Having finished the HP + FB movie marathon, I decided to board the wizarding world choo-choo train — merely 20 years too late. Yes, I somehow managed to dodge it back in elementary school by spending way too many hours playing Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. Admittingly, I tried some of the HP games in the past — and they were absolutely dreadful. Game mechanics? Sleep inducing. Story? Oh, same ♥♥♥♥ as the movies but with some lame orb collection.

Given the hype around this game, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt — and boy, am I glad I did.

From the very get-go, it’s clear as day that this game is a labour of love by the developers. I’m talking about the incredible detail of the castle, which feels incredibly immersive with all the activities it offers. It made me feel like I missed out on something great by not boarding that choo-choo train way back. And most importantly, the combat system wasn’t dreadful. In fact, I couldn’t come up with a single improvement to it — which says a lot. So, in theory, everything should have been great.

Well, it wasn’t. And it's due to a single thing... a thing so important for a game of this genre: the story. Without the slightest clue, I created a Slytherin character called Isydora Slaughterin — my pinnacle statement of trying to become a tyrant who inflicts their will upon the measly students that can’t hold a candle to my A+ grades (stay with me here, I’m compensating for average grades and being an Average Joe). Funnily enough, Isidora is actually one of the protagonists in the game. One who started with a potentially interesting backstory... only for it to be reduced to a generic and uninspiring ending.

And that’s the greatest shame about this game — it tried to satisfy everyone while keeping an appropriate age rating. I kinda expected it to have a more mature, intriguing, and thrilling storyline that might set things up for a sequel — especially given the aging fandom, most of whom are hitting (or about to hit) their 30s.

Overall, I’d definitely recommend the game at a reduced price. If you’re a Potterhead, it’s a must. If you’re not, you might still want to step halfway into that wormhole. It’s just sad that you can’t get completely sucked in — because the writers wanted to play it safe.

[h1]Wasted opportunity that somehow managed to make the magic stick bang-bang somewhat interesting[/h1] Having finished the HP + FB movie marathon, I decided to board the wizarding world choo-choo train — merely 20 years too late. Yes, I somehow managed to dodge it back in elementary school by spending way too many hours playing Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. Admittingly, I tried some of the HP games in the past — and they were absolutely dreadful. Game mechanics? Sleep inducing. Story? Oh, same shit as the movies but with some lame orb collection. Given the hype around this game, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt — and boy, am I glad I did. From the very get-go, it’s clear as day that this game is a labour of love by the developers. I’m talking about the incredible detail of the castle, which feels incredibly immersive with all the activities it offers. It made me feel like I missed out on something great by not boarding that choo-choo train way back. And most importantly, the combat system wasn’t dreadful. In fact, I couldn’t come up with a single improvement to it — which says a lot. So, in theory, everything should have been great. Well, it wasn’t. And it's due to a single thing... a thing so important for a game of this genre: the story. Without the slightest clue, I created a Slytherin character called Isydora Slaughterin — my pinnacle statement of trying to become a tyrant who inflicts their will upon the measly students that can’t hold a candle to my A+ grades (stay with me here, I’m compensating for average grades and being an Average Joe). Funnily enough, Isidora is actually one of the protagonists in the game. One who started with a potentially interesting backstory... only for it to be reduced to a generic and uninspiring ending. And that’s the greatest shame about this game — it tried to satisfy everyone while keeping an appropriate age rating. I kinda expected it to have a more mature, intriguing, and thrilling storyline that might set things up for a sequel — especially given the aging fandom, most of whom are hitting (or about to hit) their 30s. Overall, I’d definitely recommend the game at a reduced price. If you’re a Potterhead, it’s a must. If you’re not, you might still want to step halfway into that wormhole. It’s just sad that you can’t get completely sucked in — because the writers wanted to play it safe.