PSP

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a very entertaining game and an extremely good effort from Electronic Arts. Unfortunately, the problems such as the jerky camera, Ron and Hermione getting in the way and nonsensical lack of save points between missions do bring the gameplay down somewhat. Nevertheless, this is worth a look for the avid Harry Potter fan, or anyone wanting a good long action adventure on the PSP, and as such is the best Harry Potter game so far by a long shot.

This is probably more of a game for younger (and more forgiving) enthusiasts of the films and books than for your more mature gamer. That said, plenty of fun can be found by playing through the game with your offspring or siblings. The slower paced action leaves space for the sorts of suggestions and discussions that spring up while a group of you are playing it. Maybe this was part of the plan all along.

The PSP version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix just doesn’t quite cast a favorable spell to make this a passing grade at Hogworts.

I realize, of course, that the PSP has limitations, and that’s why I think the developers should have aimed for something a bit more manageable on Sony’s handheld than they did with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. After all, we’d hardly expect them to give us the same exact game on the Nintendo DS, and, while the PSP is more powerful than that, it still is not a PS2 or any of the other consoles currently taking up shelf space at your local store. The graphics are lacking, the sound takes a hit and the controls are the least engaging of any version I’ve played. Still, despite its short comings, the game provides what is in essence a decent game for fans of the series, giving them the entire school to roam, perfectly pint-sized quests to play on the go and, in something that you won’t find on the console, some multiplayer gaming, where you can duel with either a handful of your friends or even some bots.

I didn't hate Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but I think they could have done a little better on this version of the game. The graphics were good for the most part, the voice acting was good, the music was amazing, but the controls were terrible. I did feel like I was at home in Hogwarts while I played and I really appreciate that quality and level of immersion in a game.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a passable portable adventure, but if you're looking for sterling software to get the most out of your PSP, look elsewhere. This is strictly for Potter fans that love the source material so much they can overlook glaring problems, such as dull fetch quests, in order to get some extra face time with their hero. Otherwise, if you want to carry the adventures of Harry Potter wherever the journey takes you, stick to the original form of portable entertainment -- the book.

While it is certainly a treat for Potter fans to walk the halls of Hogwarts while reliving the adventure of The Order of the Phoenix, the game’s control issues sap a lot of the fun out of the experience. If you have the option of buying the home console version of the game, then I recommend that you do that instead. This Potter is best left at home.

The bottom line is this: if you're a Harry Potter devotee looking for Hogwarts-inspired atmosphere and wizardry, you might extract some pleasure out of it; but if you're a muggle, you simply wont have the energy or goodwill to struggle against the thick-headed design.

It's hard to imagine that the video game version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will appeal to anyone. Older fans of Harry Potter will enjoy exploring Hogwarts for a while, but they'll soon be bored to tears by the low level of difficulty and the tedious objectives. The younger set will also get a kick out of seeing the sights and will appreciate the forgiving difficulty, as well as the simplicity of the tasks at hand. But they'll quickly grow tired of using their favorite character to perform a seemingly endless parade of chores. If being the most famous wizard in the world were this boring, there wouldn't have been more than one book.

It’s too bad EA didn’t design Order of the Phoenix from the ground up as a PSP title. It seems pretty clear that instead of being a game perfectly suited to the PSP hardware, Order of the Phoenix is a home console game ported to the PSP. Unfortunately all of the games charm and fun is lost in the translation. The terrible frame rate, frustrating navigation, and bland gameplay result in a title that only the most diehard fans of Harry Potter should play. If you’ve got another system besides PSP, do yourself a favor and pick up the far superior home console version instead.

That rushed feeling permeates through the entire game. It's a shame because this title had the potential to be so much more, especially given how much fun the game that it's based on is. If you're desperate to get a little Harry Potter action while you're standing in line for the movie, this will do, but you'd be much better served putting your $40 towards one of the console versions and waiting until you get home to play.

Déjà pas très en forme sur PC et consoles de salon, Harry Potter et l'Ordre du Phénix fait un pas de trop sur PSP où le jeu accumule les défauts. La teneur insipide de l'aventure, les allers-retours gavants, le placement atroce des caméras, l'utilisation chaotique de la baguette et la réalisation calamiteuse rendent cette adaptation détestable. Espérons que les fans du sorcier ne fonceront pas tête baissée dans le piège tendu par EA.

While playing, Gamestyle really got the feeling that the PSP version is the black sheep of the family. Not given as much care and attention as the others, it makes a game that was pretty average to begin with even worse. If you're a huge fan of Harry Potter and desperate for the latest game in the series, you're best going with the Wii version and avoid this mess.