Fairly decent - what "Deep Labyrinth" should have been.

User Rating: 8.2 | Eragon DS
I was looking for a fairly priced ($30) RPG game for the DS. Eragon fits the bill nicely. It uses the sort of spell system one sees in "Lost Magic" and "Deep Labyrinth", but couples it with a workable 2.5D open world - the main reason, besides cost, I chose this over "Final Fantasy III". I only have a passing familiarity with the Eragon saga, so it's not because of fandom that I picked up this title - I wanted an AD&D style 1st-person gaming environment, which Eragon does provide.

It does have interesting "features" that might not appeal to everyone. Flying the dragon through rings reminded me too much of "Starfox", and many of the quests are little more than scavenger hunts. But for a small, handheld game it really does excel. Walking around in the town buildings and talking to residents, or interacting with NPCs in the wilderness, delivers a real depth to the gaming experience - despite the fact that the "orcs" sit around while you pot them with arrows, it really does transcend the sort of "rat hunt" experience one might have gotten in the old Everquest game. It's unfortunate that a multiplayer option doesn't exist (this game just cries out for WiFi support), but for the price and convenience of play I'm more than satisfied. Highly recommended.