Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

"Enjoyable, But Not Perfect"

I enjoyed this game a lot. The game play is good, and RPGers will feel right at home. It isn't so hardcore a RPG that it would alienate those new to the genre, though. Controls are standard for menu-based interfaces, and the turn-based battle system is exactly what I like. You play Harry, Ron, and/or Hermione, depending on what part of the game you are playing, and sometimes you are allowed to choose who you wish to play. Combat is magic-based; your characters are only allowed to use magic and some special attacks, Using spells often enough unlocks stronger versions of those spells. The game isn't too difficult, with a couple of challenging puzzles and fights, but not enough to make the game discouraging.

Graphically, this game is stunning, the best I've seen on the GBA. There is an impressive amount of visual depth, and the designers made the characters look interesting and creative, rather than trying to copy the exact likenesses of the movie actors. The sound is good too, setting the mood well given the obvious hardware limitations of the platform.

Not all is perfect with this game, however. The pacing is strange to say the least, generally following the path of the movie, but interrupting in odd places to take you to the next area. I disliked being unable to get back to the school to heal up and buy equipment at certain times in the final series of quests. There were also several times when I just died for no apparent reason while maneuvering around some trapped hallways; there was no indication I had stepped where the traps were. Another annoying thing is that you can't see the attributes of a piece of equipment in the store before you buy it. I found myself buying equipment and then being unable to equip it on my current characters. I did like that 'dying' didn't end the game; it just warped me back to the beginning of the level, or in one case the infirmary.

A lot of people have criticized the game for being short, and compared to your standard Final Fantasy style RPG, they are correct. However, remember that this game is designed with an eye toward younger players. I am a veteran RPGer, and I finished the game in about 14 hours of play (though that Shrieking Shack maze had me pulling my hair out in a few spots!) There is replay value, though, as you can replay the game, keeping your current level, spells, and equipment, and go through to look for the things you missed the first time around.

Plot-wise, the game is about as faithful to the Harry Potter world as the movie was to the book: not very. Characters appear for no reason in situations where they had no reason to be, sometimes just so you can fight them. I won't spoil who the end boss is, but it felt pretty strange.

Despite my criticisms, this was an enjoyable game, though gamers might want to rent it first due to its short length.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 06/30/04