On consoles, Prisoner of Azkaban is a decent follow-up to the previous game that does a lot of what Chamber of Secrets did well. Its still fun to explore Hogwarts and the wonderful score by Jeremy Soule elevates the rest of the experience just as well. As far as Zelda clones go, this one is pretty alright for fans of the source material.
Vaya puta estafa de juego. Costaba considerablemente más que los demás juegos de GameCube, lo cual está super bien teniendo en cuenta los 5 minutos que duraba.
No me gusto en lo absoluto, se me hizo super aburrido. Quisieron agarrar lo mejor de los dos títulos y sólo lograron un juego repetitivo y aburrido...
The movement feels stiff but is actually quite pleasing.
It's a bit weird of a game, but it gets on you.
I really enjoyed it, while it last.
It's a bit weird of a game, but it gets on you.
I really enjoyed it, while it last.
El juego ha envejecido como la leche, pero en su día recuerdo echarle muchas horas y volar con el grifo por hogwarts era realmente satisfactorio
This solidified my love for adventure games in my younger days. Coming back to it recently was one of the most nostalgic experiences of my entire life, I'm also really happy to say it holds up a lot.
Also, this game was doing the three protagonists thing before GTA V, suck it Rockstar.
Also, this game was doing the three protagonists thing before GTA V, suck it Rockstar.
Mejor que cualquier película de HP. La exploración es lo más parecido a vivir en Hoghwarts en la vida real.
2/4 SMTDR
Prior to the deciding that I'm going to beat all these games in a row, Prisoner of Azkaban for the PS2 was my favorite Harry Potter video game. It continues to be one of my favorites, but, unfortunately, the format of the first three 6th gen games has its limitations.
The game succeeds primarily as a companion piece. Its aesthetics and soundtrack are excellent, which opens up a whole new approach to the world of Harry Potter. It is the most vivid and unique visual depiction of Hogwarts that isn't based on the movies. There's a fantastic balance of unnerving and weird with the amazing and vibrant, and it manages to fit the more oppressive atmosphere of Prisoner of Azkaban with a very stylized artstyle. The spell challenges are just mind-boggling, there's an underground infestation of creatures which settle near locations where plenty of blood has been spilled (yes, that's the in-game description of the Red Cap enemies) merely few steps outside the Potions classroom, but there's also the wonderful grand staircase, the grounds with different possible weather effects, and Buckbeak flying segments.
Unfortunately the gameplay remains largely the same as its predecessors. While the new spells are cool, and there are few puzzles in the dungeons themselves alongside a few fun bosses, the overworld is largely devoid of any fun secrets, it's all laid out in the open from the very beginning, and only becomes interactable once you obtain the necessary spell or item. The pacing, even that of exploration, is snappy and never overstays its welcome as much as the previous parts, but by following said games this closely it could only ever be fun as a companion piece. There is a necessary level of interest required from the player in order to make them feel like trudging through mediocre gameplay is worth it.
To me, it is. I really enjoyed seeing this reimagining, all the added content, casting spells in real time, but it would be difficult to recommend for someone outside of an already diminishing circle of interest. I've seen and played enough 6th Gen titles to tell that, despite being a genuinely pretty title with a strong aesthetic, there's many games that had it beat in that regard even back when it released.
With that in mind, however, I believe it is once again worth reminding that companion pieces are not any less worthwhile than these experiences. The aforementioned investment required to get into the mood for playing this game isn't difficult to obtain, as the universe is still a strong one, and perhaps Hogwarts Legacy can reignite it for many players out there. The same game may also increase the standards too high for these titles to be worth coming back to, however. Only time will tell.
The game succeeds primarily as a companion piece. Its aesthetics and soundtrack are excellent, which opens up a whole new approach to the world of Harry Potter. It is the most vivid and unique visual depiction of Hogwarts that isn't based on the movies. There's a fantastic balance of unnerving and weird with the amazing and vibrant, and it manages to fit the more oppressive atmosphere of Prisoner of Azkaban with a very stylized artstyle. The spell challenges are just mind-boggling, there's an underground infestation of creatures which settle near locations where plenty of blood has been spilled (yes, that's the in-game description of the Red Cap enemies) merely few steps outside the Potions classroom, but there's also the wonderful grand staircase, the grounds with different possible weather effects, and Buckbeak flying segments.
Unfortunately the gameplay remains largely the same as its predecessors. While the new spells are cool, and there are few puzzles in the dungeons themselves alongside a few fun bosses, the overworld is largely devoid of any fun secrets, it's all laid out in the open from the very beginning, and only becomes interactable once you obtain the necessary spell or item. The pacing, even that of exploration, is snappy and never overstays its welcome as much as the previous parts, but by following said games this closely it could only ever be fun as a companion piece. There is a necessary level of interest required from the player in order to make them feel like trudging through mediocre gameplay is worth it.
To me, it is. I really enjoyed seeing this reimagining, all the added content, casting spells in real time, but it would be difficult to recommend for someone outside of an already diminishing circle of interest. I've seen and played enough 6th Gen titles to tell that, despite being a genuinely pretty title with a strong aesthetic, there's many games that had it beat in that regard even back when it released.
With that in mind, however, I believe it is once again worth reminding that companion pieces are not any less worthwhile than these experiences. The aforementioned investment required to get into the mood for playing this game isn't difficult to obtain, as the universe is still a strong one, and perhaps Hogwarts Legacy can reignite it for many players out there. The same game may also increase the standards too high for these titles to be worth coming back to, however. Only time will tell.
This review contains spoilers
This game is good, but not what to expect from the makers of the last 2 games. The Story is the same as the movie, with a few changes added, like Draco somehow knowing that Harry used Polyjuice Potion last year and used Ron's hair somehow to lure Harry to the dungeon to die, the normal changes fit the engine of the last 2 games, but others make it worse. The Voice acting is better than the last still not good, feel normal in most situations and off in others. The Graphics are not bad, the color but a downgrade of appeal and quality from the last 2 games design, but it's finished at least, unless Philosopher's Stone they show a more mature tone, but it's not as good, especially Snape's model. The Gameplay is good, but worse than the last 2. You play Harry, Ron and Hermione, each with their own abilities and spells to use, harry Jumps, Ron finds passages, and only Hermione can crawl under stuff, even though harry could in the last game, Ron doesn't get many spells, well Hermione gets too many compared to the rest, making playing as each one feel uneven during situations and lowering point. You can't always go down to the floor you want to, since their blocked off with a prefect who stands their trapped until they need to be opened for Harry's story, stealth is broken, you now avoid armor that shake to catch you, even though you are too far away from the teachers, and if teachers see you, you lose and can't run to the door, it's not close to being as good as before, you can collect items like the last game, which do have fun to it, but is less interesting due to collecting items either leads to nothing fun, nothing at all, or to buy stuff in Fred and George's shop. Spell challenges are good but not great, lesser versions of the last games, potion ingredient collecting isn't as fun due to looking for them in an emptier exterior of Hogwarts, it's also odd why, Harry and Ron don't follow Hermione in the Girls dormitory, But Hermione can go to the Boys, I DON'T TOLERATE SEXISM TO MEN. The enemies you fight range from fun if not done too many times, to stupid toy robots and instruments, Bosses can be fun though, not attacking books though. The sneaking past trolls with dumb bombs are bad, thanks to being able to run past them to escape for them, makes not interesting guards when that can happen in a stealth section, but the worst stealth section has to be when future Harry and Hermione have to avoid everyone, why? because it NEVER HAPPENS it gets skipped over, from 1 dementor fight to another. These problems in the gameplay lower its quality more. The Music is good, it actually works for this game's older tone and style. Sounds are good to, when collecting stuff, the sound makes a sudden satisfaction when they are gone, not as good as chamber but better than Philosophers, but that's not good enough to make it as good as its predecessors. Prisoner of Azkaban shows that just because you make the series darker, that doesn't mean it should just do the first one you can think of, otherwise you get this style compare the other ones too.
I'm pretty sure if you could visually project my nightmares, at some point you'd see the ghoul from the Muggle Studies level
You can fly on Buckbeak.
OK licenses game from my childhood.
Screeches in Hippogriff
This has been the best one so far, yet Dumbledore's voice it's still very underwhelming.
All three main characters are totally playable. Each one has their own skillset, and at times, the game push you towards which one of the trio would have to complete a quest in order to progress in the game.
The castle and graphics are a bit improved with lot's of new details and rooms added. However the way to the Gryffindor tower was very long and lots of rooms to cross. Some of the floors were access-restricted by a Prefect but by the final day of School all parts of the castle were accessible.
This has been the best one so far, yet Dumbledore's voice it's still very underwhelming.
All three main characters are totally playable. Each one has their own skillset, and at times, the game push you towards which one of the trio would have to complete a quest in order to progress in the game.
The castle and graphics are a bit improved with lot's of new details and rooms added. However the way to the Gryffindor tower was very long and lots of rooms to cross. Some of the floors were access-restricted by a Prefect but by the final day of School all parts of the castle were accessible.
Игра детства, самое то пройти на новый год. Но ОЧЕНЬ мало контента, игра на 100% проходится часа за 3.5
The like many of gaming's greatest series, the 3rd entry into the series turns out to be when the series peaked
There's a handful of good things in this game and improvements over the previous two titles, which are hindered by a fair share of lackluster and downright inconvenient elements. In terms of story adaptation the cutscenes are doing the bare minimum, it's clear the game expects you to know either the book or movie because otherwise you'll have no idea what's going on. It's nice to have voiced cutscenes instead of still images, but when there's a lack of consistency with the story it seems kind of pointless.
Playing as all three characters is a fun idea, yet other elements of the game can spoil the experience. Any form of challenge is gone since the characters will tell you over and over again what you're supposed to do as if you have a short term memory. Switching between spells can get annoying fast because you're only able to equip two at a time and it's not something you can just solve by switching to another character, since they all have an individual set of spells. The ending is also very weak from a gameplay perspective with the lack of a proper boss fight that rushes through the finale with one cutscene after another, leaving very little to do for the player. The mini games are a nice attempt of offering more content after you beat the main game, but are generally quite underwhelming and repetitive.
However, the controls are good, the presentation and score are great for the time and make for an immersive experience any fan of the series can appreciate. Take that and the variety of spells between the three characters and you can still get some enjoyment out of the game by exploring Hogwarts and looking for collectibles if you don't let the previously mentioned inconveniences sour your experience.
Playing as all three characters is a fun idea, yet other elements of the game can spoil the experience. Any form of challenge is gone since the characters will tell you over and over again what you're supposed to do as if you have a short term memory. Switching between spells can get annoying fast because you're only able to equip two at a time and it's not something you can just solve by switching to another character, since they all have an individual set of spells. The ending is also very weak from a gameplay perspective with the lack of a proper boss fight that rushes through the finale with one cutscene after another, leaving very little to do for the player. The mini games are a nice attempt of offering more content after you beat the main game, but are generally quite underwhelming and repetitive.
However, the controls are good, the presentation and score are great for the time and make for an immersive experience any fan of the series can appreciate. Take that and the variety of spells between the three characters and you can still get some enjoyment out of the game by exploring Hogwarts and looking for collectibles if you don't let the previously mentioned inconveniences sour your experience.
Guiseppe Stromboli
cool harry potter game
Coming off the previous two games on PS1, this title is a massive improvement from those two games.
Instead of feeling passable, I'd say this game is actually "good" if not exceptionally flawed in places. It's more mechanically rich than it's predecessors and it uses it's three playable characters well to make each feel distinct from one another.
Can't speak for the Gamecube or Xbox versions but the PS2 port is held back by several glitches, nothing game breaking but all noticeable. Loading is also fairly time consuming which isn't good for a game as menu heavy as this one.
That said, it's a massive step up from Harry Potter's outings on PS1 and is undoubtedly where the mainline games peaked.
Instead of feeling passable, I'd say this game is actually "good" if not exceptionally flawed in places. It's more mechanically rich than it's predecessors and it uses it's three playable characters well to make each feel distinct from one another.
Can't speak for the Gamecube or Xbox versions but the PS2 port is held back by several glitches, nothing game breaking but all noticeable. Loading is also fairly time consuming which isn't good for a game as menu heavy as this one.
That said, it's a massive step up from Harry Potter's outings on PS1 and is undoubtedly where the mainline games peaked.
Por que no puedo explorar Hogwarts ;-;
harrison potter in his scariest role to date
Not going to Lie, I was somewhat disappointed by this game. The first and second were pretty good, but this one kinda fell off the cliff a bit. First, the pros. The spell variety is fantastic. Each spell controls different and it’s really satisfying to use them all. Similarly, the enemy variety is pretty great as well. And of course, this game has an incredible soundtrack, a personal favorite of mine. Unfortunately that’s kinda where the positives end? Negatives wise, the game is extremely short, and the ending feels rushed as hell. The visuals ultimately got worse, which hurts a lot. Quidditch is completely gone, now relegated to exclusively a cutscene. Controlling the characters got far worse, they maintain way too much momentum and it makes them feel extremely slippery. Aiming at enemies feels terrible and unpredictable, and ultimately your AI partners end up being both annoying and complete hinderances. The game is just disappointing.
While it recycles a lot of elements from the previous EA Harry Potter games, Prisoner of Azkaban didn't quite hit the way Chamber of Secrets did for me. What felt so fresh and exciting last time around began to grow a bit tedious in this one, and more importantly the game failed to make very good use of some of the book and movie's best sequences for gameplay.
This time around you get to control Harry, Ron, and Hermione- who stay together as a trio for most of the game. No co-op seems like a missed opportunity but at least it lends some variety to puzzles as you need to have each of them participate in some component of the puzzle.
Really the game is more of Chamber of Secrets. Instead of getting to explore Hogwarts from the sky on your broom, this time you can fly Buckbeak. The sizable puzzle dungeons return as does the spell mapping system.
It's all serviceable enough though I wish it included more of the locations and moments from the movie. There could have been a unique implementation of the time travel elements, for example, or at least an explorable Hogsmeade (Chamber of Secrets had a pretty elaborate Diagon Alley so that doesn't seem like a huge ask).
Prisoner of Azkaban isn't a bad game and is still worth checking out for Harry Potter fans, but it's understandable why they wanted to change things up in the next game for better or worse.
This time around you get to control Harry, Ron, and Hermione- who stay together as a trio for most of the game. No co-op seems like a missed opportunity but at least it lends some variety to puzzles as you need to have each of them participate in some component of the puzzle.
Really the game is more of Chamber of Secrets. Instead of getting to explore Hogwarts from the sky on your broom, this time you can fly Buckbeak. The sizable puzzle dungeons return as does the spell mapping system.
It's all serviceable enough though I wish it included more of the locations and moments from the movie. There could have been a unique implementation of the time travel elements, for example, or at least an explorable Hogsmeade (Chamber of Secrets had a pretty elaborate Diagon Alley so that doesn't seem like a huge ask).
Prisoner of Azkaban isn't a bad game and is still worth checking out for Harry Potter fans, but it's understandable why they wanted to change things up in the next game for better or worse.
There's something about this particular era of games where the developers would make a giant castle/courtyard you can fly around that is completely empty of content. Like maybe 5% of it is interactable. It rules.
There's this balance between player convenience and realism in scale. Like you don't want the player to have to travel a long distance to get from one "fun" to the next "fun" so you abstract the scale and distance between the "funs". In the FF7 overworld, Cloud becomes a big cartoon boy and hypothetically is traveling very large distances with his thundering abstracted steps. The trade-off here being that you lose a little immersion, a little realism not in graphics but in scale. Games as an interactive medium promise worlds you can live in and can get a lot out of that scale if your willing to inconvenience the player a little. You've got to find the right balance.
The castle/courtyard in this game doesn't have much in it but the sheer act of existing on the Hogwarts campus at full scale is fun.
There's this balance between player convenience and realism in scale. Like you don't want the player to have to travel a long distance to get from one "fun" to the next "fun" so you abstract the scale and distance between the "funs". In the FF7 overworld, Cloud becomes a big cartoon boy and hypothetically is traveling very large distances with his thundering abstracted steps. The trade-off here being that you lose a little immersion, a little realism not in graphics but in scale. Games as an interactive medium promise worlds you can live in and can get a lot out of that scale if your willing to inconvenience the player a little. You've got to find the right balance.
The castle/courtyard in this game doesn't have much in it but the sheer act of existing on the Hogwarts campus at full scale is fun.
Didn't feel like the movie at all but tbh which of these games even do
Solid RPG for Harry Potter fans, decent enough platforming & combat.
probably one of my favorite entries of the hp franchise just a nice twist on the gameplay and the ability to play as Ron and Hermione with Hermione taking a big center stage here is quite nice also just a different aesthetic to Hogwarts after hp 1 and 2 on the ps2 being basically the same and the seasons also add a lot to it
This game ruins the best part of the last game which was the mappable spell buttons. Because it introduces Ron and Hermione as playable characters, you have to use a button to swap between them. That means you can only map up to 2 buttons instead of 3. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it means that pretty early on you’ll have to constantly pause the game to remap spells. Whenever you’re in a level that uses a variety of spells or abilities, you quickly run out of slots because each character can only map 2 spells or items at a time. I know these games are for kids, but would it really have made the controls too complicated for kids if they had to swap characters with the D pad instead of the buttons?
Fun switching between the trio made them all feel unique to play. Harry felt familiar and strong, Hermione was key with the range of spells, and Ron was a burden. The recipe collection for classes sucked but the Hogwarts grounds were very cozy.