Summon the Wizard within you. The latest release in the Harry Potter franchise has recently come out in the cinema and all on gaming platforms. I will be reviewing the Wii version of the Half Blood Prince and giving my thoughts and opinions on it. To be fair I didn’t have high hopes the game as I know what to expect from movie licensed games but I was pleasantly surprised by this game. Even though the game is primarily for fans it does have a lot to offer as you will discover.So the game pretty much follows the storyline of the movie. You join Harry, Ron and Hermione as they embark on another adventure filled year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. During the gang’s sixth year new romances emerge among the students and an old adversary takes part in a devious plot. Harry will not only have to retrieve a key memory from the Professor Slughorn to determine Voldemort’s ultimate plan but also uncover the identity of the Half Blood Prince. As you play through Harry’s sixth year you will experience his carefree end-of-summer days playing quidditch at The Burrow, to the disturbing memories Dumbledore shares with him via the Pensieve, to the thrilling climax battling Death Eaters at Hogwarts.
The gameplay in the Half Blood Prince consists of two main features, adventure/exploring and duelling. It follows the regular format of Harry potter games where you use spells to collect, explore and continue on the adventure. The duelling and adventuring both have their own separate sets of spells and these are performed by various movements of the Wii remotes. Speaking of which (Wiimote) this is probably the most interactive game on the Wii I have played to date. There are three main tasks to perform with the Wiimote during the game – making potions, casting spells and chasing the snitch in Quidditch all three will be revisited numerous times during the game. During the potion making you must pick up containers containing ingredients, sometimes shake containers, add to cooking pot, fan the flames under cooking pot and stir – all instructions (or menu !) being given on screen. The casting spells involve how you use the Wiimote on objects eg pick up and throw and when chasing the snitch during the Quidditch games you must use the Wiimote as a target directing your character through large suspended stars.
There is a very vast world to explore and it looks beautiful . When I was playing I was like wow GTA Harry Potter. Hogwarts is beautiful and the characters interacting with you is brilliant. In the beginning though being dispatched to various areas of Hogwarts can be confusing when you’re not familiar with the layout but fear not a friendly spirit (Headless Nick ) will guide you. Also the running looks hilarious and Harry seems to be slower than every other pupil at Hogwarts. There are various clubs Harry can join such as the duelling and potion making classes. These provide a break from the hectic adventuring and are challenging and fun to play. During duelling though the characters you are fighting seem to be very similar. The AI uses the same tactics over and over again and after a while it becomes very easy to defeat them. Overall the gameplay is fun but Harry does sometimes handle heavily and there are too many fetch quests but these are only minor problems in an overall very enjoyable game to play.
Visually this game is stunning. It is definitely one of the better looking games on the Wii and the beauty of Hogwarts is magnificent. The world as I mentioned is huge and the character models are wonderfully designed. Spells look great and they all have their own look and feel. There are also numerous characters to interact with in Hogwarts. Various students wander through the school however occasionally the frame rate does suffer but only occasionally. The out standing part of the game is definitely the sound. Orchestrated music and great voice dialog by many of the real movie actors is brilliant. The sound effects from running, casting etc are top notch too and they sound just how they are portrayed in the movie.
Overall Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince really does justice to the movie and the book. This game is nearly the complete Potter package. Gorgeous menus and by far the most immersive game created by EA and the huge world is fantastic. There is a tonne of variety and dozens of unlockables too. The cinematics look great however sometimes the sound and the characters faces/actions don’t quite match which does look funny. Overall this is a must buy for Potter fans and other gamers will definitely appreciate the game too
I give this game an 9 / 10
Marks out of 10
Sound: 9.5 – amazing atmosphere ,music score, and voice dialogue
Graphics:9– excellent - just need to tweek voice/ facial movement
Gameplay: 9– definitely trying to maximise use of Wiimote
Lifespan: 7 – Playable until the next installment !
Top Star goes to the engaging gameplay with the Wiimote
