Playing Harry

In the spirit of my 'birthday' party, my family gave me Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (POA) the game for my Xbox. Yay! This is part of the reason I've not posted for a few days. I spent most of yesterday staring at the TV rather than my laptop screen.

I own the previous two trips into Potter gameland. The first on PC and the second for Xbox. Both are enjoyable games, but they are equally more directed at the kiddies.

I'm not saying the POA isn't a kids game. Chances are kiddies will love this one more than the others. Visually this one easily supersedes the others. The depth of detail is stunning. I advise heading out to visit Hagrid, just to walk along the bridge featured in the film, then jump up on Buckbeat (after bowing of course) and go for a fly around Hogwarts.

You get to switch between characters mostly when you will. Ron, Harry and Hermione each have their own set of skills and spells that, at times, have to be used independently to escape a room. It certainly adds another level to the game. I really like the reworking of the Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans collection. It used to be a chore, and there were little beasties that would knock them out of you which was really irritating.

The extra mini challenges are a fun sideline to the main story and getting rewarded for it is nice.

It's not all fun and games mind you. I've been stuck a few times and things are nicely challenging, but not to the point of hair grabbing. The Dementors are creepy too. Once they get hold of you, the noise and the voice of James Potter yelling 'Get Harry Out' are rather chilling.

I appreciate the ability to roam freely around the school and grounds. It feels similar in the movie in that way, being able to discover new parts of the castle and the treasures to be found.

I'm quite pleased with it all and really hope I can finish it so I can do other things with my days.