Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Quicker than you can say ‘Mimbulous Mimbletonia’ three times over, Harry Potter fever is once again gripping the world. The impending release of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is arguably one of the most anticipated literary events in modern history. (Stick your hand up if you haven’t preordered it.) As if that alone wasn’t enough, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has just arrived in theatres. (Yes, I’ve preordered tickets for that too. What of it?)

In a final act of world domination, the game adaptation of Order of the Phoenix has also just hit the shelves. The game release is but a tiny blip on the Harry Potter radar compared to the mammoth events of the book and film release, but fans will still be jumping at the opportunity to immerse themselves even further into the world of Harry Potter.

In Order of the Phoenix, Harry’s return to Hogwarts has a darker feel to it, as the wizarding community remains in denial about the return of He Who Must Not Be Named. With the Ministry of Magic under pressure to silence Harry and his supporters, a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is appointed to keep watch over Hogwarts – the foul, frilly Dolores Umbridge. As the tyrannical Umbridge begins to seize power at the school, players take on the role of Harry as he starts a student rebellion movement by forming a group called Dumbledore’s Army.

Exploring the Hogwarts castle and grounds, Harry slowly but steadily finds and recruits students into the DA. The group then begins to learn practical defensive spells banned by Professor Umbridge, in order to prepare themselves for the dark times they know are coming. Hidden away from prying eyes in the Room of Requirement, the group not only has to avoid detection by the High Inquisitor (aka Dolores Umbridge) but also by her newly formed Inquisitorial Squad, led by the obnoxious Draco Malfoy.

Order of the Phoenix has been created with a sandbox style of play, similar to Canis Canem Edit or Grand Theft Auto. While most of Hogwarts can be freely explored at any time, a main storyline definitely exists along with a number of side quests and mini-tasks. Discovery points are awarded for uncovering secrets, helping fellow students or even completing menial chores. The challenges are made up of fairly simple, repetitive puzzles which usually leave you feeling accomplished no matter how small the task. The downside to this repetition is that Order of the Phoenix can potentially get quite boring if played for long stretches of time. The slow pace of the storyline doesn’t help matters either, so I would strongly recommend the game is played in short bursts.

Technically, the game controls are average at best. Using the right analog stick to wave your wand and perform spells is smooth and enjoyable, but totally ruined by the clunky feel of navigating Harry around the place. NPC’s are frequently blocking doorways or small paths and climbing around ledges and rooftops quickly becomes a tedious chore. Awkward camera angles often add insult to injury and the unexpected changes will have Harry dancing around in a circle while you try to work out why up is “up” and then quite suddenly “down”. Before you know it, you’ve somehow wedged Harry between a stone bench and the wall. Is it any wonder students shout “Potter stinks” as they walk past?

The graphics in the PlayStation 3 version are great – if you replace the words ‘PlayStation 3’ with ‘PlayStation 2’, that is. The capabilities of the PS3 seem to be wasted on Order of the Phoenix. Each setting appears detailed and rich enough to be impressive but lacks any real graphical polish. The characters look surprisingly like their movie counterparts in the cut scenes, but the dialogue has a nasty habit of falling out of sync with their mouth movements. The result is a glorified PS2 look.

Where the graphics fall down, the sound holds up its end of the deal quite nicely. Composed by James Hannigan and conducted by Allan Wilson, the soundtrack is unobtrusive and complementary to the gameplay. Fans may be disappointed that a few key actors were unable to provide their voices for the game. (I’m looking at you Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Gary Oldman) The replacements do a fine job however and are backed up by a strong supporting cast of original voice actors.

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix might not be a technically stunning game but it seems to have its heart in the right place. Developed with the help of a fan council, Order of the Phoenix is packed with references and in jokes that fans will notice and appreciate. Available on the PS3, PS2, PC, Xbox 360, PSP and Wii, there’s no shortage of platforms on which to experience the boy wizard’s adventures during his 5th year at Hogwarts. Currently retailing for around $100 on the next-generation platforms, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a worthwhile purchase for devoted Harry Potter fans.