Meta Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

It isn’t every day you get chased by a dragon. Another of the season’s games aimed at kids, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire falls neatly into two despised categories: a sequel, and a movie tie-in. More than that, it’s a tie-in of a movie which is itself a sequel. By transforming the Potter universe from book to game via film, has some of the original magic been lost? Is the game just for kids, or will adults enjoy it too?

IGN (7.2) lamented the loss of the adventure/puzzle feel of the previous series: “Goblet of Fire goes light on difficulty and heavy on straightforward action.”
Gamespot (7.1) found the visuals and co-operative play fairly impressive, but think it’s a game for the fans: “Though the collection aspects of the game are a drag at times, The Goblet of Fire still does enough to keep Potter fans engaged throughout.”
UGO (D+) were less impressed, finding every aspect of the game lacking: “Any sitting of the game lasting longer than 30 minutes can be a mind-numbing experience, no matter how old you are.”
Eurogamer (6/10) were pleasantly surprised by the game, but found nothing particularly outstanding: “Competently handled, atmospheric and reasonably compelling but it doesn’t leave you beaming or breathless.”

Overall the verdict seems to be to stay away unless you’re a Potter fan with a lot of patience—if you liked previous Potter games, you may be disappointed. The game doesn’t seem to reflect the more mature feel of the book and the film, but if you want to experience J.K. Rowling’s world for yourself, it might be worth a look.