I use a different format for reviewing then most. Hope you enjoy the review
I know what you are thinking. Because it is based off of a movie that is based off a book, there is little to no chance that this will be anything more than a flop game on par with Ironman and the previous Harry Potter installments (excluding Qudditch Cup). Every game has had their own brand of problems, some being addressed, while others get worse. The fifth game nearly destroyed my interest in even trying out the game, but because I am a HP nerd and have not only beaten all of the predecessors and have read the books more times than people read in a life time (17 a pop) I pressed on. When I did, I was in absolute shock at the fact that some of the problems in Order were addressed (the major ones mind you) and also made the game bearable and even fun.....
Graphics: -5 (5/10)....
This is in no way shape or form using the PS3's potential. Environments are simple and certain character models look absolutely atrocious (Hermione and Snape just to name two). However, the ambiance and amount of activity of the school has impressed me. There is always something going on inside the school and the inside has filled with incredible detail. Ghosts pop in and out of walls and every picture gives off the distinct feeling of being active. Not to mention the students around the school are always involved with something or another. I did not notice any frame-rate issues at all. And when your character is sprinting over the grounds of Hogwarts, there is a nice blur that distorts your surroundings. Very nice touch.....
Sound: -4 (6/10)....
The musical score by Nicholas Hooper (with hints of John William's themes) are definitely the highlight of the game. The beautiful scores delicately play in the background as you walk through the castle and is quite pleasing to listen too. However, in certain activities, the same music is used (like taking part in the dueling club) and gets old over time. The weakest aspect to be addressed is the God-awful voice acting by a majority of the characters. Every time I hear Bellatrix utter a syllable, I want to stab my ears with pencils. And the way the characters converse just doesn't really feel like a conversation at times. It feels too clunky, forced and not smooth. And the occasional one-liner that is thrown out can be humorous or horrendous. The actual actors involved (such as Tom Felton and Rupert Grint) do a very nice job at delivering their lines and are able to bring their characters more to life then the others and some of the talk-a-like actors (Slughorn and Dumbledore in particular) do passable jobs as they attempt to give their characters some life The sound effects are spot on, on a good note. Casting a spell and knocking someone on their arse is like **** and beer, soaring through the air on a broom is nice and the clinking of bottles during potions class fit together about as good as a PB&J with a glass of milk. ....
Controls: -4 (6/10)....
This is one of the areas in which Order fell flat on its face. The biggest flaw was the horrendous camera. You could not control it and would adjust to awkward angles at critical moments. However, it is better tuned for this game by assigning it to the R2 button, which greatly decreases any sort of camera foul-up. The game is third person and predominantly stays behind the character. A wonderful adjustment. Next are the controls for the various activities you perform at the school. Dueling is more tactical this time around and they even introduce the act of dodging which is one of the best things they could have added. Spells are slightly more simplified so that it does not take an hour to cast them or accidently casting the wrong spell (although it will happen occasionally when charging a Stupefy and suddenly changing to Protego). Any other wand related movement (right analog stick) has been tuned and tweaked and feels more instinctual (is that a word) and becomes habit. Next, is potion making, which presents certain difficulties but is not unreliable in the slightest. In certain cases, you have to either stir a potion (rotate right analog stick) either incredibly slow or insanely fast. I don't know if this was supposed to be the feeling of the different mixtures but it does become quite irksome on occasion. As does the heating of the potions (moving right analog stick up and down repeatedly). You will have the occasional glitch in the matrix, but again, this can be overlooked. And then we get to qudditch. This is far more simplistic then in previous games, but it doesn't take away from the overall experience, in a sense. All you do is control the broom and fly through stars until you catch the snitch. It occasionally gets harder, so if you miss one you better make damn sure you don't miss another otherwise you will fail because you are timed. ....
Style: - 6 (14/20)....
We'll start with the deductions first, then get to the good stuff. First you have to account for the lack of graphical competence. Second, you have par-borderline-bogey voice acting. But the biggest BIGGEST problem with this game, and they reason for the deduction is the lack of diversity. I mean really, you move point A to point B, and in the process perform one of the three tasks in the game (duel, fly, or brew). That's it. They all have their strong points and is definitely a step up from the last game in terms of variety (don't get me started on the long disgusting droll that was platforming and pointless side missions). But after awhile, it gets stale. In dueling, you can easily spam your way by casting Levicorpus and then sending a fully-charged Stupefy. In a brighter note, the spells act, look and feel as the books have described them and pack quite a punch. Potions, it's mostly the same stuff, placed in a different order and Quidditch (which is probably the biggest of three evils) you have to do twice in a row. You have to fly around and catch the snitch and then do it all over again. It gets old quickly and easily the weakest part of the activities. It doesn't feel like an actual quidditch game. There is no dodging bludgers or weaving in and out of other players with pin-point precision. It's just fly through the stars and occasionally kick the opposing team's seeker. That's it.....
Now for the good stuff. Gone are the days where you were training to become Hogwarts High Janitor. There is NEVER a time where you need to dust carpets, repair anything or bewitch brooms and mops to clean the floors. You do not have to continuously find people, perform some kind of unrelated task and then repeat an unnecessary amount of times. The pace of the game is very quick and easily one of the bigger improvements. This makes the game incredibly short (maybe 2-3 hours if you just go through story line). Exploring the grounds at Hogwarts is still the highlight as far as playing the game goes. It's just a magical place and they greatly expanded it too. The footprint trail system as been removed (thank God) and as been replaced by Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (a.k.a Nearly Headless Nick). All you do is tap the Select button and he will float appear and lead you right to where you need to go. And his occasional quips are entertaining. Sprinting is also been given better treatment. Normally you do a brisk run or walk by tilting the stick more lightly. The portraits are great too (and what do you know, no stupid quest to obtain the password either). They simply give it to you when you reach an area of the game that requires you to use it. There are a number of things to unlock and come across. You come across Crests and Mini-Crests in order to unlock more powerful spells and introducing for the first time, Two Player Dueling. You unlock characters to duel your friends and enemies alike. You can attend any of the clubs related to the 3 activities I have mentioned throughout and get scored and earn badges. So, although it does lack diversity, it still did a fine job at making the things you can do interesting and fun. And for fans of the books and movies, certain scenes, crucial scenes and dialogue are Accio-ed from the book instead of the movie. Some very good stuff there. Oh, and the part where Harry drinks the Felix Felicis Lucky Potion is probably one of the funniest and amusing parts I have seen in a video game to date.....
Fun: -6 (14/20)....
Go to point A, duel, accomplish task, go to point B, brew a potion, accomplish task, go to point C, play quidditch,…..do you see where I'm going with this? ....
For most intents and purposes, this is the most fun game of the series. Dueling is easily the most fun. Not gonna lie. Making potions is a little less fun nut challenging and playing Quidditch is the least amount of fun and gives less challenge then either of the following. But, it is good for what it is. The magic wears off near the end of the game and you try your best to get through these as quickly as possible. Definitely a step up from Order though.....
Extra Deductions: ....
-1 for atrocious Hermione, Malfoy and Snape models (seriously, they are as revolting as a vomit-flavored Bertie Botts bean).....
-1 for having less spells than the last few games. This actually may have the smallest selection (next to the 4th game).
Total Deductions: -27....
Bonus Points:....
+1 for good old, fast paced, action-filled dueling. Bloody hell, it should have been like this ages ago....
+1 for a faster paced and less demanding game in general....
Final Grade: 75/100- C....
A good solid C. That's about what this game is. Not worth buying unless it's under $20. But if you are looking for a nice diversion game, this will be good for renting. With some polish in areas of graphics and sound and a huge kick in the diversity ass, who knows? Maybe the next and final game(s?) can be what Harry Potter fans and even gamers can enjoy and give some praise to. The one thing I highly praise about this is that it is a cut above the other inadequate Harry Potter garbage games and gives you an actual (albeit small) feeling of actually being involved with the Harry Potter universe.....