Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

I played the first two Harry Potter games, and was generally pleased with the outcome of each of them. However, I always thought there was something missing in them. It was hard to figure out. The graphics were great, and the music was fine, but something was definitely missing. Thankfully, it has proved third time lucky, and everything has been put into place.


Plot/Story
While all Harry Potter stories contain the same basic plot (make it through a school year while encountering ‘difficulties’), they each, of course, have unique twists and turns. This year, Harry returns to Hogwarts to discover that Sirius Black, the man believed to have betrayed Harry’s parents, and led them to their deaths, has escaped from the wizard prison Azkaban. It is feared that Sirius is trying to get to Harry for thwarting Lord Voldemort, Harry’s nemesis, and the murderer of his parents. Dementors have been sent from Azkaban to recapture Sirius and protect Hogwarts. However, the effects they take on Harry are a little out of the ordinary, even for Harry’s world.

Gameplay
The Gameplay for the third game in the series has taken a huge turn for the better, allowing the game to reach levels that former platformers could never have reached.

The most noticeable new feature of this game is the character change system. In the previous games, you could play as Harry and only Harry. This was fine, seeing as he is the main character, but it could get a little frustrating constantly listening to his tedious mutterings, and it did seem like a lot was going to waste. I mean, there were other characters in the book, why should Harry be the only one in the foreground, with the others being one-dimensional. This time around, Harry’s good friends Ron and Hermione are also playable, allowing the game to feel fresh and seem larger.

Each character has their advantages, so sometimes it is necessary to play as someone, in order to get as much as you can out of the game. For example, Harry is ideal for those tough missions involving lots of jumping and running around, whereas Ron is useful to find hidden passages that are undetectable to the other characters. Hermione is the most nimble of the three, so stealth and speed is catered for.

The control system has not gone through any major changes, but some additions have been made. As usual it’s the left analog stick to move, and the right to look around. The action button is still ‘X’, and this can be used in many situations. ‘Half-pushing’ the left analog stick activates the new stealth mode. If it is necessary to switch character, simply press ‘O’. The system for casting spells, however, has undergone some changes. Instead of the spell that is needed automatically coming up, you need to manually activate it at the menu screen. You can put a spell on the ‘ð’ or the ‘ê’ button. Once this is done, you must hold R1 to aim, and press the button for the spell you want. This is tricky the first time you play it, but is easily adapted to.

As you progress through the game, there are many bonuses to pick up. The famous Witches and Wizards cards are back, each with their own categories. These can be found by smashing open boxes, reaching secret places or basically wherever. Again, there are a number of spells to be learnt during the few lessons to be attended. ‘Flipendo’ can be used to knock objects and enemies, and is always fun. ‘Expelliarmus’ is a good spell to disarm your opponent and reflect their spell onto them. Interestingly, each character has their own exclusive spells, in addition to the previous two. As Harry, you can learn ‘Carpe Retractum’, a spell to move objects, and ‘Expecto Patronum’, a protective charm to fend off the Dementors. Ron can use ‘Lumos Duo’, allowing his wand to light up and guide him through the dark places in Hogwarts. Hermione can learn ‘Reparo’, a mending charm to repair damages to objects, and ‘Glacius’, a spell to freeze water to ice, and to use against certain creatures. She can also perform the ‘Draconifors’ spell, to transfigure Draconifors dragon statues.

There are only a few things wrong with this game. One is the frustrating camera angles. There are often moments when you would be attacking Dementors or other creatures, and they would run out of sight, with the camera sticking to the original spot, as if they never existed. Also, in high tense battles, it is possible to get carried away, and forget about the whole spell activating system. Finally, the loading times are tedious. While they’re not as bad as some games, it can get annoying just sitting there waiting for it to load.

As with the previous Harry Potter games, there are a number of bonus games to play. The duelling club has returned, and there is an owl racing challenge. Another new addition is the Hippogriff Flight Challenge. Sometimes, it is necessary to reach a certain point in the game, find a special item to unlock these games.

Another unique feature of this game is that it can be connected to an EyeToy USB Camera. With this in place, you can appear on-screen, and play interactively with the game. Unfortunately, you can’t play the story mode, but many special games are available through this feature. Obviously, to use this feature, you must have an EyeToy USB Camera for the PS2.

Graphics
Now this is the game that all platformers will be based on. The first game on the PS1 was very shady and blocky for my liking. The second looked great, and I didn’t think it would be improved on. How wrong I was. It is sometimes hard to remember this IS a platformer; the scenery and the characters look fantastic. The graphics really bring the school to life, and set the atmosphere superbly. The gardens and secret areas look so realistic for a platformer game, and really shows what the PS2 can do. The Dementors are like something out of your nightmares, and are brought to life immaculately.

Sound
There’s nothing too daring or special to talk about here. The music does its job by giving the game that required atmosphere and tone. It’s the same formula for each scene: happy scene = upbeat score, tense scene = jumpy score. The things the characters say are done pretty well, and the voice talents do the game justice. This time around there is more variety in what characters say, not just limited to their usual 20 word vocabulary.

Overall
If you played and enjoyed the first two Harry Potter games, then playing The Prisoner of Azkaban will blow you away. Even if you haven’t played the first two, this is the sort of game you can pick up and play in a few minutes, and you can pretty much jump in and play it without any knowledge of the previous books or games. It lets you take control of Hogwarts, and Harry’s third and most dangerous year. A fantastic accompaniment to the book and movie.