Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
| Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | EA Bright Light Studio |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts |
| Platform(s) | Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360 |
| Release | New release date unnannounced |
| Genre(s) | Third-person action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is an upcoming video game being developed by EA's Bright Light Studio and published by Electronic Arts. Its release date remains unannounced since the film's pushback, although the game's official website still states that it will release on November 13th, 2008. However, it will probably coincide with the theatrical release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The game will be released on Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, and Xbox 360 platforms. [1]
Game features
These are the features that have been confirmed so far [2]:
- Wizard Duels
- Potion making
- Quidditch
- Hogwarts free-roaming (similar to the previous Harry Potter game, Order of the Phoenix)
- Fully accessible areas including the Horcrux cave
- Missions at Night
Gameplay
Wii
The game will utilise the Wii Remote features as it did in the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix video game.[1]. But unlike the previous game, players can now also use the motion sensing and vibration features to brew potions. Potion brewing involves following a complex recipe one step at a time. The steps include picking up vials of liquid, shaking them (by shaking the Wii Remote) until they froth, and tipping the Wii Remote to pour it into the mixture, being very careful not to pour in too much. Another possible step is stirring the mixture with the Wii Remote until it changes color. If it starts vibrating, that is the sign to move away before it blows up.[3]
Harry Potter can duel against Draco Malfoy in a Duelling Room with a long platform, similar to the one seen in the second film, but wider to allow dodging of spells. Moving in order to dodge is done with the Nunchuk Control Stick, while casting spells is done with Wii Remote and Nunchuk gestures. Combat spells currently implemented include a shield spell (likely "Protego") cast by crossing the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, a standard attack spell by striking downwards with the Wii Remote, a charged version by holding the Wii Remote up for longer first, and a more powerful attack spell by swinging the Wii Remote and Nunchuck to the left.[3]
Harry Potter fan-site The Leaky Cauldron reported in July 2008 that James Hannigan, composer of the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix game soundtrack, would be returning to compose for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Nintendo DS
In the Nintendo DS version of the game, the Stylus will be used, once again, for spells as well as mini-games such as Gobstones, squashing magic beans for potions, and Exploding Snap [4]. The DS version of the game will have 6 "environmental" spells including Accio and Incendio and 12 combat spells. The game will be free roaming with mini quests as well as following the story line[4].
PlayStation 3
The game will use SIXAXIS controls or the right analog stick just like the previous game
PC
A keyboard and mouse will be used just like the previous game
Xbox 360
Spells are cast with the control stick just like the previous game
References
- ^ a b IGN. EA Announces Half-Blood Prince IGN. Accessed April 23, 2008. Cite error: The named reference "IGN" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Team Xbox. EA Announces Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Team Xbox. Accessed April 23, 2008.
- ^ a b videogamer.com. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Hands-on videogamer.com. Accessed April 26, 2008.
- ^ a b Pocket Gamer. Hands on with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince DS Pocket Gamer. Accessed April 24, 2008.
External links
