You can`t miss with Harry!

Author's Rating:

Pros: Educational, funny, good story.

Cons: Mostly for children.

The Bottom Line: 
Great game, if you like simple funny adventure games - and a good story!

Author's Review
Note: I played a non-English version

Without saying to much about the first Harry Potter-game, I just have to say it was a bit to easy. It wasn`t much of a challenge for us, elderly-youth. Now, on the other hand, it isn`t all that easy. But you don`t have to be a member of Mensa to manage either. Anyway the story is magical and exciting in the best Harry Potter style.

The game is based on the second book in the Harry Potter series. You, Harry, ignores the house-elf Doobys warnings about returning to Galtvort being a disastrous thing to do. You travel back to start the second year of the school, only to find the warnings to be true. You get tangled up in a scary plot where several of your classmates are attacked. Is it Draco Malfang who is behind this, or is it something else? To be able to expose who is Smygards heir, you need to learn a number of new spells and have to go through tons of challenges. As usual you are helped by your faithful friends: Hermine, Gygrid, Ronny and Hedvig. You of course get to take part in all of the other things Harry does. Like rumpeldunk contests, learn to make magic elexirs, and visit the forbidden forest.

Yes, it is fun. The game is fortunate to have a exciting story to base on. The challenges are many (both easy and hard), and the warm Harry Potter humor is present at all times. If you execute spell in the wrong way, it can have very funny consequences. It is practically swarming with peculiar characters and now and then you get to go entertaining side missions, like "degnoming" Mrs Wiltersens garden (you can always return to the mini games).

But you have to take the game for what it is; a fun, nice, simple, and very educational entertainment. It`s like an adventure light for those who think it`s a bit to heavy with big, interactive role playing games. And if you`re a parent, you can let your kids play all they want knowing they will become smarter. In this game they get a lot of puzzles to solve, and is not exposed for any scary monsters (I must say some of them are bit scary). Harry Potter is and will probably always be a little joy spreader. You get in a good mood of playing this game. It`s probably a hoot of fun if you have also read the books, so you can recognize characters and situations. The game has also got nice graphics and is very user friendly. Though sometimes it can be a bit tricky to control Harry.

As on of the older kids I think the games is a bit to childish. It is spoken a lot, you even hear Harrys inner voice, which I could have easily done without. The hints is also a bit obvious and many. But again; it`s probably fun for the children. And it has to be an excellent game for parents and children to play together.