Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

7

Harry Potter has lots of questing goods but does it leave you wanting a little more magic?
Reviewed By: gp_MrSock

It’s really tricky to review a game that will be enjoyed in different ways by different players. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is exactly that type of game. It's a "must" for Harry Potter fans, a "must-not" for action video game fans, and a "what do you mean you've never read the books?" for people who have never read the books.

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Back when I read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I remember wondering how the story could be adapted to a movie or a game. There was a whole lot of nothing going on. Harry and his friends spend most of the book attending classes, learning charms, and practicing dueling spells in preparation for the upcoming wizards' war.

It was a set-up story that prepared readers for the action and adventure still to come in the final two books. Mind you, the book had a wonderfully awful villain in Dolores Umbridge, teacher from the Abyss.

I have still not seen the movie, but I can say that the game matches the feel of the book very closely. The star of the game is not Potter, but Hogwart's.

The ancient magical school's enchanted hallways and grounds absolutely come to life in what I can only describe as an "exploration game". You'll spend the whole time running around a faithfully-built Hogwart's School of Withcraft and Wizardry simulation.

Armed with only a handful of spells, you (as Potter) along with Hermione and Ron use the marauder's map to stumble around the absolutely massive school completing small sub-quests, completing assignments for all the individual professors and doing missions to recruit fellow students into Dumbledore's Army.

On the Xbox 360, you cast spells using the right thumbstick. Wiggle the correct gesture, and you can make things move, fly, or catch on fire. Unfortunately, doodling spells was not always easy or accurate, and I can't help but think it would feel more natural on the Wii.

The targeting system is more frustrating than spell-casting. I'm not even sure it works. The game insists that you're able to switch spell targets by pushing various buttons, but getting Harry to aim at the right thing at the right time is very tricky. No wonder he constantly needs his friends to bail him out of difficult situations!

The game is also very light on combat, so don't expect to be fighting magical creatures around every corner. Most of the time, you're repairing statues, peeking behind curtains, and mopping the floors (yes – mopping the floors).

The menial tasks that you perform throughout the game will be deadly boring to any non-Potter enthusiast, but for those of us steeped in Potter culture, Order of the Phoenix is the next best thing to actually attending Hogwarts.

While I loved playing an entirely exploration-based game, I'll admit that after fixing my umpteenth statue and earning points for random nonsense like putting a pumpkin on top of Hagrid's chimney, the magic began to fade.

Because it doesn't last very long and overstays its welcome at that, I recommend Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for a quick rental or a trades-ies deal with a friend. Own it only if you're a Potter nut. If you're a trigger happy twitch-gamer and you can't tell a hippogriff from a horcux, avoid the Order at all costs. The Sorting Hat has spoken!

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