Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Hands-on

Jun 23, 2009

Warner Bros. is set to release Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in America on July 17, but Wii owners won't have to wait that long to travel back to Hogwarts. Electronic Arts releases the videogame version of the same Potter chapter on June 30, allowing Nintendo fans to pick up their Wii remotes to cast spells, play Quidditch and even mix up some powerful potions, all the while traveling in and about the famous wizardry school. This year's game reflects the storyline penned for the book and soon to unfold on the silver screen. As Harry, Ron and Hermione return for their sixth year of magical lessons, the divide between the muggle and wizardry worlds is closing thanks in large part to a series of attacks by the Death Eaters, led by Lord Voldemort, on unsuspecting civilians. Now well into their teens, the trio must not only face off against dark goings-on within the compounds of the school, but also their raging hormones. Like the book and movie, the game explores Harry's blossoming relationship with Ron's sister even as the Boy Who Lived investigates the shady activity of Draco Malfoy, who might just be the newest member of the Death Eaters. All the while, Dumbledore continues to prepare Potter for his inevitable battle with He Who Shall Not Be Named. And there's also a mysterious potions book belonging to the Half-Blood Prince.

There's a lot going on in the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and EA's game attempts to merge storyline with action in all sorts of variety, from traditional campus exploration (including night missions) to potion-mixing (which utilizes the WIi remote), intense Quidditch matches (also using Nintendo's controller, but in a different way) and duels (again, all enhanced by the Big N's unique wand). Sewing all of these different play styles together is the most comprehensive and realistic virtual recreation of J.K. Rowling's beloved school yet. As Potter runs from the Gryffindor common room to the Great Hall and travels deep outside to practice Quidditch, you will notice more detail has been injected into the school than ever before and yet there are no load times whatsoever this time around, which allows for a very seamless experience. You will feel immersed in and engulfed by the gigantic school as you explore its many rooms, stairways and grounds, some of them initially hidden.

I've adventured through about three hours of the game so far and am mostly impressed with EA's presentation, despite some small frustrations. The storyline, which seems to mirror that of the movie, is told through pre-game cut-scenes in addition to in-game cinematics and dialogs between characters. In my time with the game, Harry has been challenged to prove himself as the Quidditch team captain. In this year's game, Quidditch has thankfully returned, but it probably doesn't play as you think it might. Rather than direct control over the famous seeker, you point at the screen with the Wii remote and guide Harry through a series of stars placed around the field. I suppose the developer decided upon this control method because it is easier for anybody to pick up and play and truth be told, it works very well, enabling a very fast sense of speed and therefore intense Quidditch matches. You can still bump opponents out of your way by guiding Harry into them with the on-screen reticule, which works well.

Harry has also discovered the Half-Blood Prince's Advanced Potion Making Book, a conspicuous manuscript whose writer remains a mystery, and regularly refers to it to graduate beyond mediocrity in his potions class. As a result, this year's game features a comprehensive potions component in which you are given a series of ingredients -- uniquely colored concoctions and grotesque ingredients like rats -- and challenged to brew them together into something special before a countdown timer runs to zero. Of course, you use the Wii remote to do all of this, first pointing at the various mixings, pulling back on the device to pick them up, and then twisting it to pour them into your boiling pot. It might seem to be a very simple process, but there's great skill involved because timing plays a key part. If you pour too much of a single ingredient into the pot, your potion will backfire, spitting out a thick haze of smoke that you will have to shake away by waggling the nunchuk. You'll lose precious time, too, and will almost certainly fail at your mixture.

As always, Harry, Ron and Hermione remain at odds with the Slytherins and in particular Draco Malfoy, who has gone missing off the Marauder's Map on several occasions and seems to be up to something especially seedy. As Potter explores the huge school, he will sometimes find himself hijacked by Slytherin bullies, who want nothing more than to duel against him with their wands. More serious encounters take place throughout the game, starting at Ron's house and continuing alongside Dumbledore. In these situations, you control Harry with the nunchuk's analog stick, press the A button for a quick sidestep, and cast spells by making gestural motions with your Wii remote. The system works pretty well, in my experience, although Potter is a little slow on his feet. Cross the Wii remote and nunchuk to cast a protective shield and motion forward with the Wii remote (and nunchuk) to shoot forth damaging magic. Later duels are adequately difficult and you will find yourself using protective magic just as often as you go on the offensive. However, early encounters are so easy that as soon as you knock an opponent down, you can pounce and they'll be finished for good.

And then there's the exploration element, which is daunting because the school is absolutely gigantic. Thankfully, you can press the minus button at any time and Nearly Headless Nick will appear to guide you to your next destination, which makes navigation so much easier. Nick will even chat with you along the way and there's some well-written banter. There are also lots of shortcuts by way of paintings on walls, but if you'd prefer to see the sights, you can hold down Z-trigger and Harry will sprint. The camera provides a fish-eye view as he runs at full speed and moving him left or right becomes more difficult. It kind of reminds me of running in Gears of War, which is a comparison I never thought I'd make. One thing that really stands out about Half-Blood is the construction and presentation of Hogwarts. It just seems to be much more connected and polished than it has in previous games, and for Potter fans like myself, that's a great treat because we've all wanted to explore the school at one time or another. The one drawback to this streaming world is that the framerate is never quite good -- it always appears to be running a little slower than I would like and there are even times it chugs noticeably.

I'll have a review of Half-Blood Prince in the not-too-distant future, but for now I've posted new Wii screenshots of the game in motion. Check them all out in our media section.