See?
I
told you.
It's Leviosa.
Not Leviosa.
Well, it seems our old friend Fuzzelbob's struck again.
This time, he sent us what he describes...as the worst games he owns.
Boy, thanks, Fuzzelbob.
Although in that box, you also had Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Which...I mean, I might be be a little biased in this, but there's no way this is one of
the worst games you own.
This game's...I like this game.
Alright?
For reasons that are...very pretty.
So obviously, the game's based on Goblet of Fire, which is the fourth book and, more importantly,
the fourth movie in the Harry Potter series.
For the unfamiliar, Harry Potter is about a student at this magic school.
This student happens to be the most skilled in the entire class, but there's something
even more...special, about this particular student.
She has great hair.
Oh, and there's—she also has a friend, named Harry.
You start the game by choosing your character.
Although for some of us, "choosing" probably isn't the right word.
And either way, the other two come along as AI helpers.
So from there, you take your Fellowship of the Bling Ring through a bunch of levels inspired
by the films.
Places like Hogwart's, the Forbidden Forest...the game even starts with the campsite, at the
Quidditch World Cup.
So if you're a Potter fan, there's definitely a lot of faces and places you'll recognize,
which is great.
But the game's attachment to the series is really only skin deep.
If you want a game that has cool spell-casting mechanics, or includes the social element
of being at Hogwart's...you're gonna be real disappointed with Goblet of Fire.
This is basically just a hack-and-slash with wands.
Fortunately, though, it is a pretty good one.
If you don't mind simplicity, that is.
The levels are actually pretty big, and it's kinda like Mario 64 in that...they have multiple
stars to find.
Or in this case, magical shields.
The more you get, the more stages unlock, the more there is to do.
Of course, everything is...kind of linear, and spelled out for you.
There's where the simplicity comes in.
It's clearly a game for young players, trading the freedom of prior Potter games for something
more streamlined.
That also applies to the gameplay, in fact.
You don't get to choose your spells, or anything.
They switch as needed.
You just...kind of button mash.
But again, your taste for simplicity pending, this is actually a solid film tie-in.
The graphics are very 2005-a-riffic, which is to say...blurry textures, muddy colors.
But for the time and platform, this is a pretty good-looking game.
And occasionally, it's very good looking.
And the graphics are nice, too.
Freaking...particle effects.
Another cool feature is the game's use of magic cards.
Which actually provides a little depth.
You unlock them during the game, and then you can apply them to their specific characters
between levels.
Like this one.
This one increases the power of Hermione's Accio Spell.
Increases the power of my...Accio Spell.
God, I love her.
Look, I'm not gonna tell you this is some great game.
It's simple, it's repetitive, the camera kinda sucks...but you know what?
As movie games go, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is actually pretty good.
And I'm not just saying that because I like...magic.