Full Review

*First off, I played the PC version of this game, the picture at the top is the GBA version, but I assume that they are basically the same. Things like graphics and sound could vary though depending on the version.*


Okay, if you haven't noticed, I've recently become a fan of Harry Potter, so in my growing curiousity, I decided to try out the PC game for Harry's first year adventures "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by Electronic Arts.


The Story:

This is based on a book, so I'll spare you the entire story. Young Harry Potter has just discovered that he is a wizard and has been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This game flows nicely with the plot of the first book. I was pleased to discover that it followed the book more closely than the movie. Of course, some of the characters obviously resemble actors from the movie, but that's basically the only connection to the movie. The game includes several things from the book that were left out of the movie. If you're familiar with the book, the second Quidditch match is included, and the potions challenge before the face off with Quirrell is also in the game.

There are a few deviations from the plot line, but it was only done to make a game out of it. There were also a few scenes where the creators took creative liberties, including the last scene; which was entirely made up by the game creators (very dissapointing-more on that later).


The Graphics and Animation Sequences:

The graphics were fine in the game, but nothing spectacular. I guess I'm spoiled by some of the sharp stuff that's out now, but things looked kind of boxy to me. Not that that's bad, it looked great, but for some reason I just feel like something was missing.

The animations were involving, and you can really feel the characters as they interact. However, there are a lot of scenes that are just pictures with text. I guess they're playing off the fact that the story is from an actual book, but I didn't buy this game to read a book, I already read the book, now I want to play the game. Even the ending of the game is mostly text with non-moving pictures...very dissapointing.

There is a very short sequence at the very end. Throughout the game, you collect Bertie Bortt's Every Flavor Beans, and give them to Fred and George Weasley in exchange for Wizard Cards. They keep saying that they're going to play a trick on Slytherin House, and you can't wait until the end to see what they do. Well, that's the last animation scene...and it's not very entertaining. I won't ruin it for you, but just know that it's nothing to get excited about.

The animations were overall a little dissapointing, again, nothing wrong with them, just not enough to do it for me. I'm one of those people that enjoys a lot of animation sequences in a game, and I expect a good reward at the end of the game for beating it, I just didn't get it this time. There were also a few times that the animation broke up, I remember clearly one scene where Harry was climbing the steps to Hagrids hut and he ran in place on the bottom step for about 5 seconds instead of climbing them. But, those occurences were few and far between.


The Sound:

The sound was very enjoyable in the game, the characters voices are clear (for the most part, I'll explain later), and all the sounds around the castle are sharp and distinct, they are also very helpful to you. The music was easy to listen to and actually quite helpful. You would hear a different type of music in every room, depending on what you had to do in that room. For example near the end of the game, a good chunck of your time is spent avoiding Filch and his cat Mrs. Norris. If you walk into a room where Filch is stalking about, then the music changes into a creepy sort of warning.

However, like most cool things in this game, there are little things that are slightly annoying. Often I would start the game (and it takes a very long time to load by the way) and the sound would be all scratchy and fuzzy. So, I would quit and restart the game again, which would usually solve the problem, but there were times that I had to start the game over at least three or four times...not cool.

Also, there are the occasional annoying sounds that can really grate on your nerves. Harry likes to climb on things, and when he does, he lets out a little grunt to let you know that he's climbing. Once while I was playing my friend commented that Harry would likely benefit from the use of some ex-lax, I tend to agree. It's good that the creators thought sound was important enough to include even the slightest noise, but come on...every little noise? If a sound is obviously annoying, why not reconsider using it in the game?


Gameplay:

I think the best way to play the game is the old fashioned way, with keyboard and mouse. You could certainly use a joystick if you so choose, but it's not necessary.

For me, the game itself was very enjoyable. It was longer than I thought it would be, which was a very pleasant surprise. I even wish that it was longer. The challenges are very easy, so this is something that you can play with your kids and they won't become frustrated. However, if you are one of those gamers who must have impossible to solve challenges in every game, then you should probably skip this one.

One of the main things you'll be doing in the game is learning spells. You'll attend class and then have to trace the spell with your mouse to get a passing score. As long as you continue to pass, you'll get to practice the spell over and over and gather up points for Gryiffindor House. The House with the most points at the end wins the house cup. However, the game is rigged to make Gryiffindor win anyway, so don't waste your time trying to learn every spell perfectly.

When you're not attending class, you'll be searching around the castle for beans and wizard cards. You'll encounter Peeves the Poltergeist several times, and face off with Malfoy, you'll even have to chase him on a broomstick to get back Neville's Rememberall. Again, you'll have to avoid Flich who loves to punish students, and escape from a big green Troll. Also, don't forget Quidditch! You'll have to catch the Golden Snitch twice, these protions of the game add a nice challenge, you'll have to be skilled on your broomstick. So, the game isn't a complete giveaway. Also, it's hard to find all the wizard cads...I still haven't found them all.


Overall:

This is a great game to play with your kids. In fact, I would say that it's like a zelda game for younger kids, but also those gamers who like zelda or other RPG-like games will enjoy this one. Of course, if you're a Harry fan, this is a must play. Serious gamers (like myself) might be put off at first by the seemingly easy challenges, but it's just so endearing you can't help but like it. Plus, I remind you, it's not all a give away. There are several portions that you'll have to do over and over until you get it right. For the most part though, it's a very easy game.


My rating:

I gave the game three stars, which was hard for me to do, cuz I likely would've given it a four if it weren't for all the little annoyances. I thoroughly enjoyed playing the game, but it does have a few little problems, and they add up after a while. However, don't let those little things stop you from checking out the game. If you love Harry and RPG, then you really should give it a go.