Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- June 30, 2009 00:00 AM PST
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Harry Potter and the Half-Minded Development
In the end, the game isn't a horrible experience. It is kind of fun and features some decent gameplay, but is it worth $50? I don't think so. It just doesn't really own the incredible material at its doorstep. There are a few moments here and there that are amusing, such as a level where you play as the love drugged Ron or Harry high on Good Luck Potion. But overall, these remain the only real moments of inspiration within the title.
I've always longed for a game that was just like Bully for Harry Potter: truly immersive, has fun with the incredible world, and follows the story over the course of a school year. Still, for a game that looks like it has all the makings for a sandbox-style Harry Potter game, there isn't much to do once you've completed the story and the three main game categories. The game plays in a very linear style, jumping from task to task with no real options to do anything other than task at hand. Of course, I'm not asking that you allow Harry Potter to buy AK-47's, shoot old people and steal some cars like in GTA (Ed: I am!) but maybe some wand upgrades, being able to stun people for fun and broom-jacking would add some variation to the otherwise dull gameplay.
Harry Potter is certainly more mature than game and film companies give it credit for and you don't have to go to Rockstar lengths to utilize it. Just give it the respect it deserves by making a game that allows players to become engrossed in the world with gameplay, as Rowling engrossed us in the world with her words.
PROS: Huge Howarts environment; dueling is pretty fun; (some) original cast voiceovers and music
CONS: Hit and miss controls; lack of variation in gameplay; shoddy cut scenes; lack of replay value
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Comments [8]
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- Jun 30 2009 at 09:33:44:AM PST
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i played the demo version on pc... which only included the dueling club ( two battles only) and a quiditch match.... i enjoyed both, especially after playing the previous versions... the controls were ridiculously clumsy in the first game, but the control was mapped to the mouse in the demo, and even then you were on a rail so you couldnt completely lose the snitch... also it was cool tht you could kick the shit out of the other player simply by ramming them...
the dueling club was better than order of the phoenixes dueling, for one reason..... you didn't have to do some complex mouse movement for every spell... your main spell stupefy is mapped to the left mouse button, and expeliarmus is a simple circular movement...
i wasnt really expecting much, especially from the wii version, but i will probably still buy the game for 360 as i am a HP fan who likes achievements, and i already have all the other games............. secretly...
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More below average "kiddie" games for "kiddie" Wii owners.Grow up get a job and buy a console, not a birthday toy from mommy and daddy called a Wii.
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RealGamersUnited wrote:
More below average "kiddie" games for "kiddie" Wii owners.Grow up get a job and buy a console, not a birthday toy from mommy and daddy called a Wii.
I really don't understand most of your comments, RGU. If you dislike a product why concern yourself with it. I do think it's fun to pick at something that you feel isn't up to par, every once in a while, but it seems that that's all you know eg. "kiddie *whatever*." Surprised you didn't tell the reviewer to grow up because of his like for Harry Potter so I suppose you care not for reading.
You are telling others to 'Grow up' with a "kiddie" comment...ridiculous.
About the game review - not a Harry Potter fan, just wanted to read Sean's Review. Movie to game usually is a bad choice because of the limit of time the designers are given...That's to bad because that time and money could have went to a GOOD idea/game. But people keep buying them.
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26C wrote:
RealGamersUnited wrote:
More below average "kiddie" games for "kiddie" Wii owners.Grow up get a job and buy a console, not a birthday toy from mommy and daddy called a Wii.
I really don't understand most of your comments, RGU. If you dislike a product why concern yourself with it. I do think it's fun to pick at something that you feel isn't up to par, every once in a while, but it seems that that's all you know eg. "kiddie *whatever*." Surprised you didn't tell the reviewer to grow up because of his like for Harry Potter so I suppose you care not for reading.
You are telling others to 'Grow up' with a "kiddie" comment...ridiculous.
About the game review - not a Harry Potter fan, just wanted to read Sean's Review. Movie to game usually is a bad choice because of the limit of time the designers are given...That's to bad because that time and money could have went to a GOOD idea/game. But people keep buying them.
I was stating my opinion on the game, not on the whole Harry series. Yes this game is for kiddies, and it is below average. So please learn how to read and comprehend simple words.
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This game is easy Achievements/Trophys, so if you like having lots of points/trophies, rent it! You get a lot just from the 4-5 hour story, and most of the others are quick and easy to get!
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Real Gamers United: If you don't like the wii, then don't comment on a game specifically for the wii. Just because you can't seem to grasp the idea of a motion sensitive remote, and the major advance that makes for the gaming experience, doesn't mean you have to post your stupid comment here just to make yourself feel better. Half the people who own a wii also own a console, and I'm guessing your no older than 12-14, meaning you can't even have a job, not unlike everyone else here. If you are old enough to have a job, and actually have one, then it's just sad that you have nothing better to do than to comment on a site that other teens and children are commenting on. You know, I don't even know WHY I'm bothering responding to you.
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RealGamersUnited, he was talking about how biased you are against the Wii. I'd rather more diverse Nintendo Wii games than shooter after shooter after shooter after shooter on the PS3.
People make so many comments on how the Wii doesn't have any good shooter games. They have enough to keep people happy. But on the PS3, its SHOOTERS, LBP, and 3 Ratchet and Clank shooter/platformers.
I'm not a Nintendo fanboy. I own that and an Xbox 360 which I also love. But I'm sick of people like you who will not give it a chance. And I'm not a big fan of the PS3, because even with the price cut, it's still the most expensive console, and I think the games library is lacking anything besides shooters.
Oh, wait, I forgot to count "Flower". My bad.
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