Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Score: 75% ESRB: Teen Publisher: EA Games Developer: EA Games Media: GCD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Adventure/ Action
Graphics & Sound: Prisoner of Azkaban was a definite turning point in the Harry Potter series. The adventures told in Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets gave way to a much darker plot involving the wraith-like Dementors and an escaped serial killer, Sirius Black, whose primary target is Harry. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the game, manages to capitalize on this change of tone in nearly every aspect. The end result is a game that is fun, but ultimately lacking in polish. The pudgy-faced kids from the past Potter games have been replaced with characters whose look feels closer to some of the more "realistic"-styled games from other developers. Even with the new look, the game still retains the same charm that was present in the previous incarnations. The halls of Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry keep their same basic layout as previous games in the series, but feel much more confined and lifeless this time around. Many of the torch-lit secret passages are missing, replaced by narrow corridors, many of which lead to locked rooms (at least until you’re supposed to access them). The texture work feels a little more detailed, but this also introduces some lengthy load times to the game (an unfortunate trait picked up from the remake of Sorcerer's Stone a year ago). Spell effects are still fun and the enemies still have that certain "quirk" to them. While the actors from the movies don't portray their digital selves, the voice work is still good. There are, however, a few complaints. The most obvious is that some of the lines can get a little tedious. The helpful hints are always useful in keeping you on track, but tend to get repeated a little too often. Music is low-key, but does a nice job of setting the game’s mood.
Gameplay: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban still provides the "Zelda-lite" brand of gameplay found in previous games, only with more of a slant on action rather than exploration. This provides a game that doesn't succumb to the plodding pace of both Chamber and Sorcerer’s Stone, but it also yields a much more linear game. The twisting corridors, secret passages and go almost anywhere (at anytime) formula is replaced by locked doors and straightforward "A - to - B" progression. The action-oriented style also causes the story, which (realistically speaking) has always been butchered in the games, to take a back seat. But, in the game's defense, anyone playing more than likely knows the plot, so there's a minimal chance of players getting lost in the plot. While the exploration elements may be lost (as well as Quidditch games), the structure stays the same. You still live out the day to day life of Harry and friends with a few plot elements from the book thrown in to move the story along. The biggest gameplay change comes in the form of team-based gameplay. No longer do you only control Harry, but also Ron and Hermione. Each character brings unique abilities to the game. Harry has access to the Marauder’s Map, which allows him to see where everyone is at any given time in Hogwarts, while Ron has a dumb-luck ability that allows him to find secret passages and Hermione can fit into small areas. All three also have access to spells that only they can use, like Ron's Lumos Duo and Hermione's Glacius spell, which produces a powerful ice blast. Other spells also provide for new challenges and give Harry that extra kick that he couldn't get from constantly casting Flipendo in the last two games. Eventually you'll even learn to master the Patronus spell. A number of mini-games are dotted throughout the game. These include wizard duels (which turn out to be incredibly easy) and the usual “collect everything” quests that will certainly be familiar to fans of the previous games. Now, instead of collecting chocolate frogs and Wizard Cards for the Folio Universitas, you can also collect pages of the Folio Bruti -- a book that keeps track of all the magical creatures you've run across. Hermione can also collect information on certain statues found throughout Hogwarts. Unique to the GameCube version of the game is the Owl Care Kit. Unlocking the kit requires both a GBA-to-GameCube connection cord as well as a copy of the GBA version of the game. Once you purchase the kit from Fred and George's shop, you can care for and groom your own owl. Players who don't have the GBA version, but own the connection cord, can also download 2 mini-games to play on their GBA.
Difficulty: Learning to manage character spells and abilities is central to solving the game's puzzles. Problem solving is a major aspect of the game. Believe me, some are not as easy as the target age range would have you believe. Some will require you to use a specific character's ability while others will require you to get the help of one or both of your friends. These include tasks such as moving boxes or opening closed grates. More complicated puzzles require you to use all three members at once by navigating them to different parts of an area and quickly switching between them. Some enemy battles will also require you to switch between characters. Challenging, yes. But it is still fun and completing puzzles delivers a sense of accomplishment that is a rare find in games these days.
Game Mechanics: Rarely does EA release unpolished product, but Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban goes against that trend. Although the game is fun, clunky controls and technical issues take away from the experience. Navigating the halls of Hogwart’s is akin to trying to run really fast on ice. Everything feels very slippery and hard to manage. Even trying to do something simple like stopping is hard given the amount of momentum gained while running. The lock-on targeting system also presents numerous problems since it rarely targets what you want, instead choosing to target the pot behind the enemy you’re trying to zap. Sometimes it takes two to three clicks before the system locks on to the target you want. This makes some fights, which should be simple, more difficult. Technical glitches also detract from the rest of the game. Collision detection will zone out in some areas (such as getting stuck in walls). Other technical issues include insanely long load times that accompany transitions into zones and menu systems that lag behind. Even the main screen showcases some lag. In the end, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban provides a decent adventure, but the experience doesn't quite match up to Chamber of Secrets, which remains one of the best Potter games available. Potter fans will find some enjoyment in the title, but the technical flaws may prove to be too much for those unfamiliar with Hogwarts.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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