The third installment in the Harry Potter series is currently in the cinemas, so it’s no surprise to find a console game of the film on the shelves of stores across the country.
The plot of the game closely follows the storyline of the book and the film. A man who was somehow entangled in the deaths of Harry’s parents has escaped from captivity and is out to find Harry. But what are his intentions?
One of the elements of this game that works really well is the fact that you can switch between three characters very easily. You can play as Harry, Hermione or Ron. Each of these characters has special skills that will be necessary to in order to complete
certain levels. For example, Harry seems to be gifted with athleticism and agility, allowing him to hurdle over gaps and obstacles; Ron Weasley is good at sniffing out hidden items and passage ways; and Hermione Granger can fit herself into nooks and
crannies where the boys would fear to tread.
The game’s action starts onboard the Hogwarts Express train, just before the start of our heroes third term at Hogwarts. This opening level is relatively simple to play but allows the player to master the controls of the game and get used to switching between two characters — Ron and Harry. This level also introduces us to the games scariest and most impressive characters — the wraith-like Dementors.
The rest of the game allows the player to fully explore the now familiar campus of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The designers at EA have done a beautiful job in realising the look of Hogwarts as seen in the movies and as described by JK Rowling in her books. The sweeping stone staircases that are the arteries of the school are all present and accounted for. The portraits that demand passwords, the secret passages, the ghosts and, in fact, any element of the books or films all make an appearance at some point or other of the game.
The core gameplay is 3D action/adventure. You are expected to take control of your characters and run them ragged around Hogwarts as they collecting Bertie Bott’s
Every Flavour Beans and Wizard cards. Occasionally there are levels of the game that can only be passed by using stealth but these are few and far between and most of the gameplay involves throwing switches and moving boxes to allow Harry and his pals
climb to higher platforms. There are of course magical spells to be collected and cast.
These spells can either be weapons of offense or defense and it is important to match the correct spell to the situation you find yourself in. There is plenty of game-play here that will keep an adult gamer happy for a weekend or perhaps two, but the game really is designed with the younger gamer in mind and really isn’t all that challenging. Junior gamers will, however, enjoy the fact that when
they do get stumped by a puzzle that eventually Hermione or Ron will prompt them with a clue like ‘I wonder what that lever over there does?’. The game is never patronising nor scornful of its young audience, just like the books and movies.
The game’s cinema sequences blend seamlessly into the game play itself, this game has loads of atmosphere — a lot more atmosphere than would expect from a game that primarily targets a younger audience. The real villains of the game, the Dementors, are as creepy a creation as I’ve experienced in many far more adult horror
titles.
Graphically, the game is a masterpiece, the characters look and move in the game just as convincingly as they do in the cinematic sequences. The surroundings that the animated characters move through are just as convincing. As in any 3D title of this nature, there are problems with the camera, sometimes it just refuses to point in the direction you need it to. Luckily these camera issues aren’t insurmountable and normally correct themselves pretty quickly.
This really is a game for the whole family. While I did find it to be a little bit short, I have no doubt that a younger player would find the play a little more challenging and rewarding. There are Eye-Toy mini games to be found within the game, adding value to this title for gamers lucky enough to own an Eye-Toy. All-in-all this is a fun game that will delight and engage fans of the Harry Potter series of films and books.
12/07/04
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