Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

Ever since the days of the original Playstation, Harry Potter video games have been a staple of licenced video game royalty. Where other licenced titles have dragged their respective properties through the mud, by and large, the Harry Potter collection of games have done a great job of capturing Hogwarts and it’s many magical nooks and crannies with a great deal of grace and authenticity. However, with the last roll of the dice, would the final movie tie-in game finish on a high note? This game plays very much like the other seven Harry Potter movie tie-ins such as Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix or Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets if we are to pick the highest quality games on the roster. Then aside from those, the game also has some similarities to the LEGO Harry Potter titles. These titles have garnered a surprisingly good reputation amongst gamers and with this last title in the series, it was time to finish strong. We find out if the developers did in our review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II.

An Unwelcome Change

The reason why players loved the initial titles in this series of games was clear for all to see. It was the exploitation aspect of the title. You would be able to explore the Hogwarts grounds, find secret passageways and even play some Quidditch as well. However, the issue with this game is that as it has to follow the plot of the movie, sadly Hogwarts is just a touch overrun with death eaters. So this game relies on unfamiliar action-heavy gameplay. Gameplay that unfortunately doesn’t stand up under scrutiny.

You’ll play through what is essentially a narrative-driven third-person cover shooter. However, due to the fact that the game starts with all-out action and never stops for a breath, the nuance of the story is lost. Plus, the gameplay isn’t all that fun. You’ll cover and kill waves of death eaters, get some exposition and then repeat this until the end of the level and this never really changes. Sure there are boss battles but these are just as dull.

Touches of Magic

Despite the repetitive nature of the level design, we have to admit that the combat is at the very least, competently handled. Each spell has a unique feel to it and if it weren’t for the dull level format, we would almost say that fighting was fun. The initial joy of playing around with different spells and choosing the best tactical approach is novel. However, as the levels begin to become stale and predictable, the novelty wears thin and you soon begin to perceive these fights as boring chores.

The Verdict

We also appreciated that the game offers more content than just a little start to finish story. You’ll have collectables to find, challenge levels to complete and you can even play the story again with all your powers like a new game plus mode. However, I don’t know what kind of sadistic person would want a second run at this one.

Pros:

• Combat is well implemented
• Story is told authenically
• More content than you would expect

Cons:

• Level design is a drag
• Exploration is no where near as fun as predecessors
• Whole experience is very repetitive