Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

A genuinely good third-year romp for Harry. Accomplished and absorbing, it's not quite magical but it's certainly no muggle either. [GamesMaster]

Next Level Gaming

It is by far the best Harry Potter game made to date.

Play Magazine

I only wish they didn't vocally prod you to death to such a mind numbing degree. [July 2004, p.73]

GameSpy

Being able to explore Hogwart's as not one, but all three of your favorite characters is, as Ron would put it, brilliant. Older gamers will find little challenge in the game's simplistic block puzzles.

Worth Playing

A person who loves the Books and/or the Movies should enjoy this game. Their love of all things Harry Potter will get beyond the game’s few shortcomings.

Game Over Online

It poses a relaxed mental challenge. Most of the obstacles are not time-sensitive meaning those in the younger crowd can take longer to figure out what they're supposed to do to get to the next area.

Xbox World Australia

It doesn’t stray much outside the established action/adventure genre, and while not particularly challenging, it is quite fun to play and would be particularly well suited to those who like their games to be quite cruisey.

Yahoo! Games

The combat difficulty level is forgiving, and the game guides you through the puzzles with helpful clues and hints from the other characters. Less experienced gamers -- who, let's face it, are really the ones the game is aimed at -- will find its light touch very rewarding.

Official Xbox Magazine

Plus there's no Quidditch - what's with that noise? [Aug 2004, p.78]

GameSpot

A by-the-numbers movie-licensed game that makes pretty good use of its source material without really doing anything too surprising. It's perfect for kids.

WHAM! Gaming

Fans of the books and films will enjoy the chance to explore the Hogwarts grounds and do things like ride Buckbeak the hippogriff and collect all of the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, but there's not a lot in this game to appeal to your average Muggle.

GameZone

A step down from the enjoyable "Chamber of Secrets."

TeamXbox

The game does have issues, such as poor collision detection and very clunky controls. Add that to the relatively easy gameplay, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has some problems.

Gaming Age

The game is very linear and hopefully one day the EA team will expand this title with a bit more freedom.

Game Informer

I wish I could say that Prisoner of Azkaban was a bold new start for the series. It's not, but this is a significantly better game than either of the previous two entries. [July 2004, p.111]

1UP

While it's true that things have improved, that doesn't mean it's suddenly a great game. While the downplaying of the storyline does help streamline the game, it also makes your goals seem a little disconnected and random.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

A simple, solid adventure with smart puzzles and high production values, but it leads its junior wizards through every baby step. [Aug 2004, p.101]

IGN

Feels sloppy. The framerate is unpredictable. There are control and lock-on issues. There are artificial intelligence oversights. And there are some collision detection problems.

Ferrago

It ticks a number of very basic and previously-defined boxes with unbending efficiency, throwing in a few commendable moments of surprising fun, drenched in the usual superficial fineries (the visuals, recognisable characters, plotlines, set-pieces, et al) with which many an EA game has plied its trade in the past.

Xbox Nation Magazine

If you love Harry Potter, don't mind that characters talk and whine incessantly, and would like to see Hermione push around an ice block over and over again, Azkaban is good for a few hours of fun. [Aug 2004, p.94]

Gamestyle

It's a shame that the [movie] actors did not assume the speaking parts, but there's always a next time.

TotalGames.net

As always, there are plenty of cards, beans and secrets to find if you've got a craving for that 100 per cent completion feeling, but if not, the credits will be rolling long before the proverbial cows make it home.

Game Revolution

Compared to the PS2's EyeToy games and the Gamecube's GBA connectivity option, the Xbox version got shafted for extras.