An overall mediocre game that both ruins the movie and the book. Just a remake of LOTR games by the same company.
If you don't want to see any spoilers, just recommend this review now :D
The first thing you'll notice is the graphics. All in all they're so-so, but for an HD system that's been out almost a year now, they definitely need an improvement. After the shock of the graphics has faded, you'll notice that you have no control over the camera. This, however, is usually not a problem since the camera is centered upon the character and the targeting reticle can be seen off-screen. As for the fighting, if you've played any of the Lord of the Rings games by Vivendi, it's the same exact thing mostly. The worst part is that, unlike the LOTR games, you don't pick up any new moves throughout the game. The levels on dragon-back do have fun moments and help to break up the monotony of the on-foot levels, but the levels themselves are only infinite repetitions of flying through the same area, shooting the same guys, and breathing fire on the same locations. If you've never read the book, then chances are you're going to be lost because the story sequences are thin most of the game, and at times nonexistent. If you have read the book you will still be confused at points, like me, and probably extremely disappointed at the changes that have been made, such as Saphira's ability to breathe fire, the fact that Arya already knows Eragon before they meet, or the defeat of the ra'zac with brom still intact. The story also seems to place Durza in extremely high regard, with little mention of the King. This game is extremely easy as well, I played on hard my first try through and only died once before the final boss, which only took two tries. There are certain parts of the game in which stealth is recommended as to avoid hard fights, like 20 on 2, but these battles are still easy enough to get through on hard. Another thing that I found annoying with the XBOX360 version is that you can beat the entire game on hard (the hardest difficulty) but then still have to go back and beat it on normal for half of the achievements. The "secret eggs" aren't hidden very well on most levels, and on flying levels if you miss them once you have to go all the way around again before you can grab them. The voice acting is alright, done by the actual actors of the movie from what I know. If you can look past the fact that this game has poor graphics and is the same thing the company released years ago, it might be worth a rent. If you can't look past that then this will just have to serve as a quick 1000 achievement points or a sneak-peek into the movie; although I hope to god that this isn't anything like the movie and that, if Eldest gets a game too, it's nothing like this one. For me, it was just a quick dose of distorted nostalgia. Enjoy! (or try not to cry, laugh, or toss your controller at the screen in pure agony of the $60.00 (or $8 for the rent.)) Poolshark, out.