Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

• Release Date: November 06, 2002
• Genre: Action
• Style: Action Adventure
• Similar Games: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (PlayStation), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (PlayStation 2)

Game Description

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets continues the adventures of the bespectacled boy wizard as he returns to Hogwarts to begin a second year of studies. Things do not go smoothly, however, as the game closely follows the events found in J.K. Rowling's second book in the international best-selling fantasy series. Harry Potter and friends Hermione and Ron must investigate a terrible danger: students are mysteriously turning to stone.

Assuming the role of the Boy Who Lived, players explore a 3D Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and the Forbidden Forest from a third-person perspective. To assist them in their quest, players must attend classes so they can learn a variety of spells. These spells are then used on enemies, but if they are not cast correctly, a comical or hazardous misfire may result. In addition to the main adventure, players can participate in a number of mini-games, such as removing the gnomes from Mrs. Weasley's garden or battling other wizards in Dueling Club.

Review: Overall

In what has to be one of the largest multi-platform releases in video game history, partly because there have never been so many viable platforms on the marketplace, Electronic Arts has decided to publish Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on seven different systems. What's surprising is that each game is either completely new or slightly altered to take advantage of the platform it appears on. As a result, players can expect something different in each title they pop into their system of choice. Chamber of Secrets on PlayStation 2 is the closest to the Xbox and GameCube versions of the title. Players guide Harry from a third-person perspective as he uses newfound second-year spells at the Barrow, through the cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley, inside the Forbidden Forest, and in and around an impressively modeled Hogwarts.

The game is broken up into a series of days, which is a clever way of giving players a specific number of tasks to accomplish before allowing them a chance to roam about on their own. Once they are finished exploring, players can automatically end the day and move onto the next chapter in Harry's story. Initial tasks involve the use of two spells, Flippendo (which to Sony's chagrin, sounds like young Harry is advocating a certain competing company) and Lumos. The former fires a projectile from Harry's wand that breaks certain objects (like barrels), while the latter transforms Harry's wand into a torch of sorts to light up darkened areas. The interesting part of casting spells is that they can be powered-up to stronger versions by holding down the button for a longer period of time. Harry will twirl his wand in a counterclockwise direction as players wait for the precise moment to cast the spell. Wait too long and the spell will backfire, causing Harry to fall backwards and let out a sigh of disappointment.

The action begins at the Barrow as players learn how to use their wand as well as participate in an awkward game of gnome tossing. From there, the game moves onto Diagon Alley, which looks like the real thing -- only not all of the shops are open for business. Players instead get to purchase their needed school supplies and help out Ron's younger sister Ginny, who has lost three of her items in various locations. Puzzles in the game are very easy to solve, which is probably intentional given the younger demographic the books are aimed at. Threats come primarily in the form of imps, who run around the screen tossing stink bombs. Players simply cast Flippendo on the critters and drop them into individual cages to lock them up. It isn't until much later that Harry starts learning some of the interesting spells, like Incendio, Diffindo, and Alohomora.

There are also barrels to break, and the nifty use of the illumination spell lets players see secret passages or even creaky floor panels that will collapse if Harry touches them. While none of the threats are difficult to overcome -- there seems to be an abundance of chocolate frogs and health pick-ups whenever Harry runs into a more challenging section -- the game is still pleasantly fun. Part of its success is in its almost shameless copying of Ocarina of Time's control scheme. Jumping is automatic, removing a frustrating element of many platform games, and accessing spells and potions is a simple matter of pressing the corresponding button. The look of the environments is rich in detail and all of the characters look just like their cinematic counterparts, with voice-over work as good as any of the actors in the film.

The game also builds up in excitement once players reach the Whomping Willow sequence, the first boss character in the game, and subsequent arrival at Hogwarts. Unlike Diagon Alley, which was more of a façade than an actual level, Hogwarts is filled with places to explore and seems painstakingly modeled with every painting, secret passage, ghost, and piece of furniture from the film series. Books will fly off the shelves and attack Harry, ghosts will sail through the air and surround him, and there is a surprising amount of basic stealth elements required in avoiding being captured by the Prefects walking the hallways at night. While Harry can back up against walls and bookcases and then peer around corners to sneak past the hall monitors, it's easier just to fire a Flippendo spell in the opposite direction and run as all the guards investigate the noise.

The daily structure is well represented in Hogwarts, as players can perform their scholarly duties in the name of fun during the day, and search the grounds at night looking for side quests to earn points for Gryffindor or to complete additional tasks relating to the overall story. A nice touch is that players who are caught sneaking around after hours will be docked five House Points for every infraction. There are also games of Quidditch, which are nice diversions but control a bit sluggishly, and Famous Wizards and Witches cards to collect. The PlayStation 2 version also lets players fly around Hogwarts grounds on the Nimbus 2002, but they unfortunately can't take the magical broom indoors.

The amount of detail is impressive. Players can almost count every fissure in the stones forming the walls, torches emit a bright orange flicker, polished marble floors offer intricate designs, the stained glass leaves colorful reflections in the rooms, and the game makes wonderful use of shadows and sound. Most impressive is the gentle flowing of Harry's black robe that adjusts according to the analog control. The only thing suspending your belief that you are actually walking through Hogwarts is the frequent loading times that abruptly jar you back to reality. Another small gripe is that the overhead map is tiny, making navigation somewhat confusing, and players can't zoom in on the parchment for more information.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is nonetheless easily recommended to fans, as the game looks great, is easy to control, and offers minimal frustration for those who just want to have fun traipsing around the world. The quests involve a little too many "retrieve this item from here and then retrieve that item from there" for most older audience's tastes, but there's something about the world and the characters that draws players in. It is the best 3D realization of Hogwarts yet seen in a video game, which for some, is worth a purchase alone. Chamber of Secrets builds momentum slowly and becomes more impressive the further one gets into the game. While some of the quests will disenchant players looking for more action and battles, the detailed world, excellent voice acting, and beautiful animation should keep younger audiences spellbound.

Review: Enjoyment

Not enough action sequences and puzzles are very basic in nature, but the controls, graphics, and sound will likely captivate younger audiences.

Review: Graphics

Well detailed environments and characters help bring the world of Harry Potter to life.

Review: Sound

While none of the actors are from the film, you wouldn't know it by listening to their accents and delivery.

Review: Replay Value

Players can fire up the broom to play Quidditch matches, revisit levels to find hidden cards, and engage in wizard duels for fun.

Review: Documentation

The manual offers the basics in controls but doesn't explain the different characters, spells, and story elements players will encounter on their journey.

Production Credits

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