Game Reviews

Like any conclusion to a long-running series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is, shall we say, controversial. Detractors have bemoaned the epilogue and derisively referred to it as "Harry Potter's Camping Adventure"; but I'm a fan, even if it's not my favorite of the bunch (that honor goes to Goblet of Fire, I think). I doubt the videogame based on the upcoming movie adaptation will provoke nearly as much argument though, mainly because it stinks.

The Deathly Hallows videogame likely represents EA Bright Light's final at bat with the Harry Potter movie series, which is set to end early next year. Bright Light has had a tough time settling on a formula in the past, so they went for what probably seemed like a safe bet: cover-based third-person shooter. And nicknames like "Wands of War" aside, it's not a completely terrible idea...just a poorly executed one.

Most of the blame for this game's problems fall squarely on the shoulders of the designers who seem at a loss as to how to convert Harry Potter into a third-person shooter. Apart from the painfully limited cover mechanics -- no sliding into cover for instance -- the actual fighting is decent, if not particularly inspired. There are the standard rapid fire, charging, and explosive attacks; and one spell can be used to confuse enemies into attacking one another. It's when the game strays from this relatively simple formula that it starts to go off the rails.