DVDizzy Forum

Well, this is an excellent game. I'm playing the PS3 version (But, once again – like Pirates of the Caribbean – the demo download on the Xbox 360 has a smoother frame rate. Sigh. What exactly did I buy a PS3 for?) but all non-portable console versions are just as good – being as the main selling point is a huge virtual Hogwarts with no loading times.

It may not sound that good, but it's great. Never before has a video game had such a realistic environment – and yes, I do think it tops the Grand Theft Auto games. Everything from Harry Potter has been recreated in loving detail. You really will recognise the rooms and areas from the movies. My favourite area is the Prefects' Bathroom from Goblet of Fire, which nails the film set 100%

And talking of sound, sound plays just as an important part of recreating Hogwarts as does the visuals. The sound is amazing, from environmental sounds, to actual speech. Most (but not all) of the movie's cast provide the voices, and there's a pleasing feel of banter between all three of the leads when playing, even when not specifically triggered by a pre-scripted event. But apart from that there's lots of other background speech and sounds that really bring Hogwarts to life, from Pictures, to students to talking gargoyles (one or two of which are hilarious). One nice touch is when you're playing about with Mandrakes and put on earmuffs, all of the sound is distorted. (And you could say it makes some of Hermione's nagging bearable).

Hogwarts is huge – I reckon walking from the boathouse to the top floor of the building takes over 20 minutes. Don't worry though, you won't get lost thanks to the Marauder's Map (which even know about Portrait shortcuts once you discover the passwords), meaning you can locate just about anyone or any place in an instant.

I'm currently 49% complete, even though I have gathered together most of Dumbledore's Army. I'm having problems with Colin and his camera. It breaks my heart everytime I leave the square to hear Ron exclaim "Aren't you going to 'elp him mate?", But currently I just can't get to his camera.

I'm still hunting talking gargoyles too for Professor Binn's homework in order to recruit another of the DA (sorry, forgotten his name). This means that Hermione constantly reminds me that "we should be looking out for talking gargoyles for Professor Binn's homework" which, admittedly, does get old quite fast.

Also, I'm convinced that I've explored all (or almost all) of Hogwarts. So I'm a bit perplexed where all the flying creatures could be. I have 3/5 so far. That said, I only discovered the bats last night (climb over the side of the Stone Bridge and down the drainpipe to disturb them roosting under one of the bridge's arches). The same is also true for the footprints. Where can the other footprints actually be?

I'm also stuck in the Prefect's bathroom. I've managed to find the egg, but it just screeches! I've put it into the sunken bath, but I don't know how to fill it with water! I've tried everything. On a similar note, I'm sure you can open the secret passage to the Chamber of Secrets in Moaning Mrytle's bathroom. There are some discoveries in her bathroom I've yet to find, you see.

The final troubling thing is Fred and George's parcels. I think I've got two of these so far. What's worrying is I can't even see the others, let alone get them! I think gathering all of these together may be the biggest challenge of the lot.

Here's my review of the Wii version:

http://au.gamespot.com/wii/adventure/ha ... ?id=473905

By no means perfect, but an engaging an intuitive journey into the world of Hogwarts and magic. Now you can "be" Harry!
One of the biggest complaints that film tie-ins and licensed games get is that they are cheap cash-ins to not-so-cheap films. Typically, this is due to the games using existing engines and having a few filmic elements stuck on top of them. This tends to be frustrating for gamers and fans alike, the latter of whom relish the idea of "being" the character they have enjoyed so much in other mediums. However, this is not the case with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for the Wii, a game that not only lets you "be" Harry Potter, but fully draws you into its magical world.

Loosely following the storyline of the film and the J.K. Rowling source material of the same name, the game - after a brief training session in the secret Order of the Phoenix HQ - sticks you smack-bang in the middle of Hogwarts. Your quest, for the most part, will be running a series of chores around the place as you look for specific objects, people and ultimately build an army of young wizards in the fight against the recently returned evil wizard Voldemort. However, you don't have to stick strictly to the plot of the film, as the game allows you to run around and discover all the secrets of Hogwarts, and that is half the fun right there. A secret room rewards your discoveries in the form of interviews, magical items and other bits and pieces.

The much talked about motion controls using the Wii-remote are possibly some of the most intuitive to date. Just as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess allowed players to literally take their sword and shield in hand, the Wii-mote acts as a wand, with the nunchuck largely controlling direction and speed (the 'Z' button lets you break into a run). Most of the spells required in the game are a simple flick of the wrist. For example, the "Accio" summoning spell is a simple pulling motion. "Reparo", the repairing spell, requires a circular motion. These are all very intuitive and actually draw you that one step further into the Potter world. It won't be long before you are running down the corridors, busting out spells on the fly. Occasionally, some of the controls are a little frustrating (a levitation spell is often unwieldy to control once the object is airborne), and when these require putting an object in a certain spot it can cause the odd profanity to escape from your Wii-lips. That said, this is one of the more impressive and clever uses of a Wii-mote to date, all the more so because this is a "mere" film tie-in.

Graphically, this is one of the more impressive Wii offerings. The console, which is often accused on being a GameCube 2.0 (especially in the graphics stakes), has really started to come into its own in 2007 and there are some truly breathtaking vistas in this game. While the corridors of Hogwarts can look a little samey, albeit broken up by a multitude of portraits and characters roaming the grounds, it is the outdoors that really shines. The camera pulls back to reveal a grandness not often seen on the Wii, and you get a real sense of the Hogwarts grounds being an actual place and not a collection of building-shaped pixels. However, in an attempt to have a "seamless" experience without pauses as the game loads a new room, the game often slows down the frame-rate noticeably as the games "loads as it goes". This means that you will often be running along a corridor, or skipping through the fjords, only to be forced to slow down to a walk as the game loads the path ahead. Further, the choppy nature of the cutscenes require that you've either read the book or seen the movie to truly know what is going on. However, chances are that if you've bought this game, you've already done both of those things. It's never too distracting, but it is one of the small stones in the path to true authenticity.

The sound is where the game really shines though. It is obvious that the makers have gone to some effort to bring a full sonic experience to the game, with the orchestral score ranging from subtle to epic. Chatter is heard all through the corridors, and there is enough variation that you don't hear the same four lines spoken by the AI over and over. Your almost constant companions of Hermione and Ron do offer similar comments throughout their tenure, and Hermione can get a tad irritating at times (just like in the books and films)! "That's great, Harry," she'll say "Only four more to go". However, the makers of the game have provided some levity in this repetition, especially with responses from Ron to the effect of "We may not be as clever as you are, but we can count". Harry Potter gets a bit meta! Speaking of voices - and I intend every pun I make - the use of the actual actors from the films for the most part brings additional authenticity to proceedings.

This isn't exactly Grand Theft Auto: Hogwarts, as the endless running around and chore hunting can often seem tedious and there is less variation than those famous Rockstar games would offer a serious gamer. However, it does follow a similar formula that provides mini-games, rewards-based chores and side-quests. Indeed, there is an "Endless Day" mode that allows you to do all those little things you may have missed when the main story element is over. This is probably more rewarding than following the main story, as it gives you the freedom that most film tie-ins don't It may not be perfect, but it earns big points for being one of the most ambitious games for a film tie-in to date. While the story element to the game is a little weak, and at worst it is "too easy", it does let you run around and do a whole heap of random mischievous stuff without consequence, and if that isn't "being" Harry Potter, then I don't know what is!

7.7/10

Nice reviews guys! I might have to give the Wii version a rental to check it out. ..

It seems only the Wii version is worth it for me. Nothing is more fun than pretending you have a wand and doing the spells and charms yourself! (Now if only the Wii remote could be changed into the shape of a wand.)

Thanks for your reviews guys! It's all I needed to know to make sure the Wii version of Harry Potter has all the features I wanted/imagined.

Onto finding a used Wii at Gamestop!

A video review: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/20948.html

I have it for the DS but I DESPERETLY need a Wii so i can pretend I have magic...xD

I think I'm gonna buy the Wii version.

I've been hearing nothing but good things about this. And the idea of a HP videogame that allows you to explore Hogwarts is exactly what I've been waiting for.

PatrickvD wrote:I think I'm gonna buy the Wii version.

I've been hearing nothing but good things about this. And the idea of a HP videogame that allows you to explore Hogwarts is exactly what I've been waiting for.

meh, I've only heard mediocre/bad things about it
http://www.gamespot.com/wii/adventure/h ... lt;title;1[/code]