Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is an action-adventure video game, developed by EA Bright Light Studio and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released on 30 June 2009 and is based on the 2009 film of the same name.[3] The game was released for the Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360, and macOS platforms.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Developer(s)EA Bright Light
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
Designer(s)Chris Roberts[1]
Composer(s)James Hannigan[2]
SeriesHarry Potter
EngineRenderWare
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360, macOS
Release
  • NA: 30 June 2009
  • AU: 2 July 2009
  • EU: 3 July 2009
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay

Half-Blood Prince features the exploration of Hogwarts and casting spells on objects around the school, similar to its predecessor, Order of the Phoenix.[1] The game also includes multiplayer games, classes, different times of day, Quidditch, Wizard Duels and Potion making.[4] The Marauder's Map is included in the game, with progress opening other parts of the school. Harry can also call Nearly Headless Nick to show him around the school. Harry is the main playable character in the game, but Ron and Ginny are also available in two levels. The first has Ron concentrate on following Harry after taking a Love Potion (if he doesn't follow Harry, the mission fails). The second has Ginny fill in for Harry for Quidditch when he gets detention and play against the rival Seeker, Cho Chang.[5]

As Dumbledore mentions, the Duelling Club begins. Harry is allowed to duel freely with students and learn spells from them. The Gryffindor Duelling Club is located in the Great Hall, while the other Houses' are in other places, including the Paved Courtyard, Training Ground, and Transfiguration Courtyard.[6]

As Harry attends Potions class, mixing ingredients to make potions is done with the Wii Remote or analogue stick. Harry must also join the Potions Club, which is in the Herbology classroom. Potions ingredients surround the cauldron on the workbench, and through visual symbols that pop up on the screen, the instructions must be followed to complete the potion.[7]

Harry is also named Quidditch Captain. Other members on the team are Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley, and Katie Bell. They all participate in try-outs and in the Quidditch Cup against Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. When Harry has detention, Ginny is the Seeker, while Dean takes her spot. When Ron is in the hospital, Cormac McLaggen takes his spot on the team.

During the game, there are 150 shields to collect that are found throughout Hogwarts Castle. The shields can be found by casting spells such as Reparo if they are broken on the ground or by using Wingardium Leviosa to throw an object at one if it is on a wall or an unreachable place. Shields can also be gained by collecting mini-shields, which are located in lamps and banisters. There are also 10 shields given when a specific miniquest is completed by the player.

The school grounds are nearly identical to the previous installment. Some new areas are added, including the entrance to Hogwarts. Other areas previously accessible are now inaccessible due to the new security of Hogwarts added by the Aurors.[8]

Platform-specific elements

The Wii version of the game utilises the Wii Remote features as it did in the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix video game.[9] which include brewing potions,[10] wizard dueling[10] and Quidditch.[11] However, it does not support the new Wii MotionPlus technology which was released in the same month. The Nintendo DS version includes mini-games such as Gobstones and Exploding Snap.[12] The game once again utilises the Stylus for wizard duels, potion making and Quidditch.[13] The PlayStation 3 version includes DualShock 3 vibration. The PlayStation 2, PC, and Xbox 360 versions use the same functions as with the previous game.

Cast

Several members of the Harry Potter film series lent their voices (some for the first time) to their characters in game. Among these, Bonnie Wright played Ginny Weasley, Warwick Davis played Professor Flitwick, and Tom Felton played Draco Malfoy.[14]

Spells

Environmental Spells
  • Accio: Used to summons mini-crests.
  • Lumos: Illuminates the caster wand with light. Activates automatically in dark areas.
  • Wingardium Leviosa: Lifts objects in the air.
  • Depulso: Sends levitated objects into the air.
  • Incendio: Sets objects on fire.
  • Reparo: Mends broken objects.

Defensive Spells
  • Stupefy: Stuns enemies.
  • Expelliarmus: Disarms an enemies wand.
  • Protego: Shields and deflects enemy spells.
  • Levicorpus: Lifts enemies by their ankles.
  • Pertrificus Totalus: Freezes enemies.

Plot
Main article: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore prepares Harry for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching as Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defences, and to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information.

Soundtrack
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Video Game Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
James Hannigan
Released17 March 2009
Recorded8 August 2008 at Air Studios
GenreVideo game music
Length52:18
LabelEA Recordings
ProducerJames Hannigan
James Hannigan chronology
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Video Game Soundtrack
(2007)		 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Video Game Soundtrack
(2009)
See also: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (soundtrack)

The Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Video Game Soundtrack was composed by James Hannigan and recorded with the Philharmonia Orchestra at Air Studios in London.[15] The BAFTA-nominated and IFMCA (International Film Music Critics Association) Award-winning soundtrack was released on 17 March 2009. However, the soundtrack is no longer available because EA Recordings decided to stop selling all of their Harry Potter video game soundtracks in late 2009.[16] Hannigan's soundtracks for the last two games in the series were never officially released.

In 2020, the soundtrack album was re-released under the title of EA Music Composer Series: James Hannigan, Vol. 1, and many of the references to the Harry Potter series are censored in the track titles.

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Music 4 Gameslink
Soundtrack Geek link

Track listing
  1. "Return to Hogwarts" - 3:25
  2. "Quidditch Tryouts" - 1:31
  3. "Wandering Night" - 2:44
  4. "Race Ginny" - 3:02
  5. "Duelling Club" - 2:04
  6. "Mixing Potions" - 1:58
  7. "Slytherin Combat" - 2:21
  8. "Slughorn" - 0:39
  9. "Hogwarts by Night" - 1:45
  10. "Quidditch" - 3:30
  11. "Get to Potions" - 1:49
  12. "Get to Quidditch" - 1:20
  13. "Fred and George Return" - 1:28
  14. "Wandering Day 5" - 1:02
  15. "Lovesick Ron" - 2:49
  16. "The Boathouse at Night" - 2:49
  17. "Wandering Stealth" - 2:19
  18. "Loss at Hogwarts" - 1:09
  19. "Bellatrix" - 1:17
  20. "Fenrir Battle" - 1:13
  21. "Wandering Day 4" - 1:35
  22. "Chase Draco" - 1:07
  23. "More Potions" - 1:37
  24. "Exploring with Luna" - 2:29
  25. "Wandering Day 3" - 1:47
  26. "Wandering Day 1" - 0:54
  27. "The Final Battles" - 3:41
  28. "Sadness at Hogwarts" - 2:00
  29. "Friendship Theme" - 2:14

Release

When the game was announced in April 2008[9] its release date was to coincide with the film's release date, which was originally 21 November 2008,[17] but it was announced in August 2008 that the film would be delayed by eight months.[18] It was afterward announced that the video game would also be delayed to coincide with the film's July 2009 release date.[19] Through a press release on 14 May 2009 it was confirmed that the release date for the game was 30 June 2009.[3]

Reception

The game received "mixed or average" reviews on all platforms except the DS version, which received "generally unfavorable reviews", according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[20][21][22][23][24][25][26]

IGN, in a positive 7.7/10 rating review of the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii versions and 7.5/10 for the PC version, said, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince improves on the stuff I liked in its predecessor and makes for a pretty fun game.”[37] GamePro admitted that the Wii version was a “fun” game to play but did not feel that it was worth the price of a new release.[29] IT Reviews said that “Repetition is evident - at one point you fight five wand duels in a row, which gets a little tiresome - and many quests are just plain uninteresting.” They concluded the game was too short, and wouldn't “keep anyone but the most avid Potter fan happy for long.”[44]

Tom McShea of GameSpot[30] disliked the gameplay, story, character models and voice acting, saying that "The game is ultimately a forgettable experience, pushing players through the same three minigames over and over again, without ever capturing the thrill of being a wizard." McShea scored the PS3 and Wii versions a 5/10.

References
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  2. IGN Music (13 October 2008). "9 Videogame Composers to Watch (Page 3)". IGN. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  3. "EA and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Confirm Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Video Game Release Date". Business Wire. 14 May 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
  4. "EA Announces Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". TeamXbox. 22 April 2009. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  5. Cowen, Nick (8 July 2009). "Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince video game review (Wii)". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  7. Alexander, Leigh (27 June 2008). "I Beat Harry Potter's Executive Producer In A Wand Duel". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 5 June 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  8. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Guide". IGN. Archived from the original on 25 July 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  9. Casamassina, Matt (22 April 2008). "EA Announces Half-Blood Prince". IGN. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  10. Yin-Poole, Wesley (23 April 2008). "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Preview". VideoGamer.com. Archived from the original on 2015-06-20. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  11. Muller, Michael (14 August 2008). "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Wii)". GameDaily. Archived from the original on 18 August 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
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  13. DeVries, Jack (13 August 2008). "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Hands-on". IGN. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
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  15. Durrani, Monise (9 March 2009). "Magical challenge of video game music". BBC. Archived from the original on 11 March 2009. Retrieved 10 March 2009.
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  18. "Potter file release delayed". BBC. 15 August 2008. Archived from the original on 18 February 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
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  21. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Critic Reviews for PC". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  22. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 3 April 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  23. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Critic Reviews for PlayStation 3". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  24. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for PSP Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  25. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Critic Reviews for Wii". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 17 November 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
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  44. IT Reviews Archived 11 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
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