Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

 PlayStation 3
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Image
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66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews What's this?

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5.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 37 Ratings

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  • Summary: In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the finalIn Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn't counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates! And then there's Hermione, simmering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again. In the game, players return to Hogwarts to help Harry survive a fraught sixth year. They also have a chance to engage in exciting wizard duels, mix and brew magical ingredients in Potions class and take to the air to lead the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory. Players may even get sidetracked by Ron's romantic entanglements as they journey towards a dramatic climax and discover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince. [Electronic Arts]… Expand
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 35
  3. Negative: 2 out of 35
  1. Gaming Age
    83
    Much like the film and the book, is possibly the best in the series.
  2. IGN
    77
    It's not groundbreaking and it's not the most engaging experience in the world, but there is something fun about dropping worms into a cauldron and desperately looking for 150 hidden crests.
  3. ZTGD
    72
    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a solid movie tie-in game with a few setbacks. While light years beyond the mess that was Order of the Phoenix, it still needs a few tweaks to be considered a great game.
  4. InsideGamer.nl
    65
    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is to a certain degree pretty enjoyable but it simply never attempts to try anything special with the universe to which it is connected. It's absolutely not horrible and the true fans will definitely enjoy it but we hope the next game contains a bit more 'magic'.
  5. Absolute Games
    60
    Get ready to fly on brooms, mix reagents in a pot and swing the magic wand… Until you yawn.
  6. VideoGamer
    60
    There's little to no challenge present throughout the entire game, the story only makes sense if you already know the plot and there's a lack of things to do outside of the three main gameplay mechanics. Buy if you're a mega fan, but avoid if you like your games with even a tiny amount of depth.
  7. GameShark
    42
    That’s how I felt after playing the game: that I didn’t really do anything. I’m a big fan of the books – a bit less so of the films, and the games still fail to remotely live up to either.

See all 35 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 7
  3. Negative: 2 out of 7
  1. NoahsNexus
    Apr 6, 2023
    8
    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is an enjoyable game that captures the essence of the books and movies but doesn't quite reach its fullHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is an enjoyable game that captures the essence of the books and movies but doesn't quite reach its full potential. The game follows the story of the sixth book in the series and allows you to explore Hogwarts, attend classes, and interact with characters from the Harry Potter universe.

    The graphics are good, with detailed environments and character models that resemble the actors from the movies. The music is also well-done, with themes that evoke the magic and wonder of the Harry Potter world. The controls are responsive, although the camera can be a bit finicky at times.

    The gameplay is a mix of exploration, puzzle-solving, and mini-games, with occasional combat sections. The game's highlight is the potion-making mechanic, which requires you to collect ingredients and brew different potions using a variety of gestures and movements with the PlayStation Move controller. The potion-making is fun and engaging, although it can get repetitive after a while.

    The main downside of the game is its pacing. The story progresses slowly, with lots of dialogue and cutscenes that can feel tedious at times. The combat sections are also not very challenging, and the puzzles can be a bit too easy for experienced gamers.

    Overall, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a decent game that will appeal to fans of the series. However, it falls short of being a truly magical experience due to its slow pace and lack of challenge. If you're a casual gamer or a Harry Potter fan, this game is worth checking out, but if you're looking for a more engaging and challenging experience, you might want to look elsewhere.    … Expand
  2. RobertoH
    Jul 23, 2009
    8
    Not the best game out there, but a very good improvement can be seen between this game and it's predecessors. The mini-games are fun, Not the best game out there, but a very good improvement can be seen between this game and it's predecessors. The mini-games are fun, the controls, though not very accurate serve their purpose, and the history, though lacking some things, is very well carried out. A good game doing what games are supposed to do: being fun.… Expand
  4. SuperkenGaming
    Mar 3, 2016
    7
    Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince
    A repetitive wizard experience
    IF you’ve seen the movie or read the book you know what to expect    Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince
    A repetitive wizard experience
    IF you’ve seen the movie or read the book you know what to expect story wise.. I having done neither didn’t know what I was getting myself into, and was ultimately disappointed in the overall delivery.
    The feel of this game starts out great, youre slowly introduced to the mechanics of the game in a way that never feels like a tutorial..
    The entirety of the game take place at Hogwarts…
    You feel like youre just a student..
    You run around solving the problems of other students and dealing with bullies…
    You can also collect crests and wiggle your wand at shiny things until a bunch of mini crests come out.
    As of course you would expect from wand wiggling.
    This is a wizards school so the stair cases move as you move, so going out on your own could get a little confusing, luckily you have a guide in the form of nearly headless nick
    with the press of a button, he will appear and lead your to your next objective..
    This is the most clever way to help the player progress that ive ever seen…
    All of this is great..
    You get to make potions by quickly following recipes, you get to duel with your wand, you get to play quidditch and you get to do these 3 things over and over and over…
    The entire story is I need to make this potion, bring it back to whoever but on your way someone stops you to duel,
    Dueling can be pretty fun the first couple times, but I feel like the spells are not nearly as responsive as they should be which can lead to a couple of frustrating losses, and in between this dueling and potion making you have to play a pass through the rings game of quiddich,
    much like dueling, this is fun for the first few times, luckily missing a ring doesn’t fail you like it would in any other game, but I found it hard at times to see whats going on with the sun shining in my eyes like rihanna.
    The story here though is of course figuring out who the half blood prince is, who owned the recipe book that harry potter now has…
    This story will slide in all of your favorite characters, but the ending lacked any punch in what could have been a very sad moment..
    It felt rushed and all over the place lacking any true emotion from me or the characters…
    This game has some potentially great things going for it… the magic of harry potter is here…
    its just doesn’t do enough different throughout your 4 hour journey.
    I give Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince a 6.5/10    … Expand
  5. TheCornflex
    Jan 31, 2018
    6
    I love Harry Potter and the game is fun for one playthrough. That's it. Not a second time.
  6. piuscorvus
    Jun 9, 2022
    6
    Half-Blood fixed plenty of issues from the previous game and the gameplay feels a lot smoother. However, the honest Harry Potter fans will notHalf-Blood fixed plenty of issues from the previous game and the gameplay feels a lot smoother. However, the honest Harry Potter fans will not like this game just as they were not happy with the previous one for the obvious reason: a horrible delivery of an originally amazing story.… Expand
  7. [Anonymous]
    Jul 12, 2009
    4
    This is just a collection of three below average mini games with little or no attempt to maintain a storyline. You spend the entire game This is just a collection of three below average mini games with little or no attempt to maintain a storyline. You spend the entire game playing quidditch, making potions or dueling with people. The reproduction of hogwarts is half decent and good for a bit of an explore but thats about all this game has going for it.… Expand
  8. doomfist229
    Aug 17, 2018
    0
    This is just a collection of three below average mini games with little or no attempt to maintain a storyline. You spend the entire gameThis is just a collection of three below average mini games with little or no attempt to maintain a storyline. You spend the entire game playing quidditch, making potions or dueling with people. The reproduction of hogwarts is half decent and good for a bit of an explore but thats about all this game has going for it.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

92
#92 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2009