BBC’s Doctor Who game hits the states

The BBC has seen a lot of buzz surrounding this season’s “Doctor Who,” with the recasting of the titular role as well as the show’s omnipresent companion. Now it’s hoping that excitement will carry over into the gaming world.  

The broadcaster has released the first two chapters of an episodic game based on the series (and featuring voice work by Matt Smith and Karen Gillan) to the U.S. and other territories. (U.K. gamers got their hands on it last month.)

Unlike the Brits, who got the game for free, other global citizens will have to pay $4.95 for the pair – entitled "City of the Daleks" and "Blood of the Cybermen". The games, developed by Sumo Digital, are available exclusively via Direct2Drive.com.

The episodes currently for sale have received decent, though not glowing, reviews from the gaming press, though most critics agreed people who weren’t fans of the series would probably wonder what the big deal was.

Developers are reportedly working on two more installments to the game, though no release date has been announced yet. The U.S. release of the games comes as BBC America prepares to air the season finale of Doctor Who Saturday night.