With the imminent release of the latest film comes Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the game based on the book that follows Hal and his chums’ third year at Hogwarts. The escaped convict Sirius Black has a score to settle with Harry and only quick wits and timely spell-casting by Harry, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley can put Black back behind bars.

For the first time in the series this outing allows players to control all three diminutive heroes. Each one is blessed with slightly different skills — for example, svelte Hermione is slim enough to squeeze through the tightest openings — and the two characters not operated by the player are automatically AI controlled.

The game kicks off on the Hogwarts Express with the trio trying to catch Ron’s runaway pet rat, Scabbers. The train journey proves to be a nifty tutorial, introducing players to basic spell-casting. Once they arrive at Hogwarts, players then learn more sophisticated wizardry, and embark on spell challenges, before being swept into the full-blown adventure involving the sinister Sirius Black and his cohorts. Assorted reference devices, including the handy Marauder’s Map as well as shields and character cards to collect, add a little more depth to the action. The game remains faithful to the spirit of the book, but it is perhaps a little too linear and predictable. Some scenes do not look quite right — the scale of the characters against the width of the Hogwarts Express clearly do not tally. But these minor disappointments are quickly outweighed by stunning visuals in the later levels. While older teenagers may snub this Harry Potter outing, there’s still good mileage in the bespectacled chappie for younger players.

Tim Wapshott

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