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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Review 1
I give it 9/10

If you have read the book you have to go out and buy this game. It is taking on the role of Harry and you are taking on his adventures. If you haven't read and don't plan to I don't think you will want to buy the game mostly because of it's short time to complete and it's very, very, bad graphics. I love this game so even if you don't think you are going to get it read my review, It might change your mind.

Graphics- 5/10
Ok, Ok Obviously the graphics are this games weak point, but never judge a book by it's cover. At first you may look at the game and scream ''Ahhhhhhh what was EA thinking'', but if you play for about twenty minutes and you will not even notice the graphics because you are having so much fun.

Gameplay- 10/10
Great!!!! I was always right into this game. The action never stops wether you are learning spells, doing favorites for others, or playing Quidditch, the fun never stops. One thing that is really cool is that there are some parts that aren't even in the book so you have to think of what to do yourself. Ok, you might think this game is for a younger audience but it really isn't. There are tons of cool spells and tons of Creatures to fight. For Example, Trolls, Fire Turtles, a Gargoyle, Knights, and many more that I won't spoil for you.

Story- 10/10
This Games story is obviously going to be incredible coming from J.K. Rowling. I mean it's obvious that EA had to cut out some parts, but the parts they left in were the parts that when you were reading the book at one in the morning and you somehow managed to stay awake and keep reading. Everyone from the book including, Hagrid, Ron, Hermione, Darco, Neville, and of course Harry are back in this game.

Replay Value- 10/10
The replay value in this game is really great. There are many secrets that you probably won't collect the first time you play it and there are secret passageways all over Hogwarts. Also once you play your first Qudditch match, there is a little menu at the start of your game that will let you enter a Qudditch tournament. Great, just great.

Rent or Buy
Once again this comes down to if you have read the book or not. If you haven't read the book then I would say rent and see what you think about the game, and if you have read the book definitely buy.
-Brad

Review 2
   If you’re expecting a game that closely follows the opening story which we all know so well, this game will surprise you.  The game is based on Hogwarts, the wizarding world, and all of our favorite and familiar characters, but other than that, the game is very loosely based on Rowling’s creation.  Instead of actually chasing the Snitch, you have to navigate through a series of rings.  In order to keep the game understandable for those who know nothing of Harry Potter, EA replaces all hard to explain situations with easy and quick explanations.  For example, when Harry gets his broom and nobody else has one, Ron says, “Oh, I haven’t gotten my broom yet,” instead of explaining the first-year rule and why Harry’s allowed to break it.  And that’s just when they give an effort to integrate the story into the game.  Most of the missions have nothing to do with the plot, such as one that forces you to find a student’s cat.  Another has you racing Peeves through the attic to receive your invisibility cloak.

    This doesn’t make it a bad game, of course.  Harry’s world alone is enough to provide the backing of an enjoyable game.  Magic makes it so easy to explain the random floating platforms, the fire breathing fiends, etc.  And, it’s really fun to get to perform the spells that you read about Harry, Ron and Hermione doing all of the time (even if there are only four that you can actually use).  You think of something major which Harry can do at Hogwarts, and this game will most likely allow you to do it.

    The only problems with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone involve its being outdated.  I have the PlayStation version and I’m sure they’ll fix a lot of the problems in the new versions coming out soon, but I’ll address the problems anyway.  First of all, the graphics are REALLY rough.  Nothing more is to be expected on the original PlayStation console, but it’s still hard to get used to the graphics after playing GameCube, XBOX, and PS2 as long as they’ve been out.  This problem will definitely be addressed in the new version, and if it isn’t, said version is not worth buying.  Of course, this isn’t a problem in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and will most likely not be in any future games.  Another problem is the incredibly linear gameplay.  The game only allows you to stray off of the preset path every now an then for a mini-game that might reward you with a Famous Witches and Wizards Card.  This will definitely not be fixed in the new version of the game, as it is going to be the same game, the only changes being in appearance and bug-fixing.  Finally, the Quidditch is very hard to control and confusing, not to mention the lack of excitement.  The amount of Bludgers coming your way suggests that there are at least ten on the field, yet you somehow stay on the Snitch’s tail no matter what.  Quidditch will not improve in the new version as far as I know, but it is slightly better in CoS.  I’m sure it is absolutely amazing in Quidditch World Cup, a game devoted entirely to the sport.

    These problems are just small little complaints of mine, and don’t affect the overall quality of the game too much.  A game based on the Harry Potter series will always be a winner.  If you are enough of a fan to be at this website and haven’t yet played this game, get it.  It’s a must have.
-Matt