Ubisoft demonstrated gameplay at E3 this week for The Adventures of Tintin: The Game, the tie-in for the upcoming animated film produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Steven Spielberg.

The presentation began with the film trailer. This was followed by a recorded introduction by Spielberg and Jackson, proudly describing the game as “very cinematic” and faithful to the film. Following that, the lead Ubisoft developer asked us to don our 3D glasses, and fired up the demo.

Most of the gameplay shown took place aboard the SS Karaboudjan, a cargo ship Tintin has stowed away aboard, as he dodges volleys from smugglers who are trying to get him off the ship, Later, Tintin must escape the sinking cargo ship, as rising ocean waters threaten to drown him. These levels play as side-scrolling platformer, but the 3D effect make the set pieces feel so deep and impressive, it nearly counters the linear gameplay.

Along the way, Tintin joins Captain Haddock, and the game switches to co-op play, as the two must manipulate objects to make their way through levels. In a level taking place inside Haddock’s dream, the duo have the ability to turn themselves into dogs to crawl under small spaces. On yet another level, gameplay switches from sidescroller to top-down 3rd-person, as the team are pursued on motorcycle by smugglers, and Tintin has to shoot at them.

Overall, I was impressed with both the look and the gameplay, and look forward to the game’s release, which should coincide with the film’s theatrical release this holiday season. The game will be available for XBox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, & 3DS. Check out the game trailer below.

Trailer