It's unbearable to see a good book turn into a crap game.
If you have read the book you'll know most of the charcters like Lyra, Pan, Roger or Iorek. If seen the movie you'll find this game really broken with bad control quality and dead graphics like The Chronicles of Narina which was anathor broken game that load people brought and found out that it was awful to them.
Gameplay really stright foward when you playing as Lyra and Pan. Pan can change to other animals like Hawk, or Sloth or WildCat to get to high places or climbing, also there are also itmes to collect to evade or deceive enemies where there a few mini games while your talking to a person in oirder to move on or get somting rare. There is also compass work where you have to find what everyone esle is upto kinda like reading peoples minds but The Alethiometer is a tool to solve puzzles and reconniseing symbols where ever you go to look for clues, depending if its easy or hard. The goal is to focus the circle of light is you either get the symbols right or wrong. Play Irorex is very easy to get the hang og your mostly defending from enemies if you get hit and slashing enemies with your bare hands.
The graphics look abit dull specially from SEGA wich have once again messed up anathor game like Sonic the Hedeghog on 360 or PS3. Sounding your mostly hearing the same music and same speeches from the charcters which is annoying if your playing it. I only read the book and found this game really bad games based on movies were always this bad on games, I wouldn't recommend getting this game.