When it comes to licensed movie tie-ins, The Spiderwick Chronicles is one of the better games in the bunch. While not the most compelling of games, the overall experience is a solid one - at least for its younger target audience.

One of the first things you'll probably notice is that the game is incredibly dark. Although you are prompted to adjust the brightness the first time you start up the game, you'll likely have to max it out regardless of display. I tried it on both my home display and one in my office with the same results. Though it isn't a major issue, it is something that is worth noting - especially for younger players, so parents should stick around the first time the game is fired up.

Outside minor brightness issues, The Spiderwick Chronicles isn't much to look at, though it is still more than acceptable. The game world is big enough to offer plenty of places to explore and secrets to uncover, but small enough that it never feels overwhelming. One of the more impressive visual aspects are character animations, which have a sense of weight rarely seen in games. Mallory, a fencer, moves exactly how a well-trained fencer should move, while Jared kind of stumbles a bit while swinging his bat.

I haven't seen the movie, so I can't say for sure that the music in the game matches the movie or not. Either way, the soundtrack is great and really fits the overall mood of the game as well as adding a nice bit of shine to particular gameplay moments. The same can't be said for the voicework, which ranges from okay to outright bad. Mallory and Jared sound okay, but Simon sounds like he is just reading things off a piece of paper.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is based on the recent film adaptation of the book series. The game's title refers to a field guide that serves as the plot's central item. Years ago Arthur Spiderwick discovered an unseen (literally) world and decided to keep a journal of his discoveries. Years later, a group of kids discover the book after moving into Spiderwick's mansion, unleashing all kinds of problems. Actually, the game seems to assume you've either seen the movie or read the books since many of the plot's inner workings are glossed over. For example, the book's importance is never fully explained, nor is the reason the main villain wants the thing. While it is easy to dismiss this since "only fans will play it", some explanation might be nice for newcomers. There are also a number of small inconsistencies between the in-game story and what is presented during movie clips, though this isn't that big a deal except for people who tend to notice that kind stuff.

Gameplay is set in a semi-open world and revolves mostly around item collection and combat. Over the course of the game, you'll control all three of the kids. Although each has their own combat abilities, they pretty much play the same way. Of the three, the only oddball is Simon, whose ooze-launching shotgun makes combat incredibly difficult. The range and spread is nice, but he's still a generally weak character. Item collecting and exploration are also a major element; most chapters will require you to search for items or discover new paths through the game's interconnected world. One of the game's stronger aspects is that it always keeps you engaged. Though there are a few slow moments, there's never a point where you have nothing to do. At the same time, gameplay does tend to settle and leaves many of the more interesting aspects hanging.

As you travel around the world, you'll discover sprites, which you can catch. You can carry up to three sprites at a time and when activated, they grant special abilities or heal your character. This is a cool concept, though most of the special abilities are worthless. The only time the system is really exploited is during a puzzle that requires you to first decipher a riddle then use three specific sprites to solve a puzzle. More sprite integration like this would have gone a long way. Another underused aspect is the idea that some things are only visible while looking through a stone circle. Unless you complete a side-quest that unlocks permanent vision, you can only see sprites and goblins in a limited radius. This adds some excitement to battles since you always have to stay alert, but it could have been used for more than combat - such as discovering secret areas.

Depending on skill level, the main game takes about 10 - 12 hours to complete. Completionists can go back and try to finish the field guide, though I ran into a issue where one sprite refused to spawn in an area, which kept me from completing the guide. You'll also unlock a series of multiplayer games, though these feel like they were tacked on and aren't that interesting.

Early on the game does a lot of hand-holding, though that's to be expected in a game aimed at younger players. Once all three kid's play styles are introduced, the experience opens up and becomes directionless. You are usually given a vague goal and little idea about how to complete it. I spent a good hour or so searching for a special tree that would take me to another location in the game. I eventually found it through dumb luck, so I can imagine some younger players becoming frustrated with this. Many of the side quests go unannounced and aren't even hinted at. For example, the only reason I found out that Mallory's sword could be upgraded was because it was mentioned in an Achievement, and even then I didn't figure out how to upgrade the sword until AFTER I finished the game.

Collecting sprites can also become a bit tedious - at least if you're trying to complete the guide. The only way to tell if you haven't captured a sprite already is if you don't have to play a short painting mini-game after snagging it. Otherwise, there's no way to tell if you've already caught it. There were also a few times where the net clearly hit the sprite, but the capture didn't register.

Combat is incredibly simple and based mostly around button-mashing. Goblins drop teeth after they're defeated, which are used to unlock combos for each kid. With the exception of Simon, new combos go mostly unnoticed. Again, were it not for the Achievement unlocking, I probably wouldn't have had much of an idea that my abilities increased.

Except for Mallory, each kid also has use of a ranged weapon. Simon can throw rocks or fruit, while Jared (who is easily the most powerful of the three) can shoot ball bearings with his slingshot. First off, this leaves Mallory at a big disadvantage when facing enemies that can only be hit from a distance, and adds a bit of tedium to the game. Some puzzles can only be solved by certain kids, so you'll have to wait until you gain control of that particular child before you can complete it. This never impedes normal progress, though it makes a chore out of some side quests.

The Spiderwick Chronicles also makes use of the now overly-used quick time events. While I'm not totally against the idea, they need to have more of an existence within the game. Quick time events aren't integrated into gameplay all that well, so when they do pop up they feel out of place. I was especially disappointed that these events not only made up the entire final boss battle, but that the sequence went on for way too long, was completely directionless and - worst of all - mercilessly unforgiving.

Although it has its issues, The Spiderwick Chronicles is still a fun game, at least if you're in the game's target age group. There's always something to do or new to discover, which should keep younger players hooked.