Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (or the Sorcerer’s Stone, as it is also known) is a PC game from EA games. As the first in the series, it serves as a useful introduction to those who are not familiar with the world created by Rowling. Although it is never quite possible to replicate the story in this format – which, by its very nature is episodic – the game designers have not deviated much from the storyline, and have made an attempt to stay close to the spirit of the original.
The basic premise of the game is that Harry Potter is studying to become a wizard. As he takes lessons to learn his spell-casting skills, and as he becomes more and more skilled in the arts of magic, he gets to discover the secret rooms and passageways of Hogwarts, and to explore the Hogwarts Grounds. All the while, the action is gradually building towards the climax, as Harry Potter prepares to face his nemesis Voldemort, who is the villain of the piece. But before he can confront Voldemort, Harry Potter must pass through the library (using the Invisibility Cloak) and the Forbidden Corridor.
Though riding the broomstick is fun (especially the sequence of the Rememberall Chase), it must be said that the Quidditch – where Harry Potter plays for his side Gryffindor - was a big disappointment, and only suitable for the fans. It takes time and effort to fathom what the basic purpose of Quidditch is, and by the time one becomes familiar with its rules, the session is over.
The game’s basic orientation is towards the action-adventure genre, and interactions with the other characters (Ron, Hermione, Hagrid) is limited, and only serves to buttress the storyline. Of the various obstacles that Harry Potter has to overcome, Fluffy (the Hound) was difficult, Malfoy (and his Wizard Crackers), Peeves (the Ghost) and the Troll were interesting, but the Dungeons were predictable, and the Gnomes were just annoying. In between all that action, Harry Potter has to solve various puzzles and take challenges as well, in which he puts his spellcasting skills to good use. Though the challenges have been woven into the storyline, they did tend to drag at times.
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