Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Finally��Harry Potter starts to grow up. As any not-embarrassed-to-be-reading-kids��-books adult will tell you, Prisoner of Azkaban represents a crucial tonal shift for JK Rowling��s wildly popular tale. Harry��s third year is far bleaker and more harrowing than the previous two (and it only gets creepier from here). Sure, your little brother will still be able to enjoy Harry��s time at Hogwarts, but older readers/viewers can finally feel that they��re not slumming in Kiddieland by enjoying the boy wizard��s quest.

So, it��s fitting that EA��s third Potter game offers a deeper, more mature experience than the previous titles. It��s fundamentally still a Zelda-inspired adventure: Exploration, combat, and magic all unfold just as they do in the landmark Ocarina of Time for N64. The developers take some interesting risks this time, though��you now control not only Harry, but also Ron and Hermione. Each whiz kid specializes in something: Harry leaps across chasms and shoots a grappling-hook spell, Ron spots secret passages, and Hermione squeezes through tight openings.

Switching among three characters on the fly galvanizes the gameplay, making combat and puzzles far more challenging. For example, Hermione will have to freeze fiery salamanders with her Glacius spell before Harry and Ron can double-team them with Flippendo blasts, or Harry may have to jump across moving platforms while the other two take out annoying pixies. The previous Potter titles were easy, but this time around, bosses actually pose a threat��you��ll have to strategize and use each kid��s spells to succeed.

The game��s basic structure��seven days of set classes that thinly disguise dungeons and battles��can feel limiting, as your party members constantly whine about being late for class or wanting to go to bed. Disregard their incessant complaints and take time to explore the vast expanse of Hogwarts. You��ll find tons of optional goodies stowed away in the castle��s corridors (you can collect cards, beans, pages, and other assorted doodads), and the surrounding grounds hide a wealth of neat secrets, like optional two-player minigames.

EA generally excels at imbuing its games with slick production values, and Azkaban doesn��t disappoint. Visually, this newest installment handily outclasses its predecessors with richly detailed environments and nifty effects. Similarly, the audio takes cues from the film��s eerie score, and the soundalike actors perform admirably. One weird stumbling block Azkaban hits is its narrative. EA just assumes everyone has read the book or seen the film��players get zero backstory and little context for the game��s events, so be sure you��re prepared before tackling this adventure.

A Resident Evil

Past Potter games had Harry fighting dorky flobberworms and imps, but Azkaban ups the ante with some legitimately dangerous foes. Ghoulish dementors (right), the ethereal soulsucking guards at Azkaban prison, reign paramount among these enemies. If you see one early in the game...run!

After-School Activities

In a startling display of kindness, EA has packed some EyeToy-compatible minigames into Azkaban��for free! You��ll find six wacky diversions (all available from the outset) based on goofy Potter-themed activities like swatting chocolate frogs, matching wizard cards, and catching the Quidditch Golden Snitch. Like all EyeToy games, these things get pretty dull after a while (unless you��re inebriated or under age 8), but hey, they��re free. Other companies would charge $40 for this stuff.

Rating; [11111]

PROS Deeper combat and trickier puzzles than past Potter outings, free EyeToy games

CONS Feels a bit short, long loading times, sparse story line

Pub. EA Games

Dev. EA UK

ESRB Everyone

MSRP $49.99

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine.