PSP World

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

As the Harry Potter series matures, so do the games. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry’s world becomes more complex, and much more dangerous. The game follows the film more closely than the book, but still features plenty of small references to the books, enough to please true fans. So how does the world of Hogwarts translate to the PSP? Read the review to find out.

From a gameplay standpoint, the game is practically identical to its console counterparts. At the beginning of each level, you can choose to play as Harry, Ron, or Hermione, although the other two will follow you around during the level. This actually leads to some minor problems with the helper AI, which has a tendency to be a couple seconds late on group spells and can get stuck from time to time. Another change players of previous HP titles will notice is that this game is much more linear than previous installments, although it doesn’t subtract much from the overall experience.

The graphics in the game are good overall, but can be a mixed bag. Character models and animations can look a bit clunky at times, and the magic shooting from the player’s wands isn’t quite as “magical” as one would hope. That said, the environments look great for the most part, and retain the feel of the Harry Potter universe well.

Controlling your characters throughout the journey is easy, if not a little too simple — but this is to be expected from a game that has to maintain a double life as both adult and kid oriented. Spells come up on a contextual basis, so there isn’t much choosing what to do — you mainly just mash on the spell button to achieve results. That said, controls throughout the game are manageable, and the slightly sluggish analog nub control doesn’t seem to be a big deal, due to the lack of precision asked of the player.

The sound in the game is pretty strong. the music helps to draw you into the game, and the sound effects are pretty good. The game is sorely lacking in voice acting — and in cutscenes to help along the plot, for that matter — but if you’ve read the book or seen the movie this won’t be too much of a problem. The multiplayer mini-games included in the package aren’t great, but do help round-out the overall package.

Overall, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire isn’t a bad game — especially for kids. It just isn’t a great game either. We miss some of the exploring and puzzle-solving that was paramount in earlier installments of the franchise, and we really feel bad for anyone picking up the game that hasn’t already read the book or seen the film, because frankly, they won’t have a great idea of what is going on. That said, the game is a lot of fun if you look past the small imperfections and lays nice groundwork for EA to improve upon in a year or two when the time comes to release Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Review Round-Up

IGN: 7.5
“In the end it’s a pretty decent kids game and the multiplayer modes add a good deal of replayability.”

GameSpot: 7.3
“It’s definitely not quite as awe-inspiring an experience as seeing the films, but if you want a more interactive take of what it might be like to be in the world of magic, The Goblet of Fire video game will suit you just fine.”

GameSpy: 6.0
“The constant action means the Harry Potter series has always lent itself well to the video-game format, and thankfully (albeit surprisingly) EA has mostly improved upon their winning formula, while upping the ante visually and adding welcome multiplayer features, easily making the Goblet of Fire their best adaptation yet.”

Next Level Gaming:6.8
“If you are a fan of Harry Potter and are looking into this game I would recommend a rental first, if you like it then fork out the cash for the whole thing.”

Aggregate Rating: 7.2