Jump on the dragon and head for the sky...
Magic isn't restricted for use on objects, but they can also be used to attack enemies thanks to the push and pull magic spells. For example, you can push enemies off the side of a bridge or pull them towards you and send them diving face first over a ledge. The animations are well captured and as you send Kull tumbling to their death they'll be waving their arms and legs frantically in the air. Adding magic into the fighting equation does add some variety to the combat and switching between these three types of fighting techniques is the most entertaining way to play through each level, but due to the limitations imposed on exploration and the stop and start fighting sequences, the game becomes extremely repetitive. On a positive note, the highlight of combat is being able to call in your dragon, Saphira, who will help you out whilst in a melee situation. This is restricted to certain areas in the levels where you see the dragon symbol appear, but when he does arrive it's an excellent animation that sees him swooping down to grab an enemy or smashing towers with his powerful tail.
Click for larger imageThere are certain levels in Eragon where you'll take part in flying missions and jump on the back of your trusty dragon. The environments that you'll fly through are extremely well detailed as you travel across glistening rivers and over lush forests, but the flying mechanic does have a rather steep learning curve due to its sensitive controls. The flying mission are set on 'rails' so you don't move the dragon forward yourself, instead you'll be sent on a linear path where you have to dodge and weave around trees, under bridges and over mountain tops. As you make your way through the flying levels Saphira can get injured by bumping into objects, but you can replenish her health by catching any of the doves that you might see flying in the distance. Whist attempting to navigate around objects and chasing doves, enemies shoot at you from the top of hills or the ground so it becomes quite difficult to focus on shooting and making sure your dragon doesn't fly head first into a tree. Personally, I found flying to be frustrating, mainly due to the 'rail' method employed but, providing you can get to grips with the sensitive controls of Saphira, the flying missions are a welcome change to the fighting sequences.
Click for larger imageAside the the two main elements of the gameplay - fighting and flying - you'll discover chests which inevitably hide power or health orbs allowing you to replenish your health meter or fill your power bar so you can cast even more magic spells. Most movie spin-offs now have un-lockable content allowing you to view cut scenes and interviews from the movie and Eragon is no different; hidden in the depths of each level you'll find one blue egg that will unlock goodies from the movie in the main menu. Eragon has little replay value, mainly because enemies will always spawn in the same location and generally act in exactly the same way as before, so if you've missed an egg, it's unlikely you'll have the motivation to play through the level again.