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EA Games does it again!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 60 / 63
Date: November 11, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Graphics: 10/10
They are absolutely amazing. My dad came into my room when I was playing, and he asked if it was a movie! He could not believe it was a game, I had to CONVINCE him by moving Harry around in circles! Best graphics I have ever seen on any system, they are simply breathtaking and truly bring the game to life.

Sound: 10/10
Sound quality is amazing, the voices are VERY real and the background music is excellent, not annoying at all.

Control: 10//10
Control is perfect, you can customize the spell buttons to any place you want, wich is great. Harry is very easy to move around, with three different speeds (Sneak, Walk and Run) at a diff positions on the control stick. When shooting spells at objects they are very very easy to hit right on target, excellent aiming system!

Gameplay: 10/10 TONS upon tons of different levels, different places, all exciting and thrilling in they’re own way!

Fun Factor: 10/10 This game is an absolute blast! You will NEVER get tired of this game, right till the very end!

Story Line: 10/10 it follows the book very well. Some things are different, but they were only changed to be “playable” a lot of great original ideas where added into the game, creating MANY new special tasks for Harry to complete like SAVING Ron from the Whomping Willow!

Annoyance: 9/10 Having to “meet” the chars everywhere tends to get on ones nerves but it’s not too bad. Also sometimes the Camera angels can get a bit touchy, but with the yellow control stick, you can move them to the spot you want!

Memory Card: 10/10 only takes up 5 blocks on your card, AMAZING for the quality of graphics this game has!!

Overall: 10!!! This game is an asset and will be a star to any collection. Buy it now, you will NOT regret it!!!!!!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret: A Must Buy

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 25 / 28
Date: November 15, 2002
Author: Amazon User

You never know what to expect from a videogame based on a popular license. But, to me, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets hasn't fallen victim to any of the unfortunate failings that become so many of these types of games. It's, in fact, a very well done 3D adventure game filled with a fun quest, challenging puzzles and an intuitive control scheme and magic system. It reminds me a lot of Zelda, actually, which is a great thing. That's not to say it's perfect. Some of the puzzles lack the intensity of those in Zelda and there is a level of redundancy in some of the challenges, but for the most part it's all still something of an addiction.

I think that just about anybody will get his or her money's worth with this game. But for genuine Potter fans, this is an absolute must buy. The way in which developer Eurocom has brought Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, Quidditch and the cast of the Potter books to life in videogame form is brilliant. There is so much to see and do in the Harry Potter universe here that the game is practically a virtual library of Potter related locations, items, and characters. And the topper is that the Chamber of Secrets storyline is presented with equal flair and detail.

Harrys Back!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 26 / 30
Date: October 29, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This is one of those games that you'll play over and over again! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the graphics on this game. You play as Harry Potter which is nothing you don't all ready know. Playing this game is like being a student at Hogwarts. You can sneek out of bed at night and fly around the enormous Hogwarts campus if you'd like!This game also features a full season of quiditch!Whatch out for those Blodgers! EA games has really done it this time.J.K Rowling worked close hand with the makers of the game to make sure the game was a close to perfect match to the book.This game really dose follow the book so have fun and don't get petrified.This is by far one of the greatest games I have seen in years! I would reckomend trying this game!

-Griff

Not Quite Enchanting...

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 14 / 14
Date: December 27, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Don't judge a book by it's cover- this game is graphically pleasing, everything looks and sounds great. However, it is quite uneventful.

It is too similar to Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone. You have to relearn many spells (Flippendo, Lumos, Incendio, etc.) and you only learn a few more. Quidditch is very slightly changed (instead of speeding up and down you have to fly through rings which accelerate you occasionally giving you the power for a boost).

You won't get any challenging game play out of it. I got it [one day]and I had it beaten it by the next day. The only challenging parts are the puzzles, are clever and are the only reason I gave this a 2. Much of the gameplay consists of sneaking around the school at night which is fun at first, but gets frustrating. The bosses are extremely simple (there are only 3: the Whomping Willow, Aragog, and the Basilisk. Also there are unlimited lives so there is no problem if you don't beat something, you get an infinite amount of shots at it with no penalty.(I'm not even very good at video games, I've only beaten a couple easy ones)

A new feature of the game (opposed to the first one) is your Rememberall. It gives you a to-do list for each day. I like this feature. In the first game, you didn't have this, the game just brought you to each challenge. This feature allows you to roam freely around Hogwarts, trusting that you know what you need to do and that you will get around to it when you feel like it . However, you will soon find that there's not much to explore.

The one improvement (over Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) an is that after you have completed each of the day's objectives you are free to explore the castle. However instead of being rich and fulfilling with mysteries, it seems bland and repetitive. Who really wants to open all of the desks in Hogwarts to get more Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans?

The controls are not very good. You don't even get to aim your own spells, you just press L for auto aim. You don't get to time your own jumps, it will do it automatically. Why doesn't EA Games just do everything for you? Another frustrating thing is that on Hogwarts grounds you can only land your broomstick exactly where you took off from. I spent 30 min. trying to land before I gave up and shut off the Gamecube losing all that I had done since my last save.

The cinematic scenes are basically worthless. They explain just enough to bore fans of the books/movies and are not nearly enough to explain things to someone who isn't. They aren't even graphically impressive either (except for the entrance video). Little effort was made to make them interesting and explanative (they show Harry looking at Tom
Riddle's Diary instead of showing us what he saw).

Almost everyone knows what will happen as most players are familiar with the plot of the book or story. This leaves you with no surprises or mysteries.

All and all, this game gives you an empty feeling. You don't feel like you completed an adventure, but rather that you completed a checklist. It does not give you any feeling of fulfillment It may be pretty, but there's not much to back it up. The game doesn't feel like an unfolding adventure, it feels like a planned program and you observe it rather than participate in it.

Many people who buy this game aren't really looking for a video game. They are looking to enter Harry Potter's world. This game doesn't offer the Hogwarts experience. It is short, and character interaction is limited to the cinematic scenes. You never even have a Potions class! Those who are looking to enter this world should reread the books and read fan-fiction (my recommendation is www.schnoogle.com).

My advice: Save your sickles for something else. There will be more chances for a good Harry Potter game, think EA Games has until the 7th year to get it right...

great game, lots of loading

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 16 / 18
Date: November 20, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Based on the "things i've blown off to play this game" scale of ratings, this game is definitely top notch, really capturing the essence of harry potter. The graphics are good, and i imagine they would be incredible if i owned a decent tv. the challenge levels also depend just as much on intelligence as on speed and agility, which is a nice change of pace from some action games. also quidditch is really well done, especially how you are constantly dodging other players and blodgers, something that hasnt played as much of a part in the quidditch on previous harry potter games. although a missing feature that would be nice is be the ability to play a quidditch league seperate from your actual game. but that is totally made up for by the incredible freedom of movement that you have through all of hogwarts, with lots of hidden areas and secrets to discover.

there are a few small details, however, that keep me from giving this game a five. i agree with a previous reviewer- the load times are frequent (every time you enter a new room, it seems), and just long enough to prevent you from getting really caught up in the game. also, the camera angles can be annoying and difficult to control, especially when sneaking past prefects. I found that to be the worst part of the game so far, since the restricted camera angles make it IMPOSSIBLE to really see the prefects unless youre willing to totally give up the ability to move. also, dont bother trying to escape levels with many bertie botts beans, chances are you won't survive with enough to actually buy anything from fred and george. youre better off collecting them in the main hogwarts building when theres little risk of getting hit by an attack.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for gamecube

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 16 / 19
Date: November 30, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Although I was anxious to buy The Chamber of Secrets as fast as possible, I was smart enough to rent it first to try it out for GameCube. As the other reviews say, i also agree that the graphics are stunning. The game was very entertaining and i loved the fact that you could fly anywhere around Hogwarts. My one complain though, is that i could finish it in just a few days. The bosses, such as the Basilisk, were far too easy to beat. (And trust me, I am no great gamer, i usually have problems beating other games.)It was still very fun to play, though. If you are looking for a game that you can probably beat in five days or less, and isn't too difficult, i highly recommend it. However, if you are not made of money and think you'll only play it a couple of times, i suggest renting it first and see what it's like.

A wild ride through Harry's world!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 27
Date: November 04, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I previewed this game recently and I am astonished at the quality of the graphics! I reviewed the game on three different platforms (PS2, Gamecube and XBox) and the graphics engine is exceptionally good. Gameplay is challenging, and although younger kids will no doubt have some problems with many of the button sequences, I think any child five or older will get something out of this game. There is no question this will be the hit of the holiday season so order now!

Fun but definitely not an "E" for Everyone

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 10 / 13
Date: January 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

My sons and I are all Harry Potter fans, and Santa brought the Chamber of Secrets game this Christmas. It was chosen over other games like Super Smash Brothers Melee because it was rated E for Everyone, rather than T for Teen. Well, after finishing the game this morning, I now realize that there's no way my 5 year old can play it unassisted... and I'm also preparing for the headaches and frustration my 9 year old will feel as he advances throughout the game. This game, while fun and lighthearted in parts, can be EXTREMELY difficult and frustrating, especially during the Incendio, Avifors, and Skurge Challenges and the encounter with Aragog. To my surprise, though, the battle with the basilisk was easy. But there were times my husband and I sat at the controls for hours trying to figure out what to do to advance (6 hours total for Aragog). Plus the game doesn't follow the book (or film) exactly, so be prepared for accuracy complaints from the kids.

Have patience people!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: September 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

All I see on these reviews are people having fits because EA's GameCube version of Chamber of Secrets didn't live up to their wild expectations. The game is well crafted, the graphics are sensational mainly due to the fact that the GameCube is twice as powerful a machine than PS2 or XBox. I thought there were some annoying aspects as well, mainly trying to control the viewpoint as the game seems to choose a viewpoint for a challenge and not let you straighten it to help you. I am still playing it and think it's a great game overall. What you people need to realize is that NO game can follow a storyline precisely. It would be to linear and too short. With games like this the creators have to take some liberties to make it more interesting and have more things to accomplish in it. One final point, NO GAME WILL EVER SATISFY EVERYONE! Enjoy the game for what it is, a terrific, fun , and very challenging(those who say it's too easy are clearly using walkthroughs or other cheats because this game has been anything but easy IMO). and quit griping for pete's sake.

Great, but there are some flaws...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 12
Date: December 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

My sister got this one and I was slightly dissapointed with my earlier games for GC (Rouge Leader, Crazy Taxi, SSB Melee, Medal of Honor). I wasn't expecting much from Harry Potter, but boy was I surprised. With stunning graphics, fair gameplay, and stunning freedom of movement, this game is a winner in my eyes. With Quiditch, great duels, and a fully explorable world (Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and all kinds of fun places) this is a revolutionary game.

On to the bad part...

...the worst part by far, is that (so far) there is really not a lot of skill involved, it is just a matter of finding things and looking around. However, don't get me wrong, it is not one of those "mad-button-pushing" things. Speaking of buttons, the controlls are also intially poorly explained, but it get's better as you go on. Saving games is terrible. You have to go to a scroll in the actual world and save, so you have to go out of your way to find them, and you might not always be near one. Why couldn't they just put it in the menu? Anyway, this is a great game, a must-get for any Harry Potter fan, and it is still a great game for anyone (I myself do not particularly care for Harry Potter, and I love this game!).

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