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Good looking, true to the story, but definitely a rental.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 65 / 74
Date: June 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I'm going to start off by coming right out and saying that I played the first two titles in this franchise, and enjoyed them both. I've read the books, seen the movies, and have enjoyed (for the most part) the games. So as you read this review, appreciate that I'm not coming down on Harry Potter himself, nor am I slighting the world that Rowling has created in the books, and Warner Bros. have put to the screen. Nor am I even taking undo shots at the great and mighty Electronic Arts, although they deserve a few for getting a little lazy with this most recent addition to the line of Potter gaming titles.

First and foremost, let me air my chief complaint. You don't play Quidditch. Not once. In fact, you never touch a broom. The Quidditch matches are reduced to a static cut scene, where you're simply holding the Quidditch Cup. The cynic in me suspects that EA left it out to help drive sales of their stand-alone Quidditch title. But none of the speculation matters, it's simply not there.

My second issue is this game is exceptionally short. I'm not sure how long it took me to finish each of the first two, but it was longer (in each case) than the 5 hours or so it took me to play this one from start to finish. That's not braggadocio. I mean, for one, we're talking about a game in the Harry Potter franchise that has to be something that can appeal to, and be completed by, a wide age and ability range of gamers. So 'easy' isn't an issue here, particularly since a game like this isn't so much something you get for a challenge, but rather an opportunity to sort of live a little bit of Hogwarts. For another, I enjoy getting off the beaten path a bit in games. So this wasn't a case where I just raced through, I collected the pages, cards and beans (although there was really no point to it -- in the last title you spent beans on trinkets Ron's brothers had for sale, not so here). I played the side games, made sure I had A+ in each of the 3 'minigames', Buckbeak's bat chasing, owl racing, and dueling club. The point is, even if you allow yourself to be sidetracked, there will quickly come a point in the game where Dumbledore tells you to speak to him when you're ready to hear who won the House Cup. Make no mistake, that's the end. With no final cut scene, save a grimacing Snape as confetti falls, and some jumping around by the winning house, the game simply drops you out to the main menu. I'm not sure I've ever seen a more abrupt ending, it's a bit like the developers meant to do more, and simply run out of time.

To wrap up my gripes, the control is a little wonky in this one, some sloppy camera angles allowing you at times to lose site of everything as you stare into the woodgrain of a bookcase, or a stone wall that has blocked your field of view. Games with this perspective have been around long enough that this should have been much cleaner.

I'm not all complaints though. This is, by far, the best visual presentation the franchise has enjoyed so far. There's a level of artistry in this game that really jumps out at you, and there are times when you'll find yourself admiring the composition of different scenes. They clearly went out of their way to make it look good.

So that's the quandary here. The game looks good. It plays adequately, and while brief, it's true to the story. So is it good? I'd have to shrug and say `yes', and I'll give it 3 stars for the sake of this review. It's certainly worth a rental, and while I know some will scoff and flap their Hogwarts robes in outrage at the suggestion that this isn't worth buying -- I think that's an important point to make here, and one that I wish I had considered before plunking down cash for this game. Really, don't buy it unless you're making a point to collect.

I sort of imagine the development team for this game sitting around a table some time ago, in a meeting intended to lay the groundwork for the game. And in my imagination, a lot of great ideas are tossed around, but then someone in a suit with insectile eyes speaks up and says "Look, that's all great, but toss it out. What's important is the cover. As long as it says 'Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkaban', it will sell. Make it look pretty, but don't spend just a ton of time on this. Create a linear gauntlet of 'Point A' to 'Point B' light puzzle solving, use the voices of at least some of the actors from the movie -- and it will sell, and sell well." I don't know if that's how it happened, but this game falls well short of expectations driven by the first two titles. It's always those people in the suits...

You do play as Harry, Ron and Hermione. There is "new" action, such as flying Buckbeak, and Hedwig. But there's no depth to any of that. Some of the puzzles are clever, the visuals are terrific, the sound is solid. It is, in the end, a Harry Potter title, true to the book and the movie, and for that alone, this game will find its way into people's libraries. I simply hope EA gets its act together and really does something with the next title, so that I don't again feel like the game was merely an afterthought. The first two didn't feel or play like that, there's really no reason the third one should have.

No Quidditch. How could they?

Fun can't last 4-ever, but it could've been longer than this

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 11 / 12
Date: January 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I bought the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
game on Gamecube systom four days ago. I am a horrible game player, and yet, I beat the game in two days. Not because it was easy, (even though some parts were,) but because it was
soooo SHORT. It was VERY fun, but I was quit dissapointed on not facing a boggart on the first day of term, and how you get the patronus charm spell book, and you don't get to save Buckbeak, and don't do as much as SEE a broomstick. However, the parts that were in it were very enjoyable. I was also pleased the makers of the game took notice of other creatures such as Redcaps & Hinnkypunks. I LLLLOOOOVVVEEE Harry Potter, and I think the game could have been better, but I would advise buying it.

Best Game out of the 3!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 14
Date: June 11, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game was awesome! The graphics were better, you can go anywhere in Hogwarts, ANYWHERE being the key word. The whole game was just so real and you really felt like you were at Hogwarts. Ok, so there was no quidditch, but I played the pc version and I have to say if you play that version and than the one for Gamecube, you'll think this one is 100 times better. My favorite part of the whole game would either be flying Buckbeak or fighting the dementors. Buy it as soon as possible, it's no waste of money! And I'm not just saying this b/c I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, but b/c it was truly a phenomenal strategy, and challenging game!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: September 25, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This is a good game. Well, I'm a Harry Potter freak and own all four (counting the QWC). But, this game is just that...good. Let me say that it's very, very short. Let me give you an example. I bought it at the mall at about eleven, came home and ate lunch, went into my room and played the game in the length of one o'clock and six o'clock. I finished it as my mom called for dinner. But, this game has some really fun mini games and is even more enjoyable if you own the GameBoy Advance and the GBA version of the game. But I was kind of disappointed that there was no Quidditch or extended game play. Don't get me wrong, playing it over is fun. But, it's just sucks that I could finish it in about six hours. As any other Harry Potter game the music and landscape is great but it can become choppy and can sometimes freeze up. Another big plus to this game is that you can play as Ron, Harry, and Hermione and use their talents and knowledge to get past certain puzzles. But, the downfall of this is that Harry still is the main played character. When I heard all of them were playable I thought they would finally do everything together. Go on and face Voldemort together unlike the first two video games. Turns out Ron (like movie and book) was hurt always hurt or looking for Scabbers and Hermione always ran to get help or was hurt. Sometimes you would just play as Ron or Hermione but Harry had the best inventory of spells and items. But, it is very cool to travel through Hogwarts again and find all the Wizard Cards I missed and to re-live my favorite parts of the game. Over all, I recommend it!!!

It's going to be great!!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 22 / 43
Date: May 02, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game should be awsome.I've played both sorcerer's stone and chamber of secrets and they were great.The best thing i think will be the character changing ability,so instead of just playing as harry you can play as ron,hermionie,and harry!!The game has kind-of good graphics but the gameplay totally makes up for that!! Anyone who loves harry potter will definitly love this game and the other two games that are out too!!!
P.S.: dont forget to try out harry potter quidditch world cup!

Great, but too short

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: June 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game expecting something hard and challenging but instead I got a good game but too short. Don't get me wrong this game is still challenging for little kids but it's just that I'm very good at games so it was easy for me. I beat it in one day. It was fun while it lasted but I think that this game was shorter than the other games. Thats why I think it's only $39.99. I reccomend this game for everyone but if gamers are like me think about renting it. If you're a true Harry Potter fan or like Harry Potter a lot then I would buy it because even through it's short it's still a good addition to your collection.

Best book in series=almost great game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: August 17, 2004
Author: Amazon User

With terrific graphics and wonderful voice acting one can see the polish immediately when playing Harry Potter:POA for the first time. Hogwart's looks incredible and the controls are smooth and intuitive for the most part with the camera getting a little wonky on occasion. My son and I play this together he likes it when we play as Ron since he can find all the hidden goodies. The ability to switch between the main characters of Harry, Ron, Hermione is fun and adds a new dimension as you need to use each of them to solve the puzzles. The lack of a Quidditch match is disconcerting but is made up for by the HIPPOGRIFF and OWL flight challenges. Add a save anywhere system and some downloadable GBA mini-games you have a worthy addition to the Harry Potter game library.

The best one yet...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: June 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

In this game, you can play as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. You also get to fly buckbeek, defeat dementors, get past guards without being seen, and you also get to wizard cards. This game is full of spells which you can use to duel Malfoy and his gang. Spells include:

Flipendo - Basic attack
Expelliarmus - Reflects attacks with a shield
Glacius - Freezes water and puts out fire
Lumos Duo - Creates light
Reparo - Repairs broken objects
Carpe Retractum - Works like a grappling hook
Draconifors - Makes a dragon statue breathe fire
Expecto Patronum - Conjures a Patronus
Snufflifors - Turns a book into a mouse

This is definatly one of the best game but, the only grudge I have on this game is that it is kind of short.

By far the best Harry Potter game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: July 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I've played all three of the Harry Potter video games, and I've got to say that I like this one the best. This game is just like the movie, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, except you make everything happen.

One of the things that I like better about this game is that you can play as Harry, Ron, or Hermione. Each character has his own strengths and weaknesses. There are new spells to learn and cast. You can fly Buckbeak and three other hippogriffs around the Hogwarts campus. Connect to the Game Boy Advance and play new mini-games.

This game seems almost like an interactive version of the movie. The characters look and sound almost exactly like they do in the movie. The gamemakers did a wonderful job incorporating the movie's rich outdoor scenery into the game. The layout of the castle has been changed slightly to make it feel a little bigger, and to include areas of the castle that were not seen in the first two games, such as the Hospital Wing, the History of Magic classroom, and the Clock Tower.

To any Harry Potter fan, I would recommend this game to add to your collection of Harry Potter merchandise. If you don't own any of the Harry Potter games, get this one first!

Disappointment....

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 9 / 14
Date: June 10, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This product is sub-standard. Don't be fooled by the current inflated customer rating--one of the two 5-star reviews was written back in early May (long before the game's release), probably by one of the EA Games executives who knew that they had produced a very mediocre game (notice the shameless plug at the end for the Quiddich World Cup game, to help ease the sting of its ommission from Azkaban, and to boost Quiddich sales). Generally, it's best to judge a game by its own merits, but in the HP series, you have to consider the progress made in the previous two versions. Common sense should have driven the EA people to continue to make improvements in every area possible, not just in the graphics/eye candy. You'd think that with all the attention and $$$ that HP generates, the EA people would have made Azkaban a top priority, instead of a, "Holy Cow! The movie comes out in four weeks--freeze the code and ship it, now!!!" kind of thing. In terms of game play and adventure, this game has failed to hit the mark. Hopefully, this review will help balance the total customer rating for this disappointing offering.

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