Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

"Harry's second year is a disappointment indeed"

As a fan of the books, I was fairly happy to receive Chamber of Secrets for Christmas this year. As long as it wasn't an RPG like the first game I'd be happy, I thought.

It wasn't an RPG, thank god. However, I wasn't remotely happy.

Graphics: 8/10
Difficult to fault the graphics. Hogwarts looks like Hogwarts. Harry is recognisable as Harry. However, this does get called into question later in the game, when Harry takes a potion which is supposed to make him look like a Slytherin. He looks EXACTLY THE SAME, but with green robes...
That aside, the graphics are pretty good. Minor gripes include the fact that every spell uses the same sprite but a different colour, and all the non-story-related Hogwarts pupils look exactly the same, but on the whole, good.

Sound: 5/10
Not a gripping musical score by any means, but passable. There are no voice samples, but there is a fairly satisfying swoosh every time you cast a spell. However, none of the themes from the film have been used, and we're left with a bland selection of vaguely similar tunes which play as Harry walks around the school. A bit like Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force in that respect.

Gameplay: 2/10
And this is where it all falls to pieces. It's YET ANOTHER isometric 'platformer'. Which means that the same old problems arise - e.g Harry's inherent inability to properly aim jumps, which is INCREDIBLY irritating in later levels.
The real nail in the coffin for this game, however, is the level design. Dungeons galore. Every action moment takes place inside a dungeon. Whether it be a dungeon in Gringotts, the Leaky Cauldron, or Hogwarts, you are required to use a pseudo-stealth approach to sneak in and out of a dungeon. Even the Slytherin common room leads directly into a dungeon. And if you get caught in said dungeon, you have to start from the last significant point in the level. So instead of being thrown out of the dungeon (which is normally where you want to go), you get thrown back INTO the dungeon. Yet you still lose House Points, which doesn't actually matter since they count for nothing.
The broom-flying and Quidditch matches are a high point. It's a mystery why EA decided to leave us with just one match to play.

Overall: 4/10
Even die-hard fans should avoid this piece of tat. Unless you want to walk around dungeons for all eternity.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 12/28/03