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Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (XBox 360)

Overall Score (not an average): 6

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (XBox 360) will go down in the annals of gamerdom…but not as a memorable gameplay experience, not as a faithful recreation of the story that inspired it, and certainly not as a high point for one of literatures most beloved franchises. Instead, HBP will soon become known as one of the best sources for Gamerscore boosting and all-around Achievement-whoring that has been produced. At least that’s something…

What’s the Deal?

HBP ties in—or rather, recreates—this summer’s film version of the sixth book in the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. Among the story’s highpoints are Harry’s discovery of potions notes written by a former student (the eponymous Half-Blood Prince), several burgeoning romances, and Draco Malfoy’s first formal orders as a Death Eater, all of which feature into the game’s narrative. Players also have the opportunity to try out some new minigames, including quidditch, potions, and dueling. Hogwarts Castle is more detailed than ever and open for more exploration than in previous games.

Gameplay – 5

HBP on the XBox consists of a stiff, unexciting gaming experienced peppered with an occasional moment of amusement.

The control scheme assigns character movement to only the left analog stick, while the right stick primarily controls your wand and spell-casting. And movement is frustrating. My wife and I had to trade off the controller to make it down our first spiral staircase.

Casting spells was usually effective, but with some problems. Certain movements often resulted in the wrong spell being cast—whether that was user error or the game’s fault is unclear. Perhaps worse, in dueling, there seems to be some sort of delay, preventing spells from being cast the moment that right movement sequence is made.

Speaking of dueling…the minigames actually provide the best shot at actual entertainment. Dueling, as described above, is often glitchy. But the potions minigame rescued me from surrender by being quite amusing and responsive. Players must point and click at desired ingredients, position them over their cauldron, and pour the precise amount into their mixture until the concoction turns the proper color. Stirring and heating actions are also incorporated, and there is a countdown timer that adds a hint of desperation. I could have done without dueling entirely but would have enjoyed more potions. And the quidditch minigame is actually not quidditch at all, but simply flying on a broom. The whole golden snitch thing is just window dressing on a tired flying game.

Perhaps my biggest frustration with the game was the lack of a real map. Hogwarts Castle is known for its beauty and bevy of hidden passages. And the Marauders Map would make for the perfect open-world map interface. Unfortunately, EA ignored this potential entirely. Instead of a fully explorable Hogwarts, they present the lame excuse that officials have “closed” parts of the castle. And instead of a map, you must rely on the ghost of Nearly Headless Nick to guide you about.

Actually, the game’s real saving grace is how easy it is to accumulate Achievements. My family and I spent about  six hours total playing this one, and we managed to unlock something like 35 of the 43 Achievements. So if Gamerscore boosting is your thing, this might be right up your alley.

Narrative – 7

I don’t blame Electronic Arts for the failure to adhere to J.K. Rowling’s storyline. That fault lies with Warner Brothers, who own the film rights. Suffice it to say that the game—and thus I presume the movie—derail from Rowling’s narrative in some particularly annoying areas. No spoilers, of course, but my wife and I were regularly baffled by these diversions.

Still, the game’s narrative does present some entertaining moments, such as Ron’s jazzy swagger after consuming a love potion (complete with funky dance moves) and Harry’s first-person jaunt through the halls after taking Felix Felicis.

Minigames are randomly justified within the actual storytelling instead of being left to stand on their own, which serves to interrupt rather than inspire.

Replay Value – 5

EA missed out by not including direct, Main Menu access to minigames. As I said, I could play the potions minigame over and over again. But I don’t want to have to run to the herbology greenhouse every time I want to mix up a batch of Wiggenweld Potion…

The one feature accessible from the Main Menu is two-player dueling. But unfortunately this is local multiplayer only. And I’ve already explained my position on spell-casting in HBP. So unfortunately this was a wasted effort on EA’s part.

Family Appeal – 8

While the controls are occasionally glitchy, my kids found it easy enough to move Harry around most parts of the castle, only experiencing a real problem with stairways and narrow halls. They had the most fun searching for the 150 crests hidden all around Hogwarts Castle, an activity which could last them hours. After trying spell casting once, they both found it was not for them.

Who should…

…buy it? – If you actually enjoy imprecise controls and unexciting narratives, this title is for you. Of course, it’s hard to keep Pottermaniacs away from anything having to do with their favorite boy wizard. But I would suggest they fight their urges as much as possible…

…try it? – Feel free to put this one in your rental queue, if for no other reason than to boost your Gamerscore. And if you are a fan of Harry Potter, you might want to give it a try.

…pass by it? – Obviously, if Harry Potter is “not your thing” this game probably isn’t for you. Also if you “don’t enjoy” games that are only mildly entertaining or if you “hate” film adaptation games that fail to deliver, avoid this one.