Recent Comments

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix game review

Electronic Arts for Xbox 360 (Gameplay may vary for DS, Game Boy Advance, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii and PC versions.)

Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older

Welcome to Harry Potter’s fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Things have changed around campus. Mean old Delores Umbridge from the Ministry of Magic has taken over the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes and isn’t teaching the students how to properly defend themselves. Snape is his nasty old self, but Dumbledore is hard to find.

THE LOWDOWN

harrypotterbox.jpg

Graphics: 8.0

Sound: 8.0

Gameplay: 6.0

Value: 7.5

Overall Score: 7.5 out of 10.0

Pros: The game brings the book and movie to life with an amazingly accurate 3D Hogwarts, good likenesses of the actors, many original actors’ voices and situations from the book and movie.

Cons: Gameplay often feels more like a scavenger hunt on Hogwarts grounds than an adventure.

This year a lot of people think Harry is bonkers, but Harry has more important things on his mind: He needs to prepare for Lord Voldemort’s next big attack, something nobody else seems to care about.

Most of Order of the Phoenix is played out in the form of “to do” lists in an enormous and totally believable 3D rendition of Hogwarts. We’re talking big 
 really big.

Running from Hagrid’s hut to the greenhouses where Professor Sprout holds her herbology labs can easily take you five minutes. Throw in the Room of Requirement on the seventh floor and Snape’s dungeon, the viaduct, owlry and boathouse, and pretty soon you have a huge world.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is out on every major gaming system. There is a stripped-down version for Game Boy Advance and a visually impressive one for PSP. Wand-intensive versions for DS and Wii take advantage of the DS stylus and Wii-mote.

If you’re looking for graphic pizzazz, you can’t beat the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.

HOUSEKEEPING

Order of the Phoenix begins with you—as Harry—fighting off dementors in London, then whisks you off to the Order of the Phoenix hideout. If you’ve read the book, you’ll understand what Harry was doing in London and who brought him to the untidy house where the Order does its bidding. The game lets these details—and many others—fly by.

spells.jpg
You must learn both combat and non-combat spells to prepare to defend the Ministry.

In the hideout, you learn basic spells by doing housekeeping. You learn spells that knock things back, pull things forward and lift things up. These spells come in handy once you land in Hogwarts, where the majority of the game is played.

Once you’re on the Hogwarts campus, your housekeeping duties aren’t over. Throughout your stay, you must fix pots, sweep leaves, mop floors, straighten tapestries, burn spider webs, hang pictures, light torches and more. You’re constantly commanded: “Harry, help Umbridge find these plants.” “Harry, find the giant in the Forbidden Forest.” Doing these chores increases your wizarding power and stocks unlockable surprises in your storage room.

Every time you reach a new level, a ghost named Moaning Myrtle appears and says something along the lines of, “There are things for you to see in our special room, Harry.” Those things include videos of interviews with the actors from the movie, movie clips and more.

In the beginning, all of that housekeeping might distract you from the game. But you soon learn that all of that housekeeping is the game. Oh, you get other tasks such as finding the 28 members of Dumbledore’s Army—Harry’s secret defense-against-the-dark-arts club—and locating the five talking gargoyles, but for the most part, you spend the game cleaning and straightening.

GETTING AROUND

The series of errands you’re sent on have you running across campus or down seven floors.

The artists at Electronic Arts have recreated locations in great detail, and they look just like they do in the movies. The problem is that having gone to the trouble of creating these virtual places, they force you to see them again and again and again.

Frankly, Order of the Phoenix would be a very short game if they took the running out.

On the other hand, you never get lost. Other games are hard to navigate. With Order of the Phoenix, you not only get the Marauder’s Map to show you where to go, but you can also have the map guide you as you run. Just choose the person or place you need to go to on the map, and ghostly footprints will guide you as you run.

It’s a great touch.

All of that running back and forth would ruin most games, but in the case of Order of the Phoenix, it’s not a deal-breaker. The 3D worlds and characters are realistic and the game gives you so many new things to see and characters to meet.

BATTLING THE BADDIES

Ultimately, Harry does leave Hogwarts to enter the Ministry of Magic and face Voldemort and his Deatheater henchmen. By the time you get to this showdown, you will have learned both combat and non-combat spells. You’ll not only be able defend the Ministry, but you’ll also have the skills to clean up afterward.

The battle system in Order of the Phoenix is good, but not perfect. You have offensive spells to hurt your opponent and defensive spells for deflecting attacks. The fights themselves feel more like chaos than battles.

Kudos to Electronic Arts, however, for adding simplicity to what might have been an impossibly hard fighting system. You cast spells by moving the right thumbpad in unique ways—clockwise, counter-clockwise, up-down, etc. During the heat of battle, it’s easy to get sloppy with your movements, but Order of the Phoenix is quite forgiving. It reads your spells even when you’re not exact.

That keeps things fun.

ONE FINAL NOTE

There’s a term used in gaming (originally in robotics) called “uncanny valley,” which refers to the lifeless eyes on otherwise realistic characters. You’ll see a lot of it in this game.

lifelesseyes.jpg
Like most video games, the faces in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix can seem frozen.

The model of Harry moves like a real person and has a recognizable version of his face—and even the real voice of actor Daniel Radcliffe—but has the flat, unmoving eyes of a statue.

Likewise, Ron looks real but a bit corpse-like. Hermione and Ginny Weasley look the scariest: Their faces are accurate but frozen in a snarl.

In years to come, game consoles will be able to unfreeze character faces. But at least for now, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix does have some of the best-looking characters and sets of any game.

118 Comments on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix game review

  1. I love this game a lot! It has so many exciting tasks and adventures! If i were you, i would get the game and see what you think.

  2. Boring cs and gf and prs of askaban were good

  3. Mountain Dew // August 22, 2010 at 8:31 pm // Reply

    This game is okay, but it’s successor has a better advangtage. But however, the Wii and Nintendo DS versions are a bit different.

  4. where is that fifth gargoyle it is really get on my nerves 🙁

  5. i just cant find the last gargoyle

  6. Is this is a good game? is it good on wii and pc?

  7. how do u get on top of the roof in the entrance courtyard

  8. i love the game but when you have to get the 5 taking gargoyales its hard

  9. i finished 100 % 6 times

  10. i love this game a lot.

  11. I have finished HarryPotter5 game 2 times.

  12. Im stuck too without any tasks and nor hermione neither Ron help

    • Someone please help me, im stuck at the part where it seems like there is no tasks and i dont know what to do. there is no people i cant find anyone anywhere. help me <33

  13. i cant find the 5th talking gargoile can any one tell me their locations thankyou

  14. finished it in about 2-3 weeks alittle boring fighting Voldemort because all you have to do is use Protego but the tasks were pretty exciting and it is pretty fun beating up the Slytherins with spells if i were you i would get this game and see how you like it

  15. im at sirius’ house.. what do i do there? i can’t figure it out please help

    • Anonymous // May 16, 2010 at 3:15 pm // Reply

      All you have to do is clean up and follow instructions- sirius will help you learn some spells. Then your at hogwarts

  16. what do you do after umbrige is taken away? no tasks ,nothing . HELP!!!!

  17. the last of lunas objects are in the girls bathroom toilet in the last stall

  18. You don’t stack the benches. you put a bench near the low wall, where the you can destroy the plant with fire, then climb up until you are on the platform next to it. then cast magic to get the camera down.

  19. HOW DO YOU STACK THE BENCHES TO GET COLLINS CAMERA??? And where? i can’t get passes that part 🙁

  20. I JUST GOT DONE GIVING SNAPE THE POTION BUT NOW I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO SOMEONE HELP

  21. this game is exciting

  22. fineshing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix there are not that many chores to do

  23. (ok i can only hel[p out the peopple hoo need help tht have the game on the wii with controls)
    ok if you need to find the 28 people and they arnt showing up press the right arrow on your wii remote (on the cross looking think)

    ok if you need to get the bok down in the library …
    use wingardium leviosa on the table and move it by the bookshelf, climb up on the bookshelf and the book will move. repeat the process until the book lands on the largge table

  24. how do you get out of the owlry when filch is comming??? im stuck idk how to get out plzzz help me sooon

  25. plz help i’m stuck at the part where i have to find lunas stuff i found 4 in the courtyards just missing 1 item does anyone know where it is?

  26. ababababababa // June 26, 2009 at 5:09 pm // Reply

    where is the fifth gargoyle HELP PLZ !!!!! and the room of requirments i on th e seventh floor of the grand staircase

  27. harrypotter2 // June 24, 2009 at 5:29 pm // Reply

    the Half Blood Prince is coming soon!

  28. harrypotterfan // June 24, 2009 at 5:27 pm // Reply

    I know this is the wrong kind of HP game, but does anyone know to get past Filch in the Chamber of Secrets for GBA? (cricket chirping)

  29. I am on Task 28 and am very stuck! I’m in the common room for Gryfindor and there is nobody in the school except me and Neville and some other people who I can’t interact with… It doesn’t even tell me if I have a task to do eg: Find Lucy in the Library! The arrow that is usually in the bottom left hand corner is no where to be seen! If anyone knows how to find Hermione or Ron or anybody please tell me…

    I am so so so so so so stuck!

    Help greatly appreciated! X

  30. Snape Mini-Quest // May 30, 2009 at 11:06 am // Reply

    The potions section is in the restricted section; go through the left gate and move all the way down the isle. It’s the last shelf (not the one that’s on the far wall, the one just before) once you’re there, it should say “Press A”. If it doesn’t, try facing the shelf.

  31. i think a chore is picking up around the castle, like putting up the portraits and using Reparo to repair the pots…I recently found out that you can use Wingardium Leviosa to lift tapestries from the castle walls and found chess pieces behind them. Does anybody know what this does? Does it have something to do with the Room of Rewards? Myrtle is so annoying…

    WHERE IS THE POTION SECTION IN THE LIBRARY??? Somebody please help me!

  32. Tha gargoils are real hard 2 find… I still havebt found tha 5th one… where is tha potions section in tha restricted section??? I’ve looked every where and I can’t find it!!!!! Help!!!!

  33. harry potter // April 27, 2009 at 4:51 am // Reply

    where are the talking gargoyles

  34. harrypotterfreaK // April 21, 2009 at 3:30 pm // Reply

    How do you get past Hannah Abbot and the Charms level ( On Wii )

  35. The potions section is in the restricted section.It is somewhere on the last shelves.

  36. wish i had the game

  37. i think that harry’s godfather shouldn’t have died. he deserved to live

  38. i love this book

  39. I cant find the potions section in the library! Someone plz tell me…………..

  40. twinkletoes! // March 22, 2009 at 11:50 am // Reply

    How do i win the fight against lucius malfoy in the ministry of magic?

  41. how do you comlete ministry of magic level

  42. When there is nobody in room, what I need to do? There is no Hermione and no Ron.

  43. Game is awsome play on it everyday

  44. WHERE IS POTIONS SECTION IN LIBRARY?

  45. I dunno how to find Room of requiremenT…

    i Forgot where it was..

    i am just hanging around on 7th floor but It’s nt visible anywhere

  46. This is one of the clumsiest PC games I have ever played not to mention wasn’t even close to either the book or the movie. Trying to make the charector walk correctly or anything that involves the camera is a chore. No wonder they were almost giving this game away at Wal Mart.. It sux.

  47. This is the one i want.

  48. What do you do after umbridge has been attacked by centaurs? i’m stuck.

  49. wher is the first gargoyle and how can i go where is the way?

  50. where are you den toms

  51. sir i find a gargoyle how is this gargoyle

  52. the first gargoyle is in the courtyard were you meet dean. the second is in the vladuct entrance. one is in the courtyard were you helped colin creevey get his camera back. another one you can find when you go to the defence against the dark arts, is on tour right, in front of a window. and the last one ive found is on the 4h floor, you enter the brown door. and after you climb the starirs in there, there is a rock entrance which goes to a balcony. there is the 5th gargoyle.

  53. Please Can you to help me and tell me where I find the purpose of LUNE

  54. i’ ve arrived at the part where after getting caught by umbridge at the room of requirements, and after battling at hagrid’s hut with the baddies, harry’s got to put some things on some crosses on the ground. I can’t figure out how. Can anyone help me and my little son? Thanks.

  55. kary potter // April 6, 2008 at 6:41 pm // Reply

    Hi I think the game is awesome I have played but I canÂŽt found the 5 talking gargoils well

    I think Daniel,Emma and Rupert look pretty real as the other characters well back to play.

  56. this game is ace i love harry potter and can’t wait to play the rest, i just couldnt find the last gargoyle i have 4 and have looked everywhere even my bf cudnt find it and he plays on games a lot more complicated than this x

  57. harry potter rocks!

  58. What is a chore? I have 54 of 66 done but I dont even know what I did. How do I get that school pride cup if I dont even know what a chore in this game is? Can anyone help me?

  59. boblikecheese // March 2, 2008 at 3:39 pm // Reply

    where are the five gargaoles

  60. Ninjaman55555 // January 3, 2008 at 5:36 pm // Reply

    This game makes you feel like you actually are actually Harry Potter! I guess that means his life is really boring then. This game has very fun minigames but it has barely any of them. The battling is pretty fun too but you don’t do many battles anyway. 6.5 out of 10 would be my rating for it.

  61. harrypotter07 // December 31, 2007 at 11:58 am // Reply

    i read harry potter and the deathly hollows in 2 hours its true

  62. I have been on 28 for days. I’m still at 96% looked everywhere. Finished all my lessons with outstandings and won all the games. What am I missing? Where is the herbology class or the dock? I have a ds.. Can someone help?

  63. Where are the talking gargoyles!!!

    Pleez tell me

  64. Where are the five gargoyels!! I only have three! Plz help!

  65. WHERE ARE THE GARGOYELS!! PLEASE HELP ME!

    • the first gargoyle is in the courtyard were you meet dean. the second is in the vladuct entrance. one is in the courtyard were you helped colin creevey get his camera back. another one you can find when you go to the defence against the dark arts, is on tour right, in front of a window. and the last one ive found is on the 4h floor, you enter the brown door. and after you climb the starirs in there, there is a rock entrance which goes to a balcony. there is the 5th gargoyle.

  66. How do i complete the part that you need to clean Hogwarts??

  67. how do you get the book down

  68. yo any of u know where to get the 5 gargoiles?

    i have four of them in need them to get somone off the da listthx:)

  69. How do you get to the Room of Requirement?

  70. finding the GARGOYLES

    what does it mean

  71. I’m still reading the book lol

  72. COOL GAME!! ; }

  73. I have been looking for 3 hours for a trace of how to find the D.A. members my map is blank! I hear a few people complaining about it on the internet but there are no awnsers. Hermione and Ron say to look at the map-Nothing-Look at the message board-Nothing! I checked all the available castle but alas!

    Someone please Help!!!

  74. What is this game like?

  75. harry potter rules 87 // September 5, 2007 at 8:45 pm // Reply

    I am here to Help for PS2 I’ll check every day at 7:30

  76. how do you complete the library level

  77. on the one bit where you have to get the book down in the library how do you do it by the way its on psp

  78. The hardest gargoyle to find is on the 4th floor. Once you are up there look around, there is a small door way that leads you to a small balcony. on this balcony you will find a very grumpy gargoyle.

  79. Too easy i beat it before movie came out in theaters

  80. potterfan!!!no1 // August 30, 2007 at 5:05 am // Reply

    hey=]],

    i want 2 no.im buyin the harry potter ootp psp game does ney1 hav it??iz it gud i want to no!!!i hope it iz ill like it neyway hehe i like all tha hp games.except 4 hp4 pfft who agrees with me haha.nd im having trouble gettin all the portrait passwords.

    thanx!!!!=]]

  81. Im going to ask what everybody’s is asking… where are the five so-called gargoyles? My sister is trying to beat this game, so im helping her out and i dont know where they are (i dont like this game, but i already read all the books, i love them)

  82. harrypotter7iscool // August 8, 2007 at 2:33 pm // Reply

    where is the balcony on the fourth floor that has the talking gargoyle?

  83. harrypotterforprez // August 6, 2007 at 12:26 pm // Reply

    i have got the answeres !!

    1.In the Transfiguration Courtyard, where Dean is located.

    2.Near the Viaduct (before you cross the bridge itself)

    3.On the fourth floor, out on the balcony

    4.Head up the stairs in the Paved Courtyard, take a right and head past the statues to find it

    5.Located on the stairs leading up to the Defense Against the Darks Arts classroom

  84. harrypotterforprez // August 6, 2007 at 12:00 pm // Reply

    i can not find the 5 gargoyles!!!! i have 4 but cant find the last one…am i supposed to find the one that fell off the platform?

  85. x hbgftljglkgv // August 3, 2007 at 6:21 pm // Reply

    Please be nice. Abusive comments or those containing offensive language, web links or e-mail addresses will not be approved.

  86. where are located the five gargoyles?

  87. ............ // August 3, 2007 at 11:08 am // Reply

    where are the five gargoyles?

  88. I read Deathly Hallows in 6 hours or less, not to brag($-]

  89. The last book is awesome. It’s the best one yet.

  90. harry james potter fan144 // August 2, 2007 at 10:34 am // Reply

    ive each book but harry potter and the deathly hollows im a harry potter geek

  91. harry james potter fan144 // August 2, 2007 at 10:33 am // Reply

    im harrypotters bigest fan i want to have this gme sooooooooooooo baddddddddddd!!!!!!

  92. meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee // August 1, 2007 at 6:19 pm // Reply

    I (meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee) am Harry Potter’s very biggest fan (I MEAN IT)

  93. how do i get the book in the library..please help me i just ca’t get it

  94. i heard Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix pc game is only on dvd-rom is there

    any Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix pc game for cd-rom plz tell me

  95. where are the five gargoles???

  96. every time i play the slytherin chess champion i always leave him with one piece and i would still have 6 or 7 pieces left he just say stalemate or something i must’ve lost to him at least 30 times now by that cause. how do i avoid him saying stalemate.

  97. i love books! ! ! // July 24, 2007 at 12:57 pm // Reply

    i want glasses just like harry im his biggest fan and im a right geek hua hua

  98. thinkguy33 // July 22, 2007 at 3:31 pm // Reply

    wow i cant wait to get my wii so i can get this game. i sooooooooo want to see the movie.

  99. dissapointment // July 22, 2007 at 3:03 pm // Reply

    the graphs are good but the game sucks. Why isn’t it over after the dull fight between D and W anyways? The actions of the hero is so limited. I’d prefer simple verbal comments to trying to push banks with magic. Needs serious revison.

  100. Pokemaster // July 22, 2007 at 2:06 pm // Reply

    I reallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllyy want that game!!!!! It seems realy cool.

  101. i think more people shuld be interested with the harry potter seres i mean its awsome i would love to have harry’s powers and go to school at hagworts and be best frends with ron and hermine

  102. where are the five talking gargoles

  103. what is the best place to go in oreder of the phoenix i just ordered the game of amazon and when i get to hogwarts i want to know the best place to go can someone help me plz!?!

  104. MOUN129 SAYS // July 21, 2007 at 1:46 pm // Reply

    MY COUSINS LOVE HARRY POTTER. I NEVER READ THE BOOKS.

    I WATCH THE SNEAK PREVIEW’S OF ALL THE NEW MOVIES.

    ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS HARRY POTTER IS SO CUTEEEE!!!!!!!!

  105. HI I REALLY WANT TO SEE THE MOVIE!

  106. i think this is probaly the best ever harry potter game and the best game i have ever played just a bit better than the film!

  107. nickykitty // July 20, 2007 at 2:04 pm // Reply

    Playing the game now cant find the rest of the 28 and walking forever around lol! When i get through this bit hopefully it will speed up.

  108. where is dungeon

  109. rs rules911 // July 19, 2007 at 6:25 am // Reply

    i reckon the game is far far far beta than da movie

  110. legofreak1000 // July 16, 2007 at 5:45 pm // Reply

    the movie was the worst harry potter movie yet!!

  111. I loved the movie and i REALLY REALLY REALLY want to get the game…also the books are Really good.

  112. THIS GAME RULZ!! BETTER THAN THE MOVIE!!!!!!!!!

  113. THE MOVIE WAS NOT GOOD AT ALL BUT THE GAME IS ALSOME!!! YOUR MONEY IS WHILE SPENT ON IT:)

  114. now i REAAAAAAAAALLY want to see the movie 🙁

  115. DA MOVI IS AWESOM!!!!

Leave a Comment

Please don't use your real name.