Golden Compass gets Shiny

Sega today revealed the first details of its game based on the upcoming holiday film The Golden Compass, itself an adaptation of the first book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials fantasy trilogy.

Scheduled for release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, and PC, The Golden Compass is under development at Shiny Entertainment, the Foundation 9-owned studio behind Earthworm Jim and, more recently, a pair of console games based on The Matrix films.

The game will feature the likenesses of the film's cast, including Daniel Craig (Casino Royale, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) and Dakota Blue Richards, the newly discovered actress who will play protagonist Lyra Belacqua. When asked if the game would include the likenesses of fellow cast members Nicole Kidman (Cold Mountain, BMX Bandits), Sam Elliott (Ghost Rider, Road House), and Eva Green (Casino Royale, Kingdom of Heaven), or any voice work from the stars, a Sega representative said it had yet to be determined.

Gamers will be able to take control of Lyra, her animal companion Pan, and their armor-wearing polar bear companion, Iorek Byrnison. As Lyra, players will rely on special items and sneakiness to make progress along the dangerous quest, while Iorek will provide a more physical presence with special attacks as he tries to protect Lyra. The game's 13 environments will consist of areas from the film as well as new environments that go beyond the silver-screen adaptation.

The Golden Compass should arrive in theaters December 7, with the Sega game adaptation set to precede it sometime this fall.