Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Goes where, well, every other Harry Potter game has gone before.
Published: July 6, 2004
As licensed video games go, the Harry Potter series has fared better than most, though that's more of a slight on the general malaise that populates the genre then a complement tossed at the HP games themselves. That's not to say they don't do the movies and/or books justice, it's just that they don't exactly break new ground. In this grand tradition, the third game, surprisingly based on the movie it shares a name with, manages to mirror events from the book and the movie well, but does little else.
For those not all geeked out on the movie or book, The Prisoner of Azkaban refers to a certain Sirius Black, recently liberated from his incarceration and making a beeline for our wizardly hero. The escapee from Azkaban is deemed so important, in fact, that all of Hogwarts appears to be freaking out, and with good reason, as this was the man responsible for offing both of Harry's parents and seems hell-bent on doing the same to the youngin'. As with most of J.K. Rowling's universe, things are rarely what they seem, and as the game/movie/book progresses, true intentions become revealed.
Not that the book or movie are really incorporated as much here, mind you. Rather than inserting smatterings of footage or reproduced CG on the same level as the previous two games, EA made the decision to instead focus on a game that loosely incorporates some key points from the source material. There are times where it merely skims over key plot points and dawdles a bit on the minutiae, but it's generally done for the sake of flow and pacing, which is a marked improvement since the shift from a game that tries to mimic the speed of a film that barely cracks two hours from start to finish to one that takes liberties with level and story design. The end result is a game that plays more like, well, a game.
The biggest change to the HP video game formula – aside from the much improved visual presentation – comes in the form of a shift to puzzles and action that involves switching between players on the fly, capitalizing on each player's strengths (Harry can jump small gaps, Ron can detect normally invisible switches and Hermione can squeeze into tight places). When combined with a couple of exclusive spells, it gives the appearance of some balance between the three wee wizards, but it's basic at best.
Unfortunately, as far as the games have come in pacing and design, as well the strides they've taken forward in gameplay and puzzle variety, there're still some mysteriously misguided changes, chiefly among them the controls. Why EA UK decided to heap on more sluggish controls and an odd bit of momentum to the characters' movements is beyond me, since it makes some of the platform jumping bits needlessly wonky, and gives the overall control a lagged, lethargic feel.
The graphics, too, while certainly improved on the whole (most notably Hogwarts, where you'll spend a sizable chunk of the game, no longer feels like a slideshow) lack a bit of polish. Spell effects are certainly decent, culling some fancy particle work for everything from projectiles to shields. The three main characters, as well as some of the bigger players in the game (especially the Dementors) are well modeled and textured, and the framerate generally stays nice and smooth. Environmental detail and texturing are a bit blander at times, but much like the rest of the game, the visuals are decent, just not especially fantastic.
The audio fares a bit better. While the voice acting is more or less in line with the actors in the movies (with a few exceptions or bits that get repeated by the same voice coming out of different characters' mouths), the orchestrated musical bits are pretty darned decent in their own right. The rest of the standard sound effects – ranging from spell zaps to grunts from climbing characters to the odd musical flourishes. None of the voice acting bits made me cringe, but I didn't feel the need to look up any names beyond double-checking to make sure there wasn't any of the film's voice talent at work in the game.
This is definitely the best film/book to video game translation the Harry Potter license has birthed, but that's not saying it's a great game. Good and slightly better than average, sure, but it does nothing that hasn't been seen before. Luckily, this is a game you can play yourself or kick down to the younger members of the family without that nagging feeling that you perpetuated the lineage of licensed schlock that still somehow manages to sell without any real reason. If you're a die-hard HP fan… well, keep reading the books. If you're looking for a decent Potter-tinged romp, this is the best one you're gonna get – at least until the next movie comes out.
For those not all geeked out on the movie or book, The Prisoner of Azkaban refers to a certain Sirius Black, recently liberated from his incarceration and making a beeline for our wizardly hero. The escapee from Azkaban is deemed so important, in fact, that all of Hogwarts appears to be freaking out, and with good reason, as this was the man responsible for offing both of Harry's parents and seems hell-bent on doing the same to the youngin'. As with most of J.K. Rowling's universe, things are rarely what they seem, and as the game/movie/book progresses, true intentions become revealed.
Not that the book or movie are really incorporated as much here, mind you. Rather than inserting smatterings of footage or reproduced CG on the same level as the previous two games, EA made the decision to instead focus on a game that loosely incorporates some key points from the source material. There are times where it merely skims over key plot points and dawdles a bit on the minutiae, but it's generally done for the sake of flow and pacing, which is a marked improvement since the shift from a game that tries to mimic the speed of a film that barely cracks two hours from start to finish to one that takes liberties with level and story design. The end result is a game that plays more like, well, a game.
The biggest change to the HP video game formula – aside from the much improved visual presentation – comes in the form of a shift to puzzles and action that involves switching between players on the fly, capitalizing on each player's strengths (Harry can jump small gaps, Ron can detect normally invisible switches and Hermione can squeeze into tight places). When combined with a couple of exclusive spells, it gives the appearance of some balance between the three wee wizards, but it's basic at best.
Unfortunately, as far as the games have come in pacing and design, as well the strides they've taken forward in gameplay and puzzle variety, there're still some mysteriously misguided changes, chiefly among them the controls. Why EA UK decided to heap on more sluggish controls and an odd bit of momentum to the characters' movements is beyond me, since it makes some of the platform jumping bits needlessly wonky, and gives the overall control a lagged, lethargic feel.
The graphics, too, while certainly improved on the whole (most notably Hogwarts, where you'll spend a sizable chunk of the game, no longer feels like a slideshow) lack a bit of polish. Spell effects are certainly decent, culling some fancy particle work for everything from projectiles to shields. The three main characters, as well as some of the bigger players in the game (especially the Dementors) are well modeled and textured, and the framerate generally stays nice and smooth. Environmental detail and texturing are a bit blander at times, but much like the rest of the game, the visuals are decent, just not especially fantastic.
The audio fares a bit better. While the voice acting is more or less in line with the actors in the movies (with a few exceptions or bits that get repeated by the same voice coming out of different characters' mouths), the orchestrated musical bits are pretty darned decent in their own right. The rest of the standard sound effects – ranging from spell zaps to grunts from climbing characters to the odd musical flourishes. None of the voice acting bits made me cringe, but I didn't feel the need to look up any names beyond double-checking to make sure there wasn't any of the film's voice talent at work in the game.
This is definitely the best film/book to video game translation the Harry Potter license has birthed, but that's not saying it's a great game. Good and slightly better than average, sure, but it does nothing that hasn't been seen before. Luckily, this is a game you can play yourself or kick down to the younger members of the family without that nagging feeling that you perpetuated the lineage of licensed schlock that still somehow manages to sell without any real reason. If you're a die-hard HP fan… well, keep reading the books. If you're looking for a decent Potter-tinged romp, this is the best one you're gonna get – at least until the next movie comes out.
