Introduction
From a bestselling book written by a 15 year old to a brand new video game is, Eragon. This game is filled with action and adventure. Rated T for teen, this game is worth playing.
The Story
The adventure begins with a young farm boy, who lives in a poor familywith his uncle and cousin and must hunt fast for a harsh winter is approaching. On his hunt he finds a magical dragon's egg, and a legacy is born. King Galbatorix sends soldiers to Eragon's small village to find the egg, which is of great importance to him.
Not knowing what this new dragon means, Brom a man who used to by a dragon rider, helps Eragon and trains him to fight. Brom and Eragon must travel with the dragon Saphira to the Varden, to protect the people of the Varden from the evil King.
Playable Characters
First of all, Eragon and Brom are the only two characters you can play with in the beginning. This is a two player game, so the only time Brom can be played is when a second player has joined the fight. Later in the game, you will be able to play a level with Eragon on saphira's back. If two players are playing, then the second player controls Saphira while first player shoots arrows. Later in the story, Murtag joins the fight after Brom is killed. Murtag is especially skilled in fighting and helps Eragon out a great deal. Murtag is also played by the second player.
Controls and Combos
As on all Play Station 2 controllers, there are a few different buttons. On the controller there are four buttons on the right side, there is X, square, circle and triangle. On the right side of the controller there are four directional buttons. Up, down, left and right can be used to control your character, but it is much easier to use the joystick. On the top of the controller is four different buttons L1, L2, R1, and R2. In the middle of the controllers are the start and select buttons. Finally, the joysticks are under the start and select buttons. These can also be pressed, and are known as R3 and L3.
All of these buttons are used often in the game. X and circle are attack buttons. Circle is more of a heavy attack, as X is faster, and lighter. Square is used for blocking and tumbling. To block, you must hold down the square button, and pressing the square button while running will make you tumble. Finally, triangle is used for jumping. You can press triangle and then X or circle to do a mid-air attack.
As for the R and L buttons, the only ones you will really use will be R1, L1, R3, and L3. R1 and X are used for firing arrows. Holding the two buttons down, will make your character tighten their bow, and make a more effective shot. L1 and X, square, or circle are all used for magic. L1 and X as you will find in the second or third level, pulls enemies like archers to you. L1 and square as you will find make you generate a blue shield around you. Later in the game, near the last level, you will obtain my favorite power in the entire game. You will be able to set enemies on fire using L1 and circle. Using magic can only be done by Eragon. Therefore, if two players are playing, first player can use magic and second player can. As for arrows, both players can shoot arrows. R3 and L3 are used when on the bottom of the screen you see a green line and a yellow line are connected. You press these two buttons, and you get a sword power up for a limited amount of time. There are more combos as you will find in the very first level which is like a tutorial.
Health, Magic and More
At the bottom of the screen you will see two health bars. One health bar is for Eragon and one is for either Murtag or Brom. Every time your character gets hurt he loses a bit of health. As you can see, the red bar next to your character’s picture is his health bar. Under Eragon’s health bar is a blue bar. This empties every time Eragon uses magic, and Eragon is unable to use magic until the bar is full again.
Also, the green and yellow bars next to the health and magic bars fill every time you defeat an enemy. It grows when you see a small orb fly through the sky and hit your character. Do not be alarmed if you see this, because it just means you are a step closer to a power up. In every level, there are secret eggs hidden throughout the level. If you find one of these secret eggs, it unlocks a bonus feature which can be accessed through the main menu.
Enemies
Many followers of King Galbatorix will attack you on your journeys. Some of the different things you must face include Men. These soldiers are not very powerful, and are not much of a threat to Eragon and his allies. Urgals are annoying troll like beasts are quite a challenge to defeat, and are very common enemy. Soldiers are enemies that can either have shields or be powerful archers who shoot fire arrows. These enemies are quite common and drop lots of health after they die. Razac are extremely vicious when they are in battle. They are probably one of the hardest enemies to defeat, and they never really die. Finally, the final enemy you must face is Durzah. He is a powerful shade and it is very hard to defeat him.
Visuals and Sound
This game has very realistic graphics and sound. One of the things that I don’t like about this game is the blood. Every time an enemy is killed, blood flies in the air. Even when your character is being hit, you draw blood, and lots of it. As for every thing else, the character’s voices are realistic, and their faces look very human. Enemies make noises when they are in battle, and speak when they are about to attack.
My Opinion
My opinion of the game overall is that it is very good. As for the blood, I think that could’ve gone better, but this is still a great game. It isn’t too challenging, but it takes a bit of thinking, and skill. That is a important quality in video games in my opinion, and I don’t think this game could’ve been much better.
I purchased this game at a local game stop for $39.99. Rated T for teen this 2006 Sierra game is a must play. Take my word for it, it’s worth every penny.
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