Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince
Play the game as one of the characters from the movie in the same settings
- Category Action
- Program license Trial version
- Size 624.07 MB
- Works under: Windows XP
- Program available in English
- Program by ELECTRONIC ARTS
Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince is a 2009 sim from Electronic Arts (EA) that allows gamers to become everyone's favourite English wizard in his quest to overcome the evil Voldemort and protect Hogwarts.
In truth, the game differs little from its predecessor – Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix – but fans of the movie franchise and JK Rowling's books are sure to find it enjoyable.
The sim is set in Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and the threat of he who must not be named looms large. You are tasked with completing a number of challenges using spells, with new parts of the school being opened up as you go along. You'll need to explore the premises, engage in battles and use all your wizardry to unlock doors and make progress.
In total there are 16 potions to mix in your caldron and you need to make the correct concoctions for the task you face. Flight is a new edition in this game. The backstory has it that Harry has been made the captain of the Quidditch team and as such, you’re able to fly around the corridors on your broom. There's also a timed race where you are required to fly through a series of checkpoints.
Wand-to-wand combat is still not great but it is much improved on Order of the Phoenix and you have six spells – Protego, Expelliarmus, Petrificus, Stupefy, Charging and Levicorpus – at your disposal.
One thing the Windows edition is lacking is the ability to dual one-on-one with your friends. The console version has multiplayer options but they have sadly been omitted from the PC offering.
Visually, the game is good, yet cynics might say that there is room for improvement. The characters faces do not quite look right when they are speaking, but the graphics for Hogwarts lay out is exceptional.
This is an enjoyable game and is sure to go down well with Harry Potter fanatics, but those who have never read the books or watched the films are unlikely to find it particularly appealing.
It is also a little too easy and one senses that Electronic Arts are aiming at a younger crowd with this release.
Pros
- Great for Harry Potter fanatics
- Good sound effects
- Combat improvements
Cons
- Graphics are hit and miss
- Won't appeal to non-Potter fans
- To easy complete
