Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2

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What is Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2 is the thrilling conclusion to the long-running movie tie-in videogame series by Electronic Arts. The demo version contains two full levels from the game, including a level based on the Battle of Hogwarts. Throughout this level you control Harry Potter himself, saving Hogwarts and protecting friends from an army of Death Eaters. The level concludes as you take control of Hermione Granger, dueling the ruthless werewolf known as Fenrir Greyback.

Fans of the movie will appreciate this game as it closely follows along the same plot. You can play as Harry and a variety of other characters as the conclusion to the Harry Potter series is told through cutscenes, in-game dialogue and gameplay. You are able to explore familiar settings like the goblin-run Gringotts Bank and the famous Hogwarts Castle. Despite the variety of characters and locations, the game does become a bit monotonous. All characters play the same and most locations follow the same basic design. Once the excitement of exploring a new location wears off there is not much excitement in level design.

While the level design does leave a bit to be desired, the actual gameplay is quite enjoyable. Playing like a shooter, the characters instead utilize magic spells which all look and function in unique and interesting ways. For example, Expelliarmus breaks through protection spells and Petrificus Totalus serves as a type of sniper magic shot. Game environments are also utilized well as they provide cover, which is critical for tough duels against multiple Death Eaters. Characters also gain abilities, like Harry's ability to Apparate, or teleport, between cover areas in a level. These abilities and spells do make gameplay fun, despite the repetition of enemies and environments.

Beyond the single player campaign there is not much else to do, which is quite unfortunate. Multiplayer would have been a blast for fans, being able to shoot and duck spells with their friends. Unfortunately multiplayer is not available, and even more puzzling is the lack of a cooperative mode, which was available in previous games. A challenge mode complete with an online leaderboard is present, but unfortunately this isn't quite enough to keep bringing most gamers back more than once or twice. There are also collectibles to collect throughout the levels, which unlock additional content like new challenge levels, characters and music tracks, but the characters aren't playable, hurting replay value a bit more.

Overall, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2 is a solid videogame with plenty of flaws. The atmosphere and story are top-notch and gameplay is interesting, but it falls short as the game begins to feel the same without much to pull you back in. Fans of the series should certainly consider checking this game out, but there probably isn't enough to recommend to gamers not familiar with Harry Potter.

Pros

• Great atmosphere and locations right from the movies.
• Lots of spells and magical abilities.
• Very true to the movie.

Cons

• Level design and gameplay becomes monotonous after a while.
• Voice acting isn't so great.
• Lacking any additional modes to provide replay value.