Lyra's sections of the game consist of platforming occasionally mixed with other elements. In some segments she has to use stealth to creep past some sort of obstacle; rather than making the gameplay exciting, these bits slow it down, making it even more tedious. There are no visual cues to indicate one's afoot, so it's possible to fail a section repeatedly without knowing why. The linear exploration of levels often involves collecting items or Alethiometer symbols in difficult-to-reach places. This can be done mostly by walking along inexplicably placed poles, trying to move the analog stick or tilt the Wii Remote to keep the balance meter stable.
Lyra is accompanied by her daemon Pan, the material incarnation of her soul. He can take on four different shapes, each of them carrying a special ability. The ermine allows Lyra to examine the surroundings in search of hints; the sloth can be used as a grapple to swing from one point to another; the hawk can grab Lyra and glide across long distances; while the wildcat can climb on special surfaces, such as sails and nets. Using Pan offers some variety compared to the rest of the experience, although it's nothing players haven't seen before.
The evasion and deception sessions are probably the worst aspect of The Golden Compass. Deceptions are activated when talking to other characters throughout the game: in order to get better answers, players have to beat a brief mini-game that often involves hitting or avoiding bouncing balls. They seem to be designed to add some strategy to the main action, but what they do instead is stretch the dialogue sections out needlessly so that they become an endless succession of question, mini-game, bad voice acting and so on. Evasion games only require players to hit one of the buttons on the d-pad as shown on the screen during a sequence. They are repetitive and often ridiculous, as attacking enemies end up destroying impossibly large portions of the environment by just rolling into them.
The Alethiometer, which is the golden compass itself, adds some puzzle elements to the gameplay. Each of the symbols shown on it has three different meanings, which can be learned by collecting them throughout the game. Once enough meanings are revealed, Lyra can ask the Alethiometer a question and try to decipher the answer. Sometimes this is required to proceed in the game, while other times it's optional. It can be slow, but at least it adds some originality to an otherwise bland title.
The Golden Compass isn't the worst game based on a movie, but it's close. It's a combination of uninspired platforming, poorly implemented mini-games and slow and broken storytelling. Some sections require forced replays in order for players to understand what to do next, because the game does a poor job of explaining what's going on. It's not even worth collecting the Achievement Points on Xbox 360, as they are distributed in a way that forces players to endure the most tedious elements of the game. People will have even less to show for the time spent on other versions. Regardless of platform, there are far better titles young gamers can play.
