Playstation 2 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Format
Playstation 2
Publisher
Electronic Arts
Developer
Electronic Arts
Country of origin
US
Genre
3rd person adventure

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

By David Rasmussen
30th Dec 05

It comes but once a year… more or less. And for some once a year is more than enough.
No I don’t mean Christmas, New Year’s, or even St. Patrick‘s Day. I mean a new Harry Potter game release, mainly Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire which is the game of 2005, the halfway point of the Harry Potter trilogy. And to celebrate, more or less, we’re talking Potter this time out with a fistful of reviews. Two for the GBA, and one for the consoles (in this case the PS2).
For the GBA it’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Year 1) and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Year 4), while for the PS2 we have the last Harry Potter game prior to this new one (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). This is Prisoner of Azkaban, the 3rd game of the series (and probably the last to feature the game’s “freeroaming” gameplay capacity, especially in consideration that EAGames seemingly has killed off that option to make the games more “fun”… if such a thing was possible all things considered).

You know the drill. It’s year 3 and Harry Potter has just blew up his least favorite auntie into cannon fodder for the Macy‘s Thanksgiving Day Parade, meaning it’s time for Harry to pull a runaway bride act and vanish -- which doesn’t last long. He’s found, and everything is A-OK so he can go back to Hogwarts without worry… gee, wonder why, maybe it has to do with the fact that he’s being hunted by a certain escaped prisoner named Sirius Black?

Unfortunately the game doesn’t start with the bloviating of Harry’s wicked aunt (in O‘Reilly-isms), which might have actually been cute (or disturbing)… let‘s see, repeatedly tap the X button the blow up Aunt... Uh, never mind. The game starts off on the train to Hogwarts as you get down once again with the way to work your Potter (as well as your Weasley)… as well as the game’s new team-up option, dueling, and the ability to assist your partner character (Ron helping Harry in this instance) as you get your first look at your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Lupin (no relation to the thief Lupin III) and your first look at a Dementor of Azkaban. Dementors, who seem to have the fashion sense of RingWraiths of the Lord of the Ring, are after Black but don’t seem too disposed to also go gunning for Potter from time to time since he seems “tasty“ (which is odd since they’re supposed to be protecting Potter).

Good thing there’s a brand new layer of gameplay to help Harry (and you) get through the new year.
The new gameplay includes co-op with Ron and Hermione (swapping characters to solve certain puzzles), a new “dueling” system, and new “mini games”.
Let’s start with the co-op system. This time out you’ve gained the ability to team up with Ron and Hermione for tag team adventuring (depending on whose available that is, sometimes only one of the two is available for certain challenges). This means you can use each of the three main characters, as well as their specific traits and skills, to solve puzzles and get through certain platforming levels. Oh, yeah, as of this game the franchise takes on an even more platformy aspect, which is still far more intelligent gameplay than the present game which seems to emphasis more on “action” that “intelligent thought”.

There’s still the freeroaming aspect (which they seemingly have spade and neutered out of Goblet of Fire), which allows you to roam freely throughout the game… as long as you mute the sound to the game. Apparently while you can freeroam in this game (to find Famous Witches & Wizards Cards, Bertie Bott Every Flavor Beans and other things) the game’s AI characters seem to have it in their mind to nag you to death about you freeroaming about. This time out the game plays in “days” (chapters), and each day is one chapter. Once the “day” is done you have the opportunity to freeroam… too bad your two AI partners seem to want to follow you, nagging all the way about how they can’t think of a thing to do and it’s time to turn in… people? Whose calling the shots here? Think that’s me! Stop whining!

Let’s see… if you can get over the fact that the trio are occasionally whiney when you want to try and enjoy the freeroaming aspect of the game what else is there to complain about… how about how this game furthers the distance the games seems to be fostering between being true to the books slash movies and going off on it’s own direction. Obviously it can’t be a true translation since the novel (and movie) were not exactly made to be exciting in terms of video game content, but still it could have been somewhat more true to the story than it is. You start a day, maybe go to class or something, then go through a long platforming level in order to learn some spells or whatever (but spell learning is somehow worked into whatever it is your doing on each day). I think the only game to date that was most in tune with at least the movie version of the story was Chamber of Secrets (even adding the lost “Deathday” scene from the novel that didn’t make it into the movie), though I think Chamber of Secrets has nothing to fear in this respect since I somehow don’t think Goblet of Fire will be any truer to the source material than Prisoner of Azkaban was.

Learning spells in this game is abit easier than before. Before you had to do a mini game where you match a sequence of button pushes to an AI characters button pushes to learn a spell, this time out you just need to find a spellbook on a pedestal in order to learn new spells (quicker spell learning is accomplished this way). Furthermore spells are specific to each character. Each character has the ability to learn spells that are unique to them (as opposed to just having the same magic spells plastered on each character in a rather uniform manner), which adds to the gameplay since it means only a certain character can accomplish certain tasks (and the way you manage each character and their skills will determine how you overcome certain obstacles).

Then you have other things that make the game interesting. The ability to fly Buckbeak at certain times of the game, for instance. Confrontations with Dementors during the game. The quicker and easier learning curve on new magic (mentioned above). The game being split into days (which means you can have more time to yourself to freeroam if you wish).

But the game just isn’t the good, there’s the bad in it as well.
The game is woefully simple, despite the platforming premise and the ability to use all three characters which should make it sound as if there‘s depth to the challenge, the game is still easily beaten in about 10 or so hours (and there’s little replay value in the game unless you are a die hard Harry Potter fan).
Then there’s the fact that the game seems to have an allergic reaction to you exploring on your own. As I mentioned above the game, split into days, has you tackling a set amount of tasks each day, then you have freetime to yourself once you‘re done with the day‘s tasks. However once you are done with each day’s task the two AI controlled partners (depending on who you play as) can’t stop telling you how much they want you to end the day and move on, even if you are exploring the game and looking for extras.
You have no idea how much I’d wish the two characters the AI controls during these sequences would just shut the hell up already! All this yak yak yak yak! Stop it already! What’s the point of having the freedom to roam the school grounds if the game constantly wants to spoil it for you by nagging you to death!

Basically it’s a simple game… though apparently not that simple since EAGames thinks the only way to improve sales is to dumb the franchise down even further. Right. That’ll work. If this keeps up it’ll come to the point that you should be able to beat a Harry Potter game in one afternoon, not even breaking a sweat at the complete lack of challenge (which, if it hasn’t happened with Goblet of Fire, should be happening soon if EAGames insists on continuing the dumb down the franchise game after game).
The Breakdown should sum up my finishing thoughts.

Harry Potter and the Breakdown of PS2 Year 3 (game 2)
What’s Hot?
Well, believe it or not, the game is kind of hot. At least it holds onto a few final aspects of good that came from the previous games before they were all completely destroyed (allegedly) in Goblet of Fire.
But this may be the last hoorah for several things, like freeroaming gameplay and intelligent thought in gameplay. Apparently the franchise is only going to sell if the game is simple minded action button mashing… whatever the reason for this lack of reason from EAGames concerning their games? I have no idea, no idea whatsoever… it’s probably not a good thing, though, that compelled them to do what they did.

What’s Not?
HOWEVER the game is probably not going to be winning over Platformer gamers anytime soon.
The game is just way too easy, meaning gameplay shouldn’t take you all that long to beat.
Add to that whiney AI partners who can’t seem to stop nagging you when they shouldn’t be nagging you, and a game filled with “cannon fodder” voice actors (since apparently most of the cast couldn’t be bothered to voice dub their own characters) and you have a game that might drive players away.
And, yes, it can only get worse with Goblet of Fire since there seems to be no bottom to the depths of despair and lowered expectation gameplay the game can fall into. Hopefully the Nintendo DS version turns out to be more intelligent than the PS2 slash Xbox slash GameCube version.

Moments to Remember?
There are moments here and there, but they are too few and far between for my tastes.

What to Ignore?
Probably the Golden Rule, since the Golden Rule is broken with such relish in this game.
What is the Golden Rule? It’s the one where I tell you that, if possible, the people who made the movie or something the game is based on should take the time to actually be in said game. I mean what is the point of playing a game like this if the people you came to spend quality tie with couldn’t find the time to be in said game. If they didn’t waste time being in this game, you shouldn’t waste your time playing this game.

Overall?
A mixed bag of good and bad, this is probably only going to be appealing to the Harry Potter fans. However if you are Potter-curious you might be convinced to buy this, especially since the game should be on sale right now for $20 or less. But, again, you’ll either need to be a Potter-maniac or just really forgiving of the game’s shortcomings. Yes, it’s not as bad as Harry Potter : Quidditch World Cup (nothing is worse), but then again I think it could have been a little better. Ditto with the new game, it should have aimed higher yet it fell short of expectations. EAGames needs to learn it’s lessons, preferably now, before it’s too late, and no amount of fan support will be able to save the Potter gaming franchise.
But I guess we’ll have to wait and see, especially since it’s a long ways off before we even think of seeing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix out for game systems.

-- David Rasmussen 30th Dec 05

Playstation 2 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Images