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THE HARRY POTTER FRANCHISE has been particularly successful for Electronic Arts and just like in the movies has only been eclipsed by the Lord of the Rings game franchise. Repeating the successful tactic of releasing the game at the time of the release of the movie they are about to release this game across all platforms.

Following on from the success of the previous titles the formula remains pretty much the same. The story is closely aligned to the movie and the locations are all familiar to those who have seen it at the cinema. A new twist is however the ability to play not just as Harry Potter but you are now able to step into the shoes of his mates Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger (shades of the recent LoTR titles). Switching between each character and utilising their differing skills to over come challenges and defeat enemies.

Players will travel through a host of locations that have been faithfully reproduced from the movie. This familiarity and the recreation of the movie plot (players will unravel the mystery surrounding Sirius Black and his escape from the infamous wizard prison called Azkaban) rather than reduce its appeal makes the game all the more attractive for game players (after all it would be a brave developer who deviates from the story).

It could be argued that games such are this are pretty tame with little of the blood and gore of combat titles of today but these games are about giving players the opportunity to live the adventure. Without a doubt the team and Electronic Artists are the masters of turning movie magic into game magic.

With it release across all platforms this game, like the movie, is already scheduled for a big success. PlayStation 2 and Eye Toy owners are however in for a bigger treat. In a first for the Eye Toy and for the genere, players will be able to participate directly in parts of the game as well as some mini games interwoven into the game itself.

These include: -

Chocolate Frogs: Clap your hands together to catch a Chocolate Frog and make a nice, chocolaty mess!

Exploding Snap: A popular pursuit of Hogwarts pupils, Exploding Snap requires players to match their cards with the snap card to create explosions and increase their score. Chaining correct matches together produces even more explosions!

Seeker Practice: Now everyone can improve his or her seeker skills by attempting to catch the ever-elusive Golden Snitch^TM - just watch out for the Bludger!

Zonko's Joke Shop: There's only one way to stop Dungbombs! Use Frog Spawn Soap to explode all Dungbombs onscreen; Hiccough Sweets causes them to jump and Stink Pellets slow them down.

If you are a fan of the stories than this title looks to be must buy, and more so if you are a PS2 and Eye Toy owner. Look out for the game around the first week of June.

Show me the screenshots!