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How Metascores Are Calculated
68
1942: Joint Strike
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry returns for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts and discovers that much of the wizarding community has been denied the truth about the teenager’s recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort. Fearing that Hogwarts' venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about Voldemort's return in order to undermine his power and take his job, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep watch over Dumbledore and the Hogwarts students. But Professor Dolores Umbridge's Ministry-approved course of defensive magic leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared to defend themselves against the dark forces threatening them and the entire wizarding community, so at the prompting of his friends Hermione and Ron, Harry takes matters into his own hands. Meeting secretly with a small group of students who name themselves "Dumbledore’s Army," Harry teaches them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that lies ahead. With the ability to play multiple characters, including Harry Potter, Dumbledore and Sirius Black, the videogame of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix offers fans the opportunity to wield a wand, explore all around Hogwarts, and experience one of the most exciting and dangerous years in the life of the Boy Who Lived. [Electronic Arts / Warner Bros.]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 85
PGNx Media
Thanks to the top-notch production values, this is an easy recommendation for fans of the books or movies.
 84
XboxAddict
It was easy to learn, easy to understand, and it did a fantastic job of brining the Harry Potter saga to life. It’s without a doubt one of the better movies adaptations to hit a video game, and it’s a great title for younger gamers that are usually relegated to chasing and dodging in a linear fashion.
81
Gamers' Temple
The Order of the Phoenix is the best Harry Potter game to date and the first one that’s a real treat for fans of the books and movies.
80
GameSpy
Sure, Order of the Phoenix is a little rough around the edges, but it's still the best Harry Potter game yet. Fans will get a huge kick over how well it recreates Harry's world.
80
1UP
The experiment is a success and testament to the fact that EA really has been spending more time crafting these games as the movies and books become more ambitious. If "Half-Blood Prince" produces the same leap in concept as we've seen here, Potter fans will really be in for something.
80
GameTrailers
The mission objectives are mundane, but all the little secrets littered throughout give it a sense of discover that Harry Potter games have failed to deliver in the past. If you’re a diehard Potter fan then don’t think twice about picking it up, and action gamers will find a lot to like as well.
80
Gamer 2.0
Order of the Phoenix is without a doubt the best entry in the Harry Potter game series to date.
80
AceGamez
They have delivered what is most definitely a game for the fans, and that can't really be stressed enough.
80
G4 TV
The Wii version is graphically inferior to the 360 and PS3; Ron and Hermione have a nasty way of blocking your path in tight quarters; and there are the aforementioned, seemingly endless fetch-quests. Even with all that, this is easily the best Harry Potter game to date, and it’s simply one of the most entertaining movie tie-ins on the market.
78
GameZone
Recommended to the die-hard Potter crowd, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a rich adventure that’s light on longevity.
76
Planet Xbox 360
While everything is not perfect, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the first of the series to make an appearance on next-gen consoles and is a must own for fans of the wizard.
76
IGN
A non-Harry Potter fan is going to look at Order of the Phoenix and only see the flaws -- the music drowns out the dialogue, sometimes Harry has trouble opening doors, and there's a graphical glitch here and there -- but if you know what a snitch is and what gillyweed does, you'll dig this game.
75
Game Almighty
The extreme care taken with reproducing the world, characters, and story of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix results in certainly the best Harry Potter game yet and a perfect counterpart to the film.
75
Team Xbox
Despite its occasionally frustrating design and lackluster combat, the sheer size and detail of the game world make this a must-play for hardcore fans of the series.
75
Official Xbox Magazine
Mild targeting problems aside, Phoenix is the most engaging Potter game to date, with the 3D richness that adults expect but straightforward hidey-seeky gameplay that won't overtax a tween audience. [Aug 2007, p.74]
75
Armchair Empire
The average gameplay can get tedious in its chore duty, so those who aren’t entranced by all things Harry Potter should be forewarned, but fans will have plenty of fun in the halls of Hogwarts found in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix .
75
Gaming Age
It really shows that EA not only took notes from the films and books, but listened to the fans to give them what they want.
74
Cheat Code Central
EA truly made an extra effort here and created a good movie-based video game that players of almost all ages can enjoy, as long as they enjoy the whole Harry Potter premise.
74
Xbox World Australia
Order of the Phoenix is another inoffensive entry into the Harry Potter videogame archive. It does little to frustrate or impress, but there's plenty here for fans of the series.
72
Game Chronicles
There is a great feeling of wonder and magic in this latest Potter game, assuming you have the patience to discover it.
70
Ferrago
What it does provide is a gaming experience that's the closest you're able to get to truly feeling part of the magical Harry Potter universe. For that harmless escapism alone it deserves praise, especially from anyone who wishes their childhood was just a little bit closer in the rear view mirror.
70
Official Xbox Magazine UK
Magical game fun for kids; brief fun for adults. [Aug 2007, p.99]
70
Boomtown
If you’re looking for an action/adventure game for your Xbox 360, which is what this is despite the pretense of an RPG, then there are a lot better ones available than this. But, if you can’t get enough of Harry Potter then this could well be just what you’re looking for.
70
Yahoo! Games
Is Harry Potter a good game? No, not particularly. The story's vague and badly realized; the characters aren't especially likeable, and the tasks you're given are tedious and involve a lot of plodding about Hogwarts. But does it capture the feel of the franchise? Absolutely, and if you really get involved in the game you'll forgive it its flaws.
70
GamerNode
Order of the Phoenix is the first movie game of the year that would be considered solid for a game, period. For a movie tie-in, it's spectacular.
70
Thunderbolt
The fact that it is built upon completely ordinary tasks may seem pointless, but it's all the more believable for it.
67
Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
A step forward for the Potter series, but still a country mile behind the next big guns. [Sept 2007, p.74]
65
Worth Playing
Controlling Harry in his battles against the Ministry and Voldemort while exploring a sandbox-like Hogwarts is a concept that seems to write itself. However, instead of the excitement and magic that surrounds Hogwarts, you get the monotony of backtracking through an incoherent castle combined with the "excitement" of cleaning up someone else's messes.
65
MS Xbox World
Harry Potter fans will no doubt love Hogwarts that has been lovingly and carefully recreated for us all to gawp at, however the tedium of the repetitive mini-quests and lack lustre battles are a let down.
65
Game Informer
Out of all of the books, games, and movies, it allows you to get closer to the school than ever before – all at the expense of actually enjoying your stay. It’s boring and tedious, just like a real school is. However, it’s also a place where your Harry Potter knowledge can bloom. On this note, only hardcore Harry Potter nuts should enroll.
60
Console Gameworld
While there's lots of story and flavor oriented material here that Harry Potter fans will enjoy, the overall game is little more than a laundry list of chores tht Harry must complete.
58
GameShark
Thankfully, the game isn’t terribly long so only a limited supply of caffeine is needed to get through it, but at $60, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is overpriced and only recommended for the ten year old Harry Potter fan that may not need gratifying gameplay when simply walking around Hogwarts as Harry Potter is enough.
50
EuroGamer
The broader fault is simply that by the time you've spent an hour in Potter's company, you'll have sussed out the rest of the game, leaving you with even less to look forward to than usual - because of course you know what's going to happen to everyone anyway. If you don't, you're better off reading the book.
50
GameSpot
The video game version of Order of the Phoenix captures none of the magic in the Harry Potter books or films.
50
VideoGamer
While the core mechanics of Order of the Phoenix are verging on excellent, the game that's been built around them is basically a series of chores in disguise.
42
Game Revolution
Order of the Pheonix is all about homework and chores, and feels harder to take in than a whole book - those are poor marks for a video game.
40
X360 Magazine UK
As a game though, it's far too uninspiring. [Issue #22, p.88]
40
Gamestyle
Tedious puzzles and boring 'go here and collect this' missions destroy what could have been the most interesting Harry Potter title to date. So, it's another average movie tie-in then. What a surprise.
Tuneer D. gave it a4: Dylan P. gave it a0: Eugen D. gave it a2: Roquentin gave it a3: Adam S. gave it an8: Allistair P. gave it a5: Steve R. gave it a10: |
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