Electronic Arts thankfully bestowed a lot of production value on this release rather than trying to cash in on a quick buck. Aside from the occasional pop-up problem that makes walls vanish quite unmagically, the graphics are beautiful and fun. Chocolate frogs (an appropriate health power-up) and other elements and characters from the book and film are wonderfully animated. The sound effects and, particularly, the voice acting are top-drawer, which helps suck the player into the Potter experience. Also, the gameplay is nicely varied throughout. Players go from learning a new spell in class to retrieving fire seeds for Hagrid to participating in magic fights against the Slytherin bully Draco Malfoy to riding the broom--which is especially fun. There's even a Quidditch level early on, but there's little to do and it's over very quickly.

On the downside, the game suffers from some really odd controls. Like many adventure games, jumping is really important, as many levels require you to clear obstacles or reach out-of-the-way items. But, unlike in nearly every other game in the genre, there's no jump button. Instead, players automatically jump from the edge of a platform from either a full stop or while running. It takes a lot of getting used to; if you're not at full run or full stop, it's easy to just walk right off the edge and fall. And, like too many other games, you can only save your progress at predetermined locations.

Another fault of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is its lack of challenge for experienced gamers. It's nice that the developers are trying to make it accessible to the entire cross-section of PlayStation-owning Harry Potter fans, but without varying levels of difficulty, it's less of a game than a tour through Potter's magical world. Still, it is an interesting world, and even though it's easy, the action is still varied enough to be fun. --Porter B. Hall

Pros:

• Good use of characters and plot elements from the story
• Varied gameplay
• Great production value
• Broom riding is really fun

• Very little challenge
• Odd control scheme
• Lethargic camera movement makes it sometimes hard to see what you're doing

Climb, jump, and sneak as you explore 3-D environments faithful to Hogwarts and its grounds. Master your wizardry skills, such as piloting a broomstick, casting spells, gathering items to mix potions, scoring points for Gryffindor, and more. Learn your lessons and uncover wizard sweets, broomsticks, chocolate frogs, famous wizard cards, and even the invisibility cloak.

Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Rubeus Hagrid, Albus Dumbledore, and many of the book's other characters join Harry as he masters the sport of Quidditch, takes a 3-D roller coaster ride through Gringotts, and shops at Diagon Alley. Explore Hogwarts, its grounds, the Forbidden Forest, and more as you play through puzzles and minigames and battle evil creatures.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone uses colorful 3-D graphics to capture the daring and enchantment of Harry's world, rendering it in spirited detail. And as Harry, you'll experience the adventure and thrill of a young wizard's first year at Hogwarts, as well as the awesome responsibility of finding the Sorcerer's Stone and challenging He-Who-Cannot-Be-Named. But first you'll have to complete your courses.

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