Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone PC Game

Review by Zhao Longsun

Out of all the Harry Potter games that have been released, the PC version definitely has the edge graphically, if you were looking for the classic 3D platformer this is the game for you.

After watching the opening to game, which is quite effectively done with a graphical and textual story about Harry’s early days you are thrown right into the main entrance hall to Hogwarts and a chat with Dumbledore. Hogwarts looks great, not so much maybe as in realism, but in detail and small touches like the paintings hanging on the walls and the suits of armor moving.

The characters are quite well voiced and look pretty much as you’d expect them, the fact that the lips don’t move is a bit of a let-down, but to be honest you can’t expect miracles.

The gameplay is moderately good, you spend most of your time mastering new spells and then putting them into use in various tasks. When learning the spells you’ll be given a template and you draw over it by clicking and holding the left mouse button, then after you’ve done it to the best of your ability you are put into a task where you collect challenge stars and win Gryffindor precious house points.

Now, on to the best bit, Quidditch! Probably the best quidditch you’ll find on any of the games. You’ll find flying really easy and take to it just as Harry did in the books. Occasionally during the main game you will be thrown into a Quidditch match and you’ll have to catch that snitch for Gryffindor! Quidditch is easy enough. You follow the snitch and fly through the colored hoops it leaves to gain speed and when you get close enough a small bar will appear at the bottom of the screen, as soon as Harry’s hand gets close enough to the snitch, grab it and the victory is yours!

After you have played your first match a new option will open up in the game where you can play in a quidditch league with all the other house teams, this is quite enjoyable even though you don’t unlock anything afterwards at least you won the Quidditch cup for Harry and Gryffindor!

The sound of the game is effective with the characters being voiced well, and Lee Jordan setting the feel of the quidditch matches for you. The music as you walk around Hogwarts is okay – not brilliant, maybe John Williams’ score would have been more effective but it is quite good all the same.

Altogether probably not the best of the Harry Potter games but most definitely the best if you want a 3D platformer.