Way back in 1999 when the first Brendan Fraser-led occult action flick The Mummy debuted in theaters, Vivendi Games was on hand to develop the movie game tie-in, with Konami publishing. For the 2001 Universal Pictures sequel, The Mummy Returns, Vivendi took over game publishing duties and exported development to the burger slinger Blitz Games.
A little bit Indiana, a little bit Prince of Persia. Now, with Universal slated to drop The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the third installment in the franchise, on theaters August 1, Vivendi has once again returned to supply the game, this time through its soon-to-be subsumed subsidiary, Sierra Entertainment. A direct tie-in to the film, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor will release in North America a week before its silver-screen counterpart, on July 22 for the Wii, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo DS, while Europe will get the game a week after the film, on August 8.
Eurocom Studios (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End) will handle console editions of Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, while A2M (Power Rangers: Super Legends) will supply the DS version of the game. A third-person action adventure, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor lets players live out the roles of film stars Brendan Fraser and Luke Ford as Rick and Alex O'Connell, battling servants of the Dragon Emperor (Jet Li). Players will rely on both their gunplay and their hand-to-hand melee prowess to navigate levels, and the game will also factor in puzzle-solving elements.
Sierra's recently launched Web site for the game has more information.