Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

"Charming and winsome"

Make no mistake -- this is a game for the fans.

I happen to be a really, really big fan.

I was tickled when my husband surprised me with this game, because I'm a gamer from way back and I adore Harry Potter. I had the good fortune to have an entire day off from work and all other responsibilities, so I installed the game and set off for Hogwarts at a good clip. Seven hours later, I finally turned the darn thing off and went to sleep. It's nothing short of addictive.

I've never seen a game quite like this one. You, as Harry, get to explore all of Hogwarts in your quest to solve the mystery of what's hidden on the forbidden third floor. (If you don't already know what's awaiting him, get thee to the bookseller!) You'll interact with other students, including his two best friends, Ron and Hermione; Ron's elder brothers, Fred and George; forgetful but sweet Neville Longbottom; and Harry's schoolboy nemesis, Draco Malfoy -- with thugs Crabbe and Goyle in attendance, of course. You'll take several of the classes Harry experiences in the books, among them Charms, Herbology, and the dreaded Potions. Other highlights include learning to fly on your Nimbus 2000 and helping Hagrid to hatch a baby dragon. If you've ever wished you could be a part of Harry's adventures, this is the game for you.

The graphics are impressive. Hogwarts looms around you in all of its ancient, slightly spooky brilliance. The challenge areas are increasingly complex and enthralling. Although the people themselves are a bit odd in appearance -- they do closely resemble the actors from the movie, but in a stiff, cardboard-cutout kind of way -- it's not hard to ignore. And it's impossible to imagine the Quidditch matches as having been done better; they're marvelous.

The sound quality is spot-on. The voices are believable, full of emotion and realism. The music swelling gently in the background is taken straight from the movie, both comfortable and unobtrusive. Careful detail has been taken to get the sounds just so; for example, Harry's shoes make a different noise when walking on carpet than when walking on hardwood floor.

Is it hard? My goodness, YES. Is it fun? Yes, that too. But I'm not sure that this really was intended for kids. I'm 25 years old, and I'm having a bit of trouble getting through parts of it. The game is thoroughly unusual in a number of ways; for one thing, Harry doesn't die. If he falls in a hole or passes out after too much physical strain, he simply finds himself back at the last save point. That's another way in which this is unusual -- you don't get to decide for yourself where and when you will save the game. The game saves automatically at the end of each challenge; during the challenges, you can only save the game if you're lucky enough to find a save book floating in midair. This makes for frequent repetition of certain parts of a challenge, like crossing a bottomless chasm on a golden platform made only out of magic; if you can't time your jumps properly to reach the save book on the other side, you must do it again. And again.

The castle that is Hogwarts is full of surprises and danger. It will take a long, long time to seek out every hidden room, every concealed treasure chest. As I mentioned, I spent seven hours engrossed in Harry's world, and I'm nowhere near finished. But, just as with the books, whenever I get the chance to return to Hogwarts, it will be there waiting for me -- as many times as I want to go back.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/02/02, Updated 04/02/02