Wonderbook: Book of Spells

Absolutely delightful.

Wonderbook is not just a good idea anymore: accompanied by the lovely Book of Spells, this strange peripheral comes to life to surprise all with its beautiful augmented reality. Maybe is not worth buying a PlayStation 3 only for this, but if you already have one a purchase is highly recommended, especially to anyone who wants to gift a very special "toy". We hope that future books for Wonderbook are just as good as this one.

It's easy to understand and offers a different experience, something not very common these days. Technically surprising, it's hard to forget the fact that it's has been developed for kids, but if you're a Harry Potter fan, you should give it a try.

If you have children, this is definitely a magical present for Christmas.

The technology works consistently well, assuming you’re sitting on the floor in a reasonably well-lit room. But just as importantly, Book of Spells has clearly been crafted with the Potter fan in mind, featuring incantations, settings and characters taken straight from the books.

Combines excellent tech with first-class production values to create a really splendid Christmas toy. [Issue#226, p.80]

The great design and high level of creativity is to be commended and appreciated, the game provides an effectively immersive environment, and Harry Potter followers should really love the style and the chance to become a virtual wizard. The end feels anticlimactic, there's no multiplayer option, and there are a few small technical bugaboos but other than that, this is a really solid step in the right direction.

In the end I see Wonderbook: Book of Spells as being a a hit with the kids and it is a good start for the peripheral that makes it all come alive. Sure, there is certainly some room for improvement; however, the future is bright for future "books" that utilize this unique peripheral and I cannot wait to see what is next.

If you can ignore the eyesore low-res video feedback of the PlayStation Eye, the book itself and the creative crap it spawns looks sharp, well animated, and it grows in complexity. Likewise the interactive stories and narration are top-notch stuff. [Christmas 2012, p.76]

Book of Spells' biggest draw is the new Harry Potter content written by Rowling herself. Other than that, it is nothing more than a mini-game collection that benefits from being based on one of the world's most popular and beloved literary works.

One of those rare cases where a game manages to create a unique experience by adding a physical object to it, rather than something that just seems gimmicky.

Wonderbook: Book of Spells is the first game for Sony's new Wonderbook system and therefore has to be good in order to sell the device. Fortunately, the game delivers in almost every way, aiming at young gamers and implementing augmented reality and the PlayStation Move superbly. Based on the Harry Potter universe (and co-produced by J.K. Rowling) this game will also give Potter fans a kick with its magical atmosphere.

There's a more nuanced approach to family inclusiveness here than in most games aimed at this age group, and - perhaps helped by the confidence in the power of words that bleeds through the whole Potter universe - a touching emphasis throughout on the importance of becoming wise.

Wonderbook: Book of Spells is an impressive piece of technology, realizing the potential of augmented reality as a teaching tool and a means of wholesome family entertainment. Its appeal diminishes the older your children get, but Sony has convinced us that a world of possibilities lies ahead for Wonderbook.

Magic. That is what this Miranda Goshawk's 200 years old Book of Spell brings every time we turn a page of Wonderbook. The level of interaction between Move, the book and what we see on the screen is probably the highest Sony has achieved in the field of Augmented Reality. Maybe it's short, very easy on its level of difficulty and simple in its gameplay, but it's also a very captivating experience.

Wonderbook: Miranda Goshawk's Book of Spells is a great augmented reality adventure that deftly imagines the experience of spell-casting at Hogwarts.

Respect is due to Sony for figuring out how to turn Augmented Reality from an interesting tech-demo into something that makes commercial sense, and feels truly original.

Even though my son is just three years old, as soon as the music started we had his attention. Or to be more exact: Wonderbook had his attention. Curious as he is, he joined the action and judged the game worthy of his attention. To see himself on the telly, how cool is that? [December 2012, p.74]