Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Jun 25, 2007
The video game adaptation of the latest in the Harry Potter movie series brings the young wizard, his entourage of friends, foes and hangers-on, and the entirety of his magic school, Hogwarts, to your PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
EA's greatest achievement with Phoenix is in how well it captures the Potter films. Whatever your thoughts on the wisdom of turning movies into video games (and there have been some real stinkers), few manage to capture the atmosphere of their celluloid counterparts this well. Part of this is down to the way it uses the actors' real likenesses, and many of their real voices. But most of the acclaim is due to its outstanding set, which encompasses the whole of Hogwarts, from towers to dungeons to grounds, and lets you stroll round it at will.
Considering the size of the map, this is no mean feat. The fixed camera usually does a good job of presenting you with both a view of Harry and his chums (Hermione and Ron accompany you almost continually) and your surroundings, regardless of whether that's a tight, winding stairway or a broad vista of the whole castle.
Ironically, the game's enormous setting proves as much of a handicap as a strength. Yes, it's great to walk the corridors and viaducts of Hogwarts' impressive construction, and fans in particular will enjoy the opportunity. But that means, you know, you actually have to trudge round the damn place all the time. After a while, all those corridors start to look the same, and some of them are awfully long. Combined with the way that many of the game's quests send you ping-ponging from one end of the map to the other, more casual fans of Potter may get fed up with all the legwork before the credits roll.
On your travels, you'll encounter many characters and locations that'll be familiar to any casual Potter-fan. Teachers like Snape, McGonagall and Hagrid all appear, as do the series' assorted ghosts, villainous schoolchildren and bit-part players. Amid all the usual saving-the-world nonsense, Harry even gets a chance for a quick liaison with his love interest, Cho, and to play a few fairly inconsequential minigames.
Its second greatest achievement is a technical one: Phoenix has no in-game loads. At all. Or, at any rate, none that you can see, which amounts to the same thing. Even the initial load, once you choose "New Game" from the title screen, is covered with a slick movie-style title animation. In strict "playing the movie" terms, Phoenix delivers.
This technical prowess, sadly, needs to be tempered with the reality that the graphics engine is not as smooth as it really should be. It stutters noticeably on regular occasions, especially in the larger or more special-effects heavy environments. Although it's impressive in scope, and has excellent character models, it's not technically impressive enough to stumble this much.
On the control front, the PS3 boasts use of the PS3's motion-sensitive system to cast spells, but you'll tire of it after a try or two. Using the gestures assigned to the right analog stick (which is the default) is far more accurate, and considerably less frustrating. Cleverly, the game switches out the standard set of spells (which mainly deal with lifting and moving objects) for offensive and defensive magic when you're in combat.
As you play, you'll find blue orbs that increase the power of your spells and unlock extra content found in a bonus room tucked away in an obscure corner of Hogwarts. Much of this involves video interviews with the movie's real stars -- it's yet another example of how Phoenix understands its audience and plays to them. Besides, they're often interesting: out of character, the actors have charisma their on-screen counterparts lack.
Phoenix and its stars, though, are all too often hampered by their source material. If you've not read the book, it's one of the series' weakest episodes, and sees the previously likable Potter descending into irritatingly juvenile outbursts of frustration and pointless venom. Much of this carries over into the game, and it's not welcome there either. Hardly the game's fault, to be sure, but it's there nevertheless.
Is Harry Potter a good game? No, not particularly. The story's vague and badly realized; the characters aren't especially likeable, and the tasks you're given are tedious and involve a lot of plodding about Hogwarts. But does it capture the feel of the franchise? Absolutely, and if you really get involved in the game you'll forgive it its flaws. For once, this is a video game adaptation the series' legion of fans should not miss.