Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

"So, how does the 5th game title of the famous Harry Potter series turn out?"

In my opinion, the fifth HP book by JK Rowling is the best in the series. However the game is a sole disappointment. So why, you ask? Well, let's find it out in my review.....

Graphics - 6/10
This game generally has good graphics (effects like sunlight look realistic, characters and scenes are well rendered), but jaggies can still be seen if the characters are standing near the camera. The game unfortunately didn't make full use of PS3 capabilities. Also you cannot control the game's camera. Sometimes it moves in awkward directions and it's very annoying when you want to see things in front of the characters. As for the frame rate, it drops sharply in the courtyard when there are too many characters moving around. Luckily this does not happen in other places.

Story - 3/10
After watching the film of HP5, I found that the scenes and characters look nearly the same as the film's. The game's plot progresses even faster than the film, and some parts of the story are modified. Chances are you will miss some parts of the plot if you're not paying attention, and the game does end very suddenly. I recommend watching the movie or reading the book first before playing this game or else the story will be hardly understandable.

Gameplay - 6/10
The game's very easy for beginners. There is no character stamina and you won't die or lose. Instructions and hints are also given during tasks. Controls are very simple (there are only simple moves like moving, controlling your wand, running and talking to someone) but I don't like the ways to control the wand. Sometimes, you can't cast the spell that you want to. I prefer the controls of the previous versions of HP games.

You are free to roam Hogwarts with a great number of secrets you can discover - and with no load times! You can roam around to find portraits' passwords, repair statues and discover animal footprints, etc. You can even earn rewards while exploring. However, I think the game focuses too much on this aspect instead of the main story. As a result, it is quite annoying when you need to explore aimlessly in order to complete some tasks. (For example, finding something in a large area and with no hints given at all.) The lack of Quidditch matches (or broom-flying, not including the only Fred and George part in the game) also deprives the enjoyment from the game.

Audio - 8/10
All background music you find in the game are instrumental music from the film and the previous HP games. The music fit the atmosphere nicely. The music in the Hogwarts grounds is soft and relaxing and really suits the peaceful environment in Hogwarts. Boss music, on the other hand, is really tense and frightening. However, I think the composers should arrange new music instead of relying on old ones. As for the in-game voice acting, they are all normal conversations among students or dialogues of main characters. The voice acting are quite good, and some are even done by their respective actors/actresses in the films. But I can't help to notice that the students mostly say meaningless sentences unless you are on a task. Why don't they give hints on exploring instead?

Replay value - 4/10
The game is very short. I finished playing the game in a few hours even when I'm not rushing. (I continue exploring while completing the tasks) That is quite disappointing especially when you consider the price of the game. However, if you try not to read the walkthroughs and discover Hogwarts by yourself, I am sure you will spend a lot of time on that (perhaps even longer than finishing the main story itself).

Final Recommendation
The best aspects of this game is the audio and graphics but not the story, so I recommend buying this game only if you are one of the die-hard Harry Potter fans who enjoy the experience of exploring Hogwarts.

Final score - 6/10 (not an average)

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 07/12/07