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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 PS3 Review - www.impulsegamer.com -

Gameplay 6.5
Graphics 8.0
Sound 8.0
Value 6.5
Distributor: EA
Classification:
PG
Review Date:
July 2007
Reviewer:
Tyrone Williams

6.5


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Movie games for some reason are at times very hard to create and more importantly succeed with the gaming community. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is unfortunately effected by the movie game curse which does contains some clever ideas but fails to hit the spot when it comes to paying proper homage to the novel and the film.

The story of the game loosely revolves around the first half of the final book as we follow Harry, Hermione and Ron as they attempt to find and destroy the Horcruxes of Voldermort which are littered throughout the lands. Not only are these items the key to Voldermort’s power, they must somehow be destroyed in order to end his terror.
 
The gameplay of Harry Potter is presented in a third person shooter view with the gamer looking over Harry's shoulder. Controlling Harry with the DualShock controller works well as you fire your spells, duck for cover and explore the world outside of Hogworts. Exploring the world is actually quite fun but sometimes combat becomes a little too annoying.

For example, the camera at times hinders the combat, especially with Harry taking up most of the screen. But using the various spells of Harry is actually quite cool and they contain up to 10 different from spells from the books/movies. Spells must be earned as you level up Harry as you progress.

There are a few types of enemies to face such as the Death Eaters or the Snatchers. It would be nice if there was a little more but considering the book was quite limiting, it is understandable.

Targeting enemies with your wand is surprisingly quite accurate and if you get injured, there is no health bar to assist. I had mixed feelings without a health bar or magic meter but it does make things quite realistic in the darkest Harry Potter story. You just have to keep an eye out on what is happening to your character. One funny thing about the game is when our dear Mr. Potter uses potions to throw at enemies because when he throws them, it's like a World War II military film. Grenades anyone?

Apart from combat and exploring the gaming world, there are a variety of mini-games and challenges to help break things up from the combat. Another break up are the magical items that Harry has access to. These can be quite entertaining to use such as his invisibility cloak and other magical trinkets reminiscent of the novels.

Once you have finished the single player game that is a little on the short side, there is a gaming mode called "Challenge" that requires to complete a set number of tasks for you to complete. For example, you may be required to defeat a set number of enemies in a certain amount of time. These challenges are different and does add some additional hours of play. If you have your PS3 connected to the net and you select "online", your scores in these challenges are added to the online leader boards.  

Graphically, this game is a mixed bag. Sometimes they're great and other times, like the cutscenes leave a little to be desired. Also that cool scene from the movie which replicates the story of the Deathly Hallows has been incorporated into the game that is visually quite surreal. It should also be noted that the characters look like their real-world actors. Unfortunately the voice acting is like the graphics, from good to bad, especially with Ron who doesn't know when to shut-up in this game. Ugh!

Compared to previous Harry Potter games, this title is considerably darker and more violent. The game is heavily reliant on combat and challenges and although the developers have taken some artistic liberty in relation to the story, some of information seems a little convoluted. The biggest problem with the game is the camera which unfortunately becomes frustrating at certain stages in the game which generally involve combat. Oh well, if you enjoyed the previous Harry Potter games, you might enjoy these but maybe a rent first.





 

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