Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Jewel Case)
by Electronic Arts
Our Price: $29.89
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Category: Video Games
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Product Summary
Brand: Electronic ArtsFormat: CD-ROM
Release Date: 2003-09-09
Platform: Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows XP
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Accessories:
Video Game Reviews of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Jewel Case)
Customer Review: It Could Have Been So Much Better!!!
Summary: 3 Stars
Although an adult, I have enjoyed the Harry Potter series immensely - and since I also enjoy playing various computer games, I decided to give the "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" computer game a shot. However, I have to say upfront that I was really disappointed. I found way too many "pitfalls" to this game - hence the 3 star review (I'll discuss this further after I describe the gist of the game).
In this game you play Harry Potter - a new student at The Hogwarts School of Magic & Wizardry. Throughout the semester, you'll be given various tasks to accomplish - from learning & practicing new spells, to winning Quiddich matches, to stopping "the one whose name shall not be spoken" from getting his hands on the sorcerer's stone. Along the way, you'll need to keep your ears & eyes open, as you want to collect as many "Bertie Botts Beans" & "Wizard Cards" as you can find - many of which will be found in hidden areas (behind pictures, mirrors, alcoves, etc...) throughout the game.
At the beginning of each "chapter", you'll be told what tasks you need to complete, as well as how many hidden places & wizard cards you should be able to find. You might want to write this down, as there is no way to find out how you did at the end - and no way to go back once you've left that area.
The game does a good job of following the book - with various cutscenes along the way to help you see where you are. Also, I found the voice-overs to be first-rate - something you don't find too often in computer games such as this.
Now for the "downfalls", and for me there were many.
1. You can only save at those places in the game where there are save books - and, you can only use them once (unless you die, then they'll reappears once again). What this means is that you can't save & quit when you want without losing the progress you've made since the last save book & if you've done some hard stuff near the book you used, you can't save again before moving on.
2. You can't skip the cutscenes - so, if you find that an area right after a cutscene is difficult, and you wind up dying over & over again, you'll have to watch the cut-scene over & over again too (and some of them are pretty long).
3. There is 360 degree movement. Because of this, any time you jump or climb up on something (and many times when you're running or going into a new room), the viewing changes. This may not be a big deal for you, but it made me really sick - the same feeling as when I experience car sickness. So, if you or your child suffers from car sickness, you may want to think twice before getting them this game. Most games now a days have a button to shut this off, but this one doesn't.
4. There are several bleed-throughs - where parts of a scene from before bleed into the area you're currently in.
5. There is no summary at the end of each chapter (or even at the end of the game) that lets you know how many hidden rooms you found.
6. The sensors are super touchy - so you have to try standing in all sorts of directions & places when casting spells (especially on chests) to have them open, or even see if they would open.
Overall, I thought this was just an okay game. However, since I did enjoy the series, and I'm hoping that some of these issues have been dealt with since the release of this first game, I do plan to try the next computer game in this series. But, as I said before, if you or your child suffers from car sickness or epilepsy, it might be better for you to pass on this one.
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