The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Aslan wouldn't stand for this

Oh how wonderful. Summer blockbuster season is here again, and it won't be the same without an array of desperately rushed video game tie-ins to go with it. However, after the storming success of the Lord or the Rings gaming franchise, you'd think Disney might have learned to treat great literature with great respect, right?

Spawned from the same development company as Lego Star Wars the gameplay is so similar it's scary, even down to collecting countless gold and silver trinkets and switching characters to perform tasks. If it had any of the tongue-in-cheekness and wry humour of the lego series it may gone a little way to redeem itself. However, as it stands, Prince Caspian is an unimaginative and unoriginal wheeze of a game.

The camera is so dyspraxic it needs its own guide dog, and combat is about as complex as falling over. You can't even jump. If I may remind you, this is a platformer in the year 2008. Some progress would be nice.

Sword combat in Prince Caspian is comparable to the excitiment gained from a data-entry job. The addition of a bow and arrow could have gone some way to breaking the monotony, but unfortunately it's more aesthetic than functional. Aside from using it to kick-start setpieces, you'd probably do more damage throwing a shoe. Talking of setpieces, the odd one or two dotted about offer you a glimpse of how much better Prince Caspian could have been. If their film studio wasn't pinning them against the wall with a schedule, they might have had time to turn this Narnia escapade into more than just a quick money-spinner. Having said that, the relationship between the two has its benefits. Both concept art and rarely seen deleted scenes from the movie are unlockable by finding secrets and completing tasks.

Kids will no doubt lap this up like Angel Delight, though if you're aged 9 or above, there's nothing here for you. If you ARE younger than nine, then what the hell are you doing reading magazines with bikini clad women on the front cover? That's it. I'm calling your mum.