Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter is once more flying on our consoles and PCs, this time in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Electronics Arts is still the publisher and developer, but has taken a totally new direction with the development of this game in the series. Instead of the free-roaming adventure type gameplay that the first three implemented, this time around it’s mostly action with some adventure elements. No longer will the primary focus be on Harry attending classes, exploring, collecting cards and beans at his leisure while learning spells and participating in action sequences from time to time; instead, this time most of the emphasis is on straightforward action, with some elements of situational puzzles and collecting. A new card system is in place, too, which lets players assign cards for power-ups for each character. How does this new direction for Harry Potter work? Well, while there are some improvements over the last game, there are also some disappointments.

The first thing players will notice when they start up the game is the much-improved graphical quality over the last game, Prisoner of Azkaban. The characters are smaller, but more cleanly drawn. The backgrounds are nicely detailed, as well. The lighting contrasts are more distinct, and the game compares well to other games on the GameCube system in the way it looks.

Players will get to choose to play as Harry, Hermione or Ron.  If playing alone, players will direct the one character, while the others will follow. The AI will direct them to help the main character out in certain action sequences. Other players can join in and play as the other two, for a total of three players on the system. The other players can either choose to play when the game starts, or jump in during the middle of play. The only time single players have to play as Harry is during the Tri Wizard Tournament events and the final battle with Lord Voldemort. Play is cooperative, and many of the action sequences depend on all three characters doing their part.

The action is divided into different types, with the main style consisting of fighting enemies with spells. The method has been changed, with the spells used in fights decided by the computer, not the player. The right spell for the situation will automatically be used. This makes for an easier and quicker fighting experience, but takes away a lot of the puzzle aspect of deciding which spell should be used for the most benefit. This fighting action is broken up by the Tri Wizard levels, which are available about halfway through the game. These are the arcade levels, and they follow the movie exactly.

The Tri Wizard Tournament consists of the three events from the competition in the movie, and is a lot of fun to play. First, Harry has to outrace the dragon, in a cool version of the old Quidditch matches of the previous games. Harry has to fly through rings on his broomstick, but this time there’s a nasty, fire-breathing dragon dropping fire-bombs all around. The second event involves swimming through the Black Lake while avoiding the Grindylows, and the third event is the magical maze. These arcade races help break up the action sequences and can be played again for a better score. The scores are divided up into bronze, silver or gold medal awards. The races are fun and exciting, and are similar in feel to the old Star Wars Racer.

The card system is a welcome addition, and adds a nice role-playing aspect to the game. Players will collect cards by completing quests and defeating enemies, and can also buy special character cards in the Folio Universitas. These cards can be assigned to the three characters to enable better powers and spells. Beans are the currency. Other collectibles include statues, wizard cards and wizard shields. The items needed are listed in a task list for each level.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a good enough game, but could have been better. The exploring focus is gone, which is a shame, as that was a major part of the charm of the games. Exploring Hogwarts, encountering various movie characters, and interacting with events from the books and movies was fun. Now, it’s all about fighting, and the interaction just isn’t the same. While players still move around the Hogwarts localities, the movement is much more restricted and linear than before. Another thing that is missing is the ability to click around to see what the descriptions would say. That’s a shame, as that was a hoot.

However, the action is well-designed and will work for most players. It’s dumbed down somewhat from the previous games, in that the spells and actions required are mostly automatic, players just have to stand and cast spells repeatedly until the enemies are gone, for the most part. But, the spells look really cool in execution, and completing a fighting sequence is satisfying the first time through. The graphics are impressive, and the animated scenes are pretty good. The Tri Wizard racing games are fun, and players will enjoy going back and trying to get a better medal. The cards are a nice addition, too. However, it’s a short game, and can be played through in a couple of days.

A good game that will please young fans of Harry Potter, at least, the ones who like to fight, but maybe aren’t too good at it.

Gameplay: 7.5
The gameplay is fun enough, for those who like a lot of action. The racing is fun, and the cards offer some time away from fighting. However, more elements from the books/movies should have been added for a deeper playing experience. Freely exploring Hogwarts was part of the fun and is missed.

Graphics: 8.0
A big improvement over the last two games in the series.

Sound: 8.0
The voice acting is good, and the sound affects are well-done. The music isn’t very memorable.

Difficulty: Easy
Pretty easy, which is good for young kids, but not so good for everybody else.

Concept: 7.0
While there isn’t anything really new in most of the action, the execution is good and the races are nicely designed.

Multiplayer: 7.0
Up to three friends can play together cooperatively, which is fun enough, but really not all that exciting.

Overall: 7.5
A decent game for the younger set or the casual player, that is faithful to its audience of Harry Potter fans. While it could have had more movie/book elements tied into the gaming experience, the existing game is fun enough.