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CVG Home � PlayStation � Reviews

REVIEWS: PLAYSTATION

Bloody Roar 4 ^PS2

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Review

4.0

Format PlayStation 2

Developer Electronic Arts

Publisher Electronic Arts

Genre Adventure

6-Jan-2004

Looks like JK Rowling was having an off day when she approved this remake of the very first Happy Potter videogame. Although there's little to fault in the way of Potter authenticity - the characters look and sound right, and the game takes the tried-and-tested route of following the plot ruthlessly - as a game, Philosopher's Stone is about as much fun as eating a poo-tasting Every Flavour Bean.

Half-Arsed Hogwarts
Running around Hogwarts is a curiously flat experience, and not helped by the chronically jerky frame rate. There's none of the mysterious ambience or magical atmosphere seen in other Potter games and movies, so running from lessons to mini-quests is boring. Wizard school should be better than this.

Controlling Harry is lame as well. He runs too fast to make exploring the boxy levels any fun. What sort of child wizard genius repeatedly smacks himself into bookcases and walls because he can't slow down in time? The camera and lock-on targeting are so inept you end up getting trounced by even the weakest goblins and boggarts, never mind Lord Voldemort.

Most infuriating of all though is the fact that Harry jumps automatically when presented with chasms to cross and objects to scale, but the game isn't intelligent enough to prevent Harry from attempting a leap he can't physically make. Falling to your doom in the naff platform sections and having to restart over and over again is about as far removed from the Potter magic as you can get.

CVG Staff

// Overview

Verdict

An uninspired and poorly made action game that's an insult to Potter fans and videogamers alike. This totally misses the point of what a good Potter game should be about.

// Screenshots

// Interactive

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// Screenshots

2 / 8 Screenshots

// When Good Ideas Turn Bad

On paper, this remake has all the right ingredients for an amazing adventure. With the licence comes an amazing story, a cool setting, all manner of collectibles and secrets to find, amazing enemies to battle and a magical world - right out of the box.
Sadly all of this has been squandered on a barely average action title that trips over its own wand and ends up turning itself into a steaming pile of Hippogriff dung.