Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – PS2 – Review

Harry Potter has been a
media icon for the last several years. Everyone knows about this character,
beloved by millions of fans. Either you are a fan yourself or you are trying to
sit out the media uproar. There is little middle ground between these extremes.
It’s no surprise that Harry has starred in a series of movies and video games.
The latest of these, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, is a valiant attempt
to release a game-based-on-a-movie by Electronic Arts’ United Kingdom. While
this game has several entertaining features and decent gameplay it is not as awe
inspiring as other recent titles. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire can be fun
to play, but it doesn’t quite have that spark of magic fans will expect.

The game starts out roughly
following the plot of the movie. Some elements have been changed, obviously. It
is more than a little difficult to make a video game if you are going to
slavishly follow the script for the movie. Still, the game deviates quite a bit
from the original material. Players have to face a series of challenges that
will unlock more locations that they can explore. In these areas you will take
control of the three main heroes – Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione
Granger. Each has their own special talents that can be expanded through a
series of “cards” players can purchase between missions. Harry is very good at
surviving danger, for example. Ron has a talent for jinxing people and Hermione
can wield some impressive magic.

Once you get into the game
you will begin running into its high points and its low points. The game itself
can be quite a bit of fun and has several innovative features. Players can join
in for side-by-side cooperative play with two controllers. The card system also
allows players to customize their abilities before each level. By defeating an
enemy using two or more characters together you can unlock special cards which
increase your effectiveness against those enemies. This can allow you to stock
up on Salamander cards when you know you will be facing the fiery beasts and
increase your damage. As you unlock more areas to explore you will increase the
number and variety of cards you can equip.

Playing Harry Potter and the
Goblet of Fire can also be a slightly frustrating experience while you are
learning the controls. Casting spells are triggered from a single button.
Depending on what you are facing your character will intelligently decide which
is the best spell to use. The intelligent design is a nice touch, deciding to
conjure a gout of water to douse flames, or using a levitation charm to move
boulders out of your way. Unfortunately it can often be difficult to exactly
determine which way your character is facing. Once you begin casting a spell it
will hold your attention for a heartbeat … just long enough to get seriously
hurt if you are facing a boulder next to an enemy instead of the enemy. With a
little skill this problem can be overcome, but it remains a source of
frustration throughout the game.

The graphics for Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire are decent, but lack the real sparkle that a
polished game on the PlayStation 2 can boast. Some of the effects, like the
lighting and fire effects, are very well done. The characters themselves,
though, are shown in small scale. Up close they are very detailed, but when you
are rushing through a mission the game displays the world through a 3/4-overhead
view from a fair distance. Friends and enemies alike are blurred by simple
distance. The lack of detail also makes it difficult to control your spells at
times, which can be a little frustrating.

The sounds are also a mixed
bag. The voices are well done, from the spells the children wield to the
gravelly instructions from Professor Moody. The background music, growls and
shouts enemies give, and the sound effects from interactive parts of the
background are also a little bland. There’s not much detail in the creature
sounds, which makes them come across as indistinct chatter. With all the
background objects that players can interact with, from boulders that can be
levitated, moved, and used to flatten unwary enemies I expected more variety.
There are only a few sound effects any item can trigger. They rapidly lose their
variety as you play through a few levels.

Overall Harry Potter and the
Goblet of Fire is a mixed bag in a lot of ways. The lack of clarity in the
graphics and the sounds for little things can be a problem for some gamers, but
if you are a fan of the series you will still enjoy the game. The controls can
be a little difficult to use but they can be managed with a little practice. The
multiplayer/cooperative gameplay is fun but only a single player can play as
Harry during the Triwizard Challenges. It also requires some skill to combine
your spells to trigger special effects and unlock specialty cards. While some
might be put off by the decision to leave the movie’s established plotline
behind, the game is still a lot of fun to play. Areas that the movie doesn’t
touch, like the Forbidden Forest or the rooftops of the castle receive loving
attention from the developers. All in all Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is
a game for the fans. If you enjoy the series you will enjoy the game. If you are
not a fan you might want to preview this title before picking it up.

Gameplay: 7.0
The game has some fun aspects, but the controls can be difficult to use.
Monsters tend to attack in a swarm, and if you are facing the wrong direction
you might find your character casting spells at objects in the background
instead of your enemies.

Graphics: 7.0
The PlayStation 2 is capable of some impressive graphics. Harry Potter and the
Goblet of Fire doesn’t have anything that really blew me away. The graphics ran
smoothly and easily, but left me wishing for something a little more magical.

Sound: 7.0
The voices used in the video game are well done, but the rest of the sounds are
a little bland. Spells, background music, and the cries of monsters players will
face are all adequately done, but nothing remarkable.

Difficulty: Medium
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a fairly straightforward game. It is easy
to learn the controls, but there is a lot to discover. Players will have to
learn to combine their spells if they want to advance, which takes a careful
touch.

Concept: 7.0
The developers have taken the world of Harry Potter and made a good game. They
broke away from the plotline of the movie, but the game itself is entertaining.
Gameplay in the Goblet of Fire might be fairly standard, but the cooperative
play and customizable characters are nice features.

Multiplayer: 7.5
Being able to play with friends is a nice addition to Harry Potter and the
Goblet of Fire. There’s nothing like having a friend to watch your back when
monsters ambush the heroes. And, of course, there’s also joy in being able to
share your triumphs.

Overall:
7.1
The game has a number of small flaws. The game’s good points, multiplayer action
and customizable characters, don’t quite ease the sense of missing something.
With the movies and the books behind this title I expected something
extraordinary. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a good game, but it is
more "muggle" than magic.