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Jul 10, 2009 8:20 am US/Central
Review: New "Harry Potter" Game For Fans Only
By Phil Stauskas
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
The sixth "Harry Potter" movie is set to open in theaters on July 15, and as you'd expect, the video game tie-in has already hit store shelves. It has been released for basically every current system, but I tried out the Nintendo Wii version, unique because the console's remote is supposed to act like a magic wand.
Now, I'm not a "Harry Potter" superfan, and I'd like to think that makes me an unbiased player. I've never read the books, but I did see the movies, and I remain fairly indifferent toward the franchise. And likewise, I was fairly indifferent toward the video game, too.
The storyline behind "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" finds our young wizard continuing his battle against nemesis Voldemort, and learning that some evils lurk within the walls of Hogwarts, his school of wizardry. But don't rely on the game to tell you this story in detail. All of the action plays out like a series of vignettes, very disjointed and only present to move you around from one place to the next. Perhaps if you're already familiar with the story, either from the book or the soon-to-be-released movie, then things will make more sense. I, however, was lost.
Despite my confusion, even I got a little excited about roaming freely around Hogwarts. This is a sandbox game, meaning your character (in this case, young Potter) is able to walk anywhere around the school's grounds, exploring the ins and outs of author J.K. Rowling's fantasy world. It's a thrill to run down moving staircases, or past Hagrid's shack. For fans of the series who dream about living in the world of Potter, this is about as close as it gets.
But although I loved the openness of the game, I kept finding that the storyline, weak as it is, would get in the way. The action plays out in a very linear fashion, which is almost necessary to stay true to the book and movie. Unfortunately, that linear story impedes on the freedom of the open environment. Supporting characters act as guides to usher you along to the next event. And outside of the main storyline, there is not a whole lot to do.
After the storyline is complete, you are given access to an 'Endless Day' mode which allows you to run through Hogwarts without restrictions in order to collect things you missed the first time. This adds some extra life to the title, but it's still not nearly as engaging as it could have, and should have been.
The gameplay involves running around (I mean, a lot of running around) Hogwarts and being met by one of three mini-games. The quidditch challenge is basic, but amazing, and begging to be turned into a more full-featured title of its own. Creating potions is tedious and takes a strange turn when Harry starts mixing a drink for one of his professors. And wand duels act as boss battles against school bullies. These show potential, but are too easy and eventually devolve into mindless Wii Remote waggling.
And all games get repetitive pretty quickly, since there are only three different ones.
That said, the controls are pretty good, generally speaking. The idea that the Wii Remote is a magic wand is only half true. The majority of your movement is still quick sweeps and mindless waggle. But nothing is complicated. No moves are too difficult to properly execute. Everything is intuitive. This is an experience you won't necessarily find on other consoles.
But that's not to say that the Wii version doesn't have its own faults. Nintendo's less-powerful machine, as expected, has sub-par graphics. The faces on the characters look amazingly realistic, a shock on the Wii. But their bodies are dull, and move with a robotic eeriness. When mixed in with the haunting environment of Hogwarts, even the most heroic characters are chilling to encounter.
So, it's a trade-off between better controls on the Wii and better graphics elsewhere. Or, the other option, which is not buying the game at all.
While I can't speak for the movie, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is a hit-or-miss video game in almost every aspect. I can't imagine that anyone but the biggest "Potter" fans would find enjoyment in this game. But then again, only the biggest "Potter" fans are likely to try it out, and they're in for a treat. I only wish there was something more here for the rest of us Muggles.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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