line. These abilities help mark out unique playing styles for each of the children. When, for example, the children are faced with deep snowdrifts that would impede their progress, it falls to Peter to use his height and strength by giving Lucy a piggyback. Not only do we have a thoughtful and logical addition to the gameplay, but also we strengthen the relationship between Peter and Lucy. It is a charming addition to the character development, and it helps us believe in the world, just as we have come to do with the books.

It's worth enjoying some of skills and attributes the children show throughout the game in order to understand how much detail is being placed into the game.

Peter, of course, is the eldest and strongest (can you see Edmund wanting to help Lucy through the snowstorm?). He may be unarmed at the start of the game, but you can be sure that he will find objects around to help him be a brave and stalwart brother. When Peter receives a special sword from Father Christmas, you know the action has become even more serious.

The four children will each boast entirely different abilities and attributes during gameplay.

Susan is the second-eldest child and is equipped with the ability to use ranged weapons, such as snowballs and the special bow given to her by Father Christmas. While her ivory horn gift becomes invaluable in calling for help, it is her ability to use Mr. Tumnus' panpipes to send creatures to sleep that shows us just how adaptable this young woman is.

Edmund follows next, and he proves to be the most agile of the children. He can fight, of course, but it is this agility that comes in useful throughout the game--especially when he starts to redeem himself.

Finally there is Lucy, the trusting soul through whom we first see Narnia in the book, and who proves to be as fierce and determined as any of the White Witch's minions. Lucy has the ability to heal her brothers and sister even before she receives the wonderful fire-flower cordial from Father Christmas. Her hardy spirit gets release through the little dagger and the skill of climbing on top of the wolves (among others) and controlling them while they do their best to shake her off. These are skills as exciting as they are useful--picked for the pleasure they bring to the narrative above anything else.

Of course, all the abilities in the world would not enhance the gameplay if the control method was put beyond the reach of most gamers. It is here where the game excels, once again, by following a tried, tested, and much-trusted formula of never letting the mechanics get in the way of the game. Selecting which character to use is a matter of pressing one button to cycle through each of the available children. Even using special abilities is as intuitive as can be. Pushing an object requires only one press of the button to grab it, while some actions occur by being in the right place at the right time. So if you are carrying a stick and move near a fire... Hey presto! It bursts into flame, giving you a useful torch with which to proceed deeper into... Well, that would be giving away too much.

The point of all this, of course, is to let the people and places of Narnia live. If we are to believe in the laws of Narnia, then nothing should stand in our way as we immerse ourselves in the plight and hopes of four ordinary children.

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe encourages this approach by taking advantage of the best in artificial intelligence. All of the Witch's minions are as diverse as the children, because the AI in the game bestows abilities, fears, and tendencies upon each of them. It's an individual approach that makes the black dwarves such challenging opponents as they keep back from the fray and fire arrows. Minotaurs will stomp in to combat and display distinctively "minotaur" behavior as they use their horns and skulls to knock the children over. Of course, there are many such creatures. Enormous giants, fast-and-dangerous ankle-slicers, howling werewolves, and the impervious cyclops are just further examples to excite the imagination.

You'll find plenty of familiar faces from the novel and the film.

The AI doesn't stop there, either, as even the children come under its magical spell when not being directly controlled. It is here that we see the strengths of the Pevensies working together to overcome even the seemingly insurmountable situations.

Special abilities, interactive environments, strong personalities, and armies of strange and magical creatures form the backbone of an experience that rests in the hands of the player. Our humanity, our ability to share and respond in the imagination of others, will take the game beyond this world. Nowhere is this more evident than when playing in two-player mode. Here the game allows a second player to dip in and out, helping the first player when required or simply engaging in the action for the sheer pleasure of working cooperatively to solve the puzzles and defeat the White Witch's chilling rule. In a world where four children can become kings and queens, it seems somehow fitting that we too can follow a similar destiny.