Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for PC, PS2 and etc. is another virtual adaptation of a book belonging to the series written by J.K. Rowling and revolving around the adventures of the titular Harry Potter and his two friends: Hermiona Granger and Ron Weasley. As the title says, the game's plot is based on the fourth volume devoted to the story of the young wizard, as well as the book's screen adaptation (2005), which bears the same title.

Plot & Mechanics

Once again the players receive an arcade action game with numerous adventure elements. This time, Harry Potter is chosen to take part in the dangerous Triwizard Tournament, as its fourth contestant - all of this happens in a fairly mysterious way. The competitions include an air fight against a fire-breathing dragon, saving friends from the depths of the Black Lake, and finding one's way in a huge labyrinth. In order to do all of this, one obviously needs to be clever and good at magic, but they will also need a bit of luck.

In similarity to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the player interchangeably controls three characters: Harry, Hermiona and Ron (to an extent, particular scenarios recreate the events depicted in the film). Furthermore, the creators implemented a co-op mode, which allows the player to go through the story campaign with their friends (the players use spell combinations in parallel, complete given levels, etc.). The game also brings a new system of spell-casting. As a result, the controller used by the players sitting in front of the screen reacts differently to every move of the in-game magic wand (this applies mainly to special controllers for PCs). Particular spells affect the environment (for instance, the lightning destroys certain objects), and while casting a spell, characteristic visual effects appear around the character. Throughout the adventure, the player visits such locations as the Quidditch Trillenium Stadium, the Forbidden Forest, or the passage under the Prefects' Bathroom. Apart from that, the player collects different bonuses and finds interesting prizes (a spell known as Accio is useful while engaging in these activities).

Technical aspects

In similarity to the previous installments, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for PC, PS2 and etc. was created using aesthetic, nice-looking 3D graphics, and it has fairly simple, intuitive controls. The soundtrack consists mainly of orchestral tracks, whose pace and intensity changes depending on what is happening on the screen. A large emphasis was also placed on the visual effects of spells and sounds of the virtual environment.

Last updated on 10 December 2007