Off the Shelf Media

We enter the world of Hogwarts one last time, friends. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a great game that packs a punch. If you read my last review on Order of the Phoenix you’ll know I didn’t like the spell system or the number of fetch quests. I’m happy to say this game corrected those mistakes but left a few in its wake. 

Gameplay: 2

Right off the bat, I have to talk about how much I enjoyed potions. Potions class was overlooked in other games. Snape would send you off on a fetch quest to find a handful of ingredients, and there would be a short animation that unlocks a new potion. Cool. 

In this game, you’re creating the potions in a fun, and sometimes challenging, mini-game. You use the joysticks to make your potion from scratch. You’re given a cauldron where you pour liquid or drop items and brew them together. All of this is timed and if you screw up, you get a puff of smoke in your face wasting those precious seconds. 

Getting three stars wasn’t always easy. Some of the beakers looked the same and if you didn’t get the water in the cauldron the right shade of green, you’ll lose. It’s one of the few times in this series where you do schoolwork and it was a nice late addition. 

The rest of the game is basically the same as the last. You walk around the castle, find collectibles, join the dueling club, and play quidditch. Yes, they added quidditch back into the game, which is always a plus in my book. 

Half-Blood Prince brings back the joystick spellcasting system but it’s better this time around. I found it easier to cast the correct spell. In the previous game, Harry would be standing there like a schmuck waving his wand around with nothing happening. This time around, the motions were fluid, and it was easier to lift objects to collect a random collectible. 

Overall, it’s a step up from Order of the Phoenix, but my one gripe is Nearly Headless Nick. Nick acts as your compass and directs you around the castle. This is totally unnecessary when the Mauraders Map was a perfect system. I could go on the map, pick a location, and follow the footprints on the ground until I got to my destination. In this game, you have to summon Nick and follow him like a kindergartner who got lost at recess. 

I felt emasculated if I’m being honest. 

Story: 0

I could summarize the story for you, but the game isn’t very effective at presenting one.

You know how this goes by now. This is a videogame based on a movie, which is based on a book. Which means it has to cut a lot. That hurts the game significantly because they cut so much. The story of Half-Blood Prince is excellent in the book, okay in the movie, and lackluster in the game. 

As Harry begins his sixth year at Hogwarts, the atmosphere is grim. The Ministry of Magic has confirmed Lord Voldemort‘s return, causing widespread unease. With heightened security measures at Hogwarts, Harry suspects that his rival, Draco Malfoy, may be a Death Eater tasked with a mission. Additionally, Harry is receiving private lessons from Albus Dumbledore to uncover the history of Tom Riddle, while the new potions professor, Professor Slughorn, holds an essential piece of the mystery. 

A lot is going on here with weaving and interweaving stories with multiple characters and the game can’t figure out which plot thread to focus on. Most of the story is told through cutscenes, which is fine, but it leaves the gameplay meaningless. Harry does XYZ task and then there’s a cutscene with no gameplay to give it any context or meaning. 

An example of this is the climax of the story. After uncovering the secret behind horcruxes, Harry and Dumbledore go off to find one in a cave that has meaning to Voldemort. This is a huge moment in the movie as well as the book the story is based on. A lot of time and momentum was built into this moment. And in the game, it’s a cutscene. No exploring the cave, no real dialogue, and certainly, no tension. The only gameplay comes when you fight off the inferi, which is cool but lackluster. 

This is supposed to be the high point in your story and it’s blown off in a 30-second cutscene and then *spoiler alert* Dumbledor dies, you duel Bellatrix, and the game ends. 

I have problems with how the movie portrayed the book, but this game did even worse. It took a good story with twists, turns, and an important backstory to your main villain and made it meaningless. 

You can have innovative gameplay and a phenomenal environment, but if the story is garbage, it doesn’t matter. 

Atmosphere: 2

As much as I hate the story, I can’t deny how awesome it is to walk around Hogwarts. There are 150 Hogwarts Crests for you to discover. They come from puzzles, challenges, and collecting mini crests across the map. It’s 100% optional but it adds an extra 6-8 hours of gameplay if you want to do everything. 

The graphics are solid for 2009. Close-ups of Ron and Hermione can be disturbing at times, especially around the eyes, but this is 2009 so it gets a pass for the time. 

Spells zip and zap across the screen and the combat in duels is seamless. The colors pop and the sound design is top-notch. The music is on point to add that Harry Potter feels needed in the game. 

Some of the original cast return to do voice acting for their characters. This includes Malfoy, Ginny, and Luna Lovegood. Harry and Hermione sound off, but I can’t imagine the paycheck EA would have to write to get Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe for the game. 

There’s not much more to add beyond that. This series has lived and died around the atmosphere of Hogwarts and this game nails it yet again. 

Value: 1

If this game was $50 or $60 today, I’d feel ripped off. This is not a full game by today’s standards, but for a movie tie-in game from 2009, I’d say it is on par. 

You’ll get out what you put in. If you only play the story, you’ll feel ripped off. If you take the time to explore the castle, play the mini-games, beat all the duels, and complete the challenges, you’ll walk away satisfied. 

Duration: 1

Believe it or not, Assassin’s Creed II, Uncharted 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and Dragon Age: Origins all came out in 2009 and they all had a significantly longer runtime than this game. 

It’s not fair to compare original material to a movie tie-in game, but it goes to show that games in 2009 had turned towards narrative-driven and expansive games. 

At the end of the day, there’s enough here with the collectibles, mini-games, challenges, and a rocky story to make a full game. 

I clocked in around 12 hours but that spanned across a few weeks of playing the game. I didn’t feel rushed, nor did it drag. It has good pacing and that’s enough for me. 

Total Score: 6/10

I’m not going to lie, I thought this game would rank higher. Yet, as I started writing, I realized how meh this game was. I’ve enjoyed my time playing and replaying the Harry Potter games. There are a few surprises and many member berries from back in the day. Unfortunately, I can’t do a review for The Deathly Hallows because I can’t get my hands on it. So, this is where we say goodbye to Harry Potter and hello to a new game. At least for now. 

If you haven’t checked out my latest review yet, it’s the exact opposite of wizards in Great Britain. Take a ride through the apocalypse with me in Days Gone. 

I’ll see ya there, but until then, y’all take care.