Customer Reviews:
 Best Potter yet!! June 30, 2007
B. WEIR (Lancaster, UK)
32 out of 33 found this review helpful
After playing demos and reading reviews of Harry Potter 4, I was so disappointed that I didn't buy it, the first Potter game I haven't owned. So, while eagerly awaiting the 7th book, I was understandably not expecting much from the latest game. However, after reading a review, which touted its qualities, I took the plunge and bought it. My copy arrived this morning and already I love it. It is so different from previous games in terms of graphics and atmosphere, and the tasks are challenging enough to warrant serious effort. Whilst the controls aren't spectacular, they are steady and eassily manageable, and spell-casting, unlike previous button-bashing, is a joy - using the right analog stick to cast increasingly intricate spells.
The whole game is free-roaming, and there are literally no loading waits. It is possible to walk or sprint all the way from Hagrid's Hut to the Gryffindor Common Room. Not that you'd want to do it all that fast. With breath-taking graphics that show that the PS2 is far from dead, exploring Hogwarts is a privilege. There are many things to do in each and every room, which only you can discovere, sometimes with the aid of school friends. For instance, in the Gryffindor Common Room, small compared to other areas, there are logs to be put on the fire, wizard chess to play, portraits to talk too, and a snitch to find.
There are other small aspects to the game that make it the best Potter game yet. For instance, talking to the portraits will give you tasks to do in order to discover their password, to uncover areas of the castle. Also, by challenging schoolmates to games, you can become a champion at Exploding Snap, Gobstones, and Wizard Chess. The Marauder's map once again plays a big part, as you can select people or locations to find and then follow ghostly footprints in the game to find your destination. However, you may prefer to just wander around the castle at will, exploring secret areas and earning discovery points - a key part of the game, these can be earned by fixing things around the castle and unlockables can be found at the room of rewards.
The main thing about this game that makes it most different to the previous installments, is the feel of it. Hogwarts seems almost perfectly recreated from the films, authorized by J K Rowling - the characters are voiced by the real film actors andf, for the first time, the authentic film music is used. All of these add up to create an extra-special magical atmosphere that makes the game what it is. For once, the game is a credit to the books and the film and is worthy of the title Harry Potter.
FANTASTIC! BEST HP GAME YET!! July 5, 2007
Louisa Brooks (Essex, England)
29 out of 32 found this review helpful
After being thoroughly disappointed by the 4th game is was paranoid about buying the 5th in the series but I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO REGRETS!!
ITS AMAZING!! its much more like the second and third but BETTER! You can explore Hogwarts once more!! beautiful music, stunning visuals and wonderful character interaction! Not only this, but you have tons of freedom to do whatever tasks you want and there are millions of mini quests and secret passageways!
The other thing i love about it (and tbh most of the HP games) is that though it's visually a reminder of the film (especially in this game the makers have incorporated many corridoors like in the film), its also very true to the book. Little details add to the game such as like the fact that Snape sets Harry an essay on the properties of Moonstone - which hapens in the book! (don't look at me like that, i know this because i recently read the 5th book -_-)
I would definately recommend this to anyone, even if they're not a Harry Potter fan! who wouldn't enjoy venturing an enchanted castle, waving spells here and there?
 Harry Potter and the Labyrinth of the Hogwarts July 16, 2007
Mr. J. A. Owen (Staffordshire)
17 out of 19 found this review helpful
This game finally releases the player from the constraints of its forebears, where the emphasis is to try and save the Wizarding World between classes, but that you get reminded every few steps that "Its Transfiguration next Harry!". Harry, now in his fifth year, finally seems to be allowed to choose his own path around the school... its probably something to do with "study periods" for his OWLS exams and, like the book, you don't really spend much time revising hehe. The option to do studying still exists in minigames set by your teachers, though I haven't completed the entire game yet. I echo that the developers clearly have researched both the book source material and their own previous works to make Hogwarts a HUGE place to explore and it allows a certain consistancy with their earlier releases at least since Prisoner of Azkaban. The bonus unlockables of interviews with developers and cast echo EA Games earlier attempts with The Two Towers and The Return of the King for Lord of the Rings, and it is welcome. However one major criticism of this feature is Moaning Myrtle's "reminders" of new unlocked features every time you level up. In some ways it is interesting to make the player feel towards her in the same way that the characters do in the book (Oh no, not HER again) but at the same time I feel less sympathetic to her being killed by the Basilisk in Chamber of Secrets every time she descends from nowhere. The puzzles are a ranged mix, but generally involve chore-based tidying up of the school of broken statues, clearing of overgrown plants and replacing scattered portraits. Clearly the Slytherins had an end-of-year party just before the summer holidays after the Triwizard tournament.
Ron and Hermione definately have a glitch though developers, they consistantly block Harry's path if you want to double-back and, particularly on the grand staircase, stand in places which make the GPS like footstep feature almost impossible to make out at times. If it wasn't for this flaw in particular, I would have no qualms about giving it a full 5 stars.
Overall it is a faithful following to the book and film franchise.
Harry Potter. "The Boy Who Lived" June 30, 2007
Ms. Sheila K. Newcombe (brechin, scotland)
15 out of 18 found this review helpful
So as harry enters his fith year at hogwarts and you wonder should i get the fantastic best of the other harry potter games game?YES!!!the grapics are amazing.Hogwarts is amazing.Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix is amazing!Find the D.A and teach them.Stupefy malfoy and the "I" squad.and have the glee of wrecking hogwarts for the High inquisitor, Dorlores Umbride, a daft looking old lady but as evil as voldemort who you get to fight at the end as Dumbledore.[yes you get to play as dumbledore as well as sirius black and fred and george]although you don't get to play quidditch or sit your O.W.L's or switch charecters it still is the best game yet. you are free to roam around more you can find secret passages behind portraits, hang people upside down using levicorpus and destroy umbrides speakers using potions and all that stuff thats why anybody in their right mind would rate this 5 stars!
*****!!!!!
FANTASTIC July 1, 2007
beryl smith (united kingdom)
15 out of 19 found this review helpful
for all those fans out there who are not sure about buying this because of the last game DON'T WORRY this is fantastic and at last we are back on track. There is so much more to explore and find and feels like EA have put alot of thought into this (more than can be said for the last one) lots of different spells with crazy moves, so many places to go you really do need to use the map that comes with it, talking portraits, fantastic chess games and lots lots lots more.
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