| I could just tell you in a single sentence that if you’re a Harry Potter fan and have a Nintendo Wii then this game is for you. Personally, I think this is one of the best games currently available for the Wii and I know that anyone who is into Harry Potter will simply love it – but since that would make for a pretty short review, I’ll go into a little more detail about it and why it is one of the best Wii games on offer. |  Available Through Amazon.com |
A Magical Experience
The Wii adaptation of the fifth Harry Potter book and movie offers up the best Harry Potter adventure yet. You play as Harry, but Hermione and Ron are always close by. The game really does Hogwarts justice – the castle is enormous and it would take hours just to explore all of it. This is really a joy for those gamers (like me) who love exploring – as long as getting a bit lost doesn’t frustrate you too much. If you find yourself unsure where you are, you can simply pull out the Marauder’s Map at any time, select a person or place and a path will be marked out for you on the map (with a set of footprints) to get you headed in the right direction. I was stunned by the attention to detail in this game; it’s quite unlike any move-based game I’ve ever seen. There is a huge world to explore and the game sticks to the look and feel of the film closely – Hogwarts castle in the game is modeled on the same blueprints used to build the sets for the film and some of the stars of the film have provided their voices for the characters in the game; and even had their heads scanned for a more realistic rendition of their characters!
Introducing The Wii Wand!
The game is visually stunning, but how is game play? Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix comes through for players in this department as well. You can use the Wii controller as Harry’s wand – a dream come true for Potter fans. You can use your controller to cast spells like “Wingardium Leviosa” (levitate objects), “Reparo”(fix broken objects), “Depulso”(move objects forward), “Accio”(pull objects towards you), “Incendio”(burn objects) and “Reducto”(smash objects). You cast these spells through using the correct movements with the controllers and in no time, you’ll swear your Wii controller really is a magic wand!
An Abundance of Extras Now, this is not a shoot-em-up; instead, there are a lot of different tasks which you must perform to advance through the game. There is puzzle solving, attending classes, dueling, recruiting for Dumbledore’s Army and running errands for your teachers. There are different risks and challenges posed by each set of tasks and each lets you use the spells you are learning as you progress. You can also earn O.W.L. grades, which let you enter secret areas of the castle. There are also a variety of mini-games like Exploding Snap and Wizard Chess! There are many extras in the game which you won’t find in the movie or the book – but fear not, all of the important plot lines from the book and film are rendered in the game. Later in the game, you’ll get to play as Fred and George Weasley, Sirius Black and even Dumbledore as he takes on Voldemort in the final battle!
Nobody’s Perfect
While Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is visually stunning and offers countless hours of fun and engrossing game play, it’s not all pumpkin juice. The biggest flaw is the controls; Harry seems to be a little clumsy at times. Another problem is that the POV will switch on occasion to angles which make it hard to see the people or objects you need to interact with. There are workarounds, but it would be nice if the player didn’t have to deal with this issue in the first place. Smaller complaints I had were that there is no way to easily tell which people and objects you can interact with or which people you can duel with; the only way to find out is to try to duel with them. However, these flaws are minor and do not seriously detract from the game - there is a lot more fun than fault to find with the Nintendo Wii version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, making this game a must for any aspiring Wii witch or wizard. And for those of us just looking for an entertaining gaming experience, this is a great choice. In terms of entertainment value for the money, I’d have to again say that this is definitely one of the best Wii games out there.