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Something wicked this way comes...
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third novel in J.K.
Rowling's 'Harry Potter' series, is only a month or two away from
release on the big screen. As with the previous two movies, EA plans to
release the game version of Harry's latest adventure at Hogwarts for all
three consoles, as well as the GameBoy Advance and PC.
Azkaban follows Harry to his third year at the Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry. The book served as something of a turning point
in the series, foreshadowing the dark events portrayed in the following
two books, 'Goblet of Fire' and 'Order of the Phoenix'. A convicted
murderer,
Sirius Black, has escaped from the wizard's prison of Azkaban. His
escape presents a problem for Harry since it is believed that Black
played a role in the murder of Harry's parents and is out to finish the
job. Of course, things turn out to be much, much deeper than they appear
and will alter Harry's world dramatically. If previous games are any
indication, fans can expect the game to follow the events of the book
more closely than that of the movie.
The darker tone of the plot is reflected in the graphics. The cute,
pudgy faced kids from previous games have grown up and have been
replaced with a much more mature look. The new look will definitely come
as a shock to some people, but so far things look great. Along with the
graphics, the gameplay has also grown up a bit. While the general
gameplay engine remains unchanged, players will now be able to control
both Ron and Hermione as they go up against the Dementors and their
Hogwarts rival, Draco Malfoy (with Crabbe and Goyle in tow). Harry will
also have a full selection of spells to choose from including a
grappling hook type spell. Each character will also have their own
special spells and abilities that will come in handy along the way.
Players will be able to rotate between the three characters on the fly,
which will surely make for some interesting challenges.
Although all versions of the game will follow the same general premise
(although the GBA version will follow more of a turn-based RPG
structure), PS2 and Game Cube owners will have additional, exclusive
features to look forward to. As if you didn't already see it coming, the
Game Cube and GBA versions of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban will use the connectivity feature that will allow players to
trade cards between the two systems as well as take care of their own
virtual pet owl. PS2 owners won't be able to raise their own pet owl,
but will be able to experience Hogwarts in a completely different way.
Utilizing Sony's EyeToy peripheral, players will be able to don the
Sorting Hat and see which of the four houses (Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw,
Slytherin or Gryffindor) they belong to. Up to four players will also be
able to take part in four Mini-games. After making a chocolate mess in
Chocolate Frogs, players can use Frog Swan Soap to stop Dungbombs in
Zonko's Joke Shop.
Player's will also have the chance to play Exploding Snap, a Hogwarts
favorite, as well as hone their Seeker skills in Seeker Practice.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is set for release
around the time of the movie. Look for more information on this title,
as well as many more, this May in our E3 coverage.
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